Simple Ways To Add Vegetables Into Meals

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I’m sure that you, like me, are constantly on the lookout for feeding healthy, nutritious meals to your family. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get discouraged if you deal with picky eaters, especially when it comes to the veggie department. For quite some time now, I’ve been searching for cheap, fast, simple ways to add vegetables into meals.

With a busy schedule, a lot of times you may feel like you don’t have the time to make one more dish. Then, there’s the cost problem. Grocery bills are already so high, no one wants to spend even more money on vegetables that cost a fortune. The great thing about these recipes is that they aren’t going to cost you an arm and a leg at the store.

Read on to find some of the recipes that have worked great for me!

What If I Have A Picky Eater?

Even if you are able to find cheap recipes that are efficient as well, we all have that one picky eater that we feel like is surviving on hotdogs.

I totally get that! I’m fortunate enough that most of my boys will eat practically anything, and a lot of it. That third child, though (smh).

I will say, I have struggled the most to encourage him to eat the healthy foods. Here are a few tips I have found that work for me.

Quit Buying Snacks

My mom gave me this advice when my oldest was about three. I ignored it. So, I definitely get it if your immediate reaction is “no”. Snacks are easy, they’re simple, the kiddos love it, and I could keep going. But, honestly, they’re not healthy or nutritious.

Even the snacks with no “bad/fake” ingredients (I’m calling out Sunbelt granola bars, I love them, but…) aren’t very nutritious. Usually, their sugar content is through the roof and the amount of vitamins, minerals, or protein is slim.

If you stop offering snacks throughout the day, your child is bound to be hungry and will eat more during mealtime. So if you feel like you can’t completely stop offering snacks, try to eliminate the packaged goods.

Have Certain Foods That Are Always Available

I will never say “no” when one of my sons asks to eat certain foods. I even try to have them readily available to them so that they can get them as they please and don’t have to keep asking me for them. These include bananas, apples, grapes, berries, string cheese and cold veggies (think baby carrots or snacking tomatoes).

What I love about this list is that I don’t have to stop what I’m doing to give them these, either. It requires minimal effort on my part and a three year old can help himself to it. Yes, this means that we go through 14 bananas in two days (I wish I was exaggerating).

Keep An Eye On That Bill, Though

I still have to be careful because I’m focusing on trying to keep my grocery bills low, not raise them. It’s not too expensive to buy a bag of baby carrots or apples, or a bunch of bananas. However, the berries and other fruit can be.

So, I’ve found a new favorite way–buy them frozen. I get the largest bag of frozen berries or mangoes once a week. If you count the cost, we’re talking a little less than $1.50 for snacks for seven days.

When they ask for it, I literally put them in a cereal bowl and set them on the table. The bowl sits there all day until they’re eaten, and it becomes a free for all.

Offer At Every Meal

Now that we’ve figured out the snack situation, this brings me to my next point. I really coax my kiddos to eat one fruit and one veggie at every meal. This doesn’t mean a lot, per se. If we take lunch, for example, I put three baby carrots and three apple slices on their plate next to their main dish.

Again, I don’t necessarily force them to eat all of their food. Rather, I tell them they can’t have anything else until that food is gone. Sometimes those fruits/veggies sit on their plate all afternoon; that works out great, though, because whenever they ask for a snack, I direct their eyes back to that plate, haha.

Other Ideas

The above ideas work great for during the day, and are great for what you don’t have to cook. The big deal then becomes suppertime. I really want to incorporate a good variety of side dishes at supper time because it gives me more variety.

Obviously on practice nights and other busy times this doesn’t happen. But when it does, I love it, the hubster loves it, and the kiddos sometimes love it and sometimes hate it (what can I say, I’m being honest). So I celebrate the small wins.

Sweet Potatoes

This sweet potato recipe first occurred in a Skinny Taste cookbook my sister in law made for us for Thanksgiving one year. I make this all of the time now. I’ve adapted it for my own use and made it easier/simpler for us to consume in one meal.

You’re going to want a mixing bowl and hand mixer for fastest results.

Pro tip: After the sweet potatoes are cooked, and before I add any extra ingredients, I take a few sweet potatoes and throw it into my blender with some water. This becomes baby food for the littlest member of our clan and takes a few extra minutes. If you want some more tips about how to make your own baby food effortlessly, check out this post here!

Sauté Cauliflower

This recipe is so easy! All you need is 1-2 lbs of frozen cauliflower, butter, and your favorite spices. I heat up my cast iron or stainless steel skillet on medium heat and add 1-2 Tbsp of butter (I do this more for flavor than anything else).

Once the skillet is ready, I add my frozen cauliflower. While it’s cooking, I “season the crap out of it”. My go-tos: Slap Ya Mama, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper. I stir it practically the entire cooking time to make sure the seasonings get well mixed. We’re only talking about 5-10 minutes of cooking though, and then it’s ready to go.

Broccoli Cheese and Rice

This recipe is one that can potentially take a bit more attention while you’re making the main dish.

Cook 1-2 Cups of Rice (my favorite way is on the instant pot). Add garlic, butter and salt. While the rice is cooking, steam your frozen broccoli in a pot over the stove. I like to add salt, pepper, and garlic. When the rice is done, mix in 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese and broccoli and serve.

Sweetened Baby Carrots

This is another favorite recipe I like to make ahead of time. Again, it’s super simple and the whole family likes. In a small crockpot, I pour in one 1 lb bag of baby carrots. Add 2 Tbsp of butter and drizzle maple syrup or honey over the carrots. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until carrots are tender.

There You Have It!

These are my favorite ways to incorporate vegetables into our everyday meal schedule. These recipes and tips work great for busy moms who are on the go and for stay at home moms who want to throw a nutritious meal together that the whole family loves.