Three Favorites: Veggies

First a disclaimer – I LOVE vegetables.

That wasn’t always the case. Like many of my culture and generation (see an episode of the “The Wonder Years” for a general reference point), my early experience with veggies was conflicted, at best. Salty, soft and grey-ish canned vegetables or whatever was in the third compartment of my Swanson’s frozen dinner was my primary exposure to this misunderstood and under-appreciated food group. And then, at 19, I got married.

Now I’m grateful to my ex-wife for many things including the privilege of raising a great kid together and helping me grow into (albeit clumsily and awkwardly) a full-fledged adult. But introducing me to her mom’s traditional Chinese style cooking was nothing less than a revelation. Suddenly I discovered veggies I didn’t know existed and that they could (and should) be crisp, colorful and flavorful. Eureka!

Since then, I’ve built up a broad and varied list of veggies I enjoy raw, steamed, roasted and stir-fried. While not a big salad guy, I do enjoy a few that are very different from each other (kale, cabbage and seaweed, for starters) and I also enjoy many veggie-based soups. But this article zeros in on my top three individual veggies, and it wasn’t easy to narrow the list down to just three. My selections are not simply the ones I enjoy the most. They’re the ones I eat most often, partly because of their versatility. The more easily you can eat veggies and in a broader variety of preparation methods (or better yet, no prep at all), the more you’ll eat. And that’s the overall goal here.

Here’s my list and why:

1. Carrots – This is the easiest to prep, and therefore the handiest veggie on my list. Cut carrot sticks, carrot chips and baby carrots are all easy to find at the grocery store. I dip carrot sticks in blue cheese dressing, hummus or almond butter. But I also shred carrots onto salads and in a wrap I like. To make it, spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a soft tortilla, then some hummus, layer on fresh spinach leaves and finally grated carrots before adding the protein of your choice (tuna, chicken, beef or teriyaki tofu are all delicious). Roll it up, secure with toothpicks and cut in half, serve and scarf. But most often I eat carrot sticks in a bowl or a baggie (on the run) along with an equal number of cherry tomatoes and large snap peas. I call this a “pocket salad”. Simple, balanced, tasty and modular – not messy so great to eat in the car or at the computer.
2. Spinach – Besides the wrap above, I like fresh spinach in salads with strawberries and Balsamic vinaigrette. But most of the spinach I eat is frozen and chopped, which I add to soups, scrambled eggs, pasta sauces, dips and smoothies. It lasts for months in the freezer and is the single most versatile selection on my list.
3. Broccoli – Along with cauliflower, this is my favorite veggie to dip into hummus, in part, because it grabs onto so darn much with a single dip! But broccoli, when cut into small bits and roasted at a high temp in olive oil, with salt and pepper is, quite simply, magical. Although it does stink up the house! Sprinkle on a bit of Parmesan cheese and you may just have a new favorite veggie! Broccoli is also delicious with cheddar cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in quiches.

Honorable mentions: Brussels sprouts (roasted whole, halved or shaved), beets, string beans, peas, squash and asparagus. I also enjoy potatoes (all kinds, including roasted sweet potatoes as pictured above) but those are really more of a starch source, and mushrooms (which are technically fungi and a pretty good source of protein).

So veg up and enjoy!

Dan Taylor, ACE, NASM-CPT, is owner and head trainer at Pleasanton-based Tri Valley Trainer. They provide personal training and small group fitness solutions at their studio, a free Facebook group for living a lean lifestyle for non-cooks with chaotic schedules, and a premium, innovative, medically endorsed web-based group healthy eating coaching program.