Dinner is the one meal most people eat every single day – which means it is the best opportunity to get in your daily dose of vegetables. In this blog, we will do a deep dive into healthy dinner recipes with vegetables, easy tips to add more veggies to meals, and sneaky veggies additions for families on a budget.
Growing up, I could always count on my mom having a couple cans of vegetables stocked in our pantry to use as a side for dinner. Even when dinner was takeout or mac and cheese, she would faithfully heat up canned green beans, corn, or asparagus and serve it alongside the meal. At the time, I underestimated the power of her including these veggies in my dinners, but now I recognize how important her daily choice to add a pop of color to my plate contributed to healthy choices I make now as an adult.
Why Add More Veggies to Dinner?
Adding veggies means adding nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet. Studies show that eating veggies can help you maintain a healthy weight, support digestion, and lower your risk of health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Best of all, you don’t need fancy ingredients or a big grocery budget. Learn more about grocery shopping on a budget in our Shop Smart blog!
Quick and Easy Veggie Sides
If cracking open a can of asparagus alongside dinner like my mother often did doesn’t sound appealing (which is totally understandable), consider serving up these quick, tasty veggies as sides with dinner.
- Include a salad with dinner.
- Roast carrots, sweet potatoes, or broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper in the oven.
- Steam green beans or cauliflower in the microwave and sprinkle with parmesan before serving.
- Sauté or air fry sliced zucchini or squash.
Don’t Skip the Frozen Aisle
Here are three reasons you should buy frozen veggies:
- Frozen vegetables last longer than fresh vegetables.
- Frozen veggies are already washed and prepared – saving you time in the kitchen.
- Frozen veggies are just as healthy (or healthier) than fresh veggies, since they are frozen at peak freshness.
Ideas to include frozen vegetables at dinner:
- Steam a bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave and mix with pasta and cheese.
- Roast frozen carrots or butternut squash in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add frozen mixed veggies to stir fries and soups.
Try one of our easy frozen veggie recipes on the Choose Homemade website – like in our healthier Beef and Broccoli Ramen.
Canned Veggies
You already know we love canned veggies – as an essential part of a healthy pantry, they make it easy to include an extra serving of veggies with dinner.
Options include:
- Canned beans – black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, etc
- Asparagus
- Corn
- Mixed veggies
- Peas
- Carrots
- Spinach
Tips to make easy canned veggies meals just as nutritious as recipes that include fresh veggies:
- Rinse canned veggies to cut down on salt.
- Add canned beans to taco meat or quesadillas.
- Stir mixed veggies, peas, or carrots into rice or soups.
Simple Salads (That Actually Taste Good)
Salads don’t need to be anything fancy: follow this three step process for an easy, tasty salad every time.
- Lay down spinach or mixed greens
- Top with extra veggies like shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, or broccoli florets
- Finish with low-fat dressing and a sprinkle of cheese!
Salads are a great way to use up every part of your veggie from root to stem, which saves money by reducing the amount of edible produce you throw away. For more tips on root-to-stem cooking, check out our blog on How to Use Every Part of Your Veggie from Root to Stem.
For more ideas, check out our collection of healthy salads on a budget, like our Southwest Salad!
Sneaky Ways to Add Veggies In
If your family prefers their dinners veggie-less, don’t worry – there are still ways to sneak them in! Sometimes all it takes is adding veggies into meals they already know and prefer.
- Blend bell peppers, onions, or zucchini into spaghetti sauce.
- Blend spinach into smoothies – use darker fruits (like blueberries) to cover up the green hue!
- Add chopped mushrooms and onions to tacos or burgers.
- Add mashed cauliflower to mashed potatoes, like in our cauliflower mashed potatoes.
- Hidden in plain sight: serve a savory sandwich with a pickle on the side!
For more details on adding hidden veggies to your picky eater’s diet, check out our blog Easy Tricks for Getting Kids to Eat More Vegetables!
Veggie-Loaded Choose Homemade Recipes
For more healthy recipes for families, check out our full recipe collection on the Choose Homemade Website.
Sesame Salmon
Veggies included: garlic, carrots, green onions, edamame, cucumber
Homemade Spinach Pesto
Veggies included: spinach, basil
Chicken Broccoli Shells and Cheese
Veggies included: broccoli
Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Veggies included: onions, cilantro, butter lettuce, carrots, cucumbers
Conclusion
Adding more vegetables to dinner doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. Add a salad with dinner or mixed veggies into rice, and see for yourself how every little change counts towards a healthier you.
At Choose Homemade, we believe in making the healthy choice the easy choice – and that includes finding easy ways to add more veggies to your meal.