Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you. The phrase “eat your veggies” has been drilled into you since childhood.

However, many of us don’t actually like vegetables.

We don’t like the bitter taste.

I know because I used to dislike vegetables.

The mere thought of eating a brussel sprout made me run the other way.

So how do we get the amazing health benefits of vegetables if we don’t want to eat them?

All vegetables are superfoods

First of all, it’s important to really understand why vegetables are so good for you.

They are high in fibre and low calorie which means they will help you feel full and remove unwanted waste products without adding lots of calories.

A very recent study by the Lancet (a very reputable and independent medical journal) found that fibre is the best superfood out there and there is now an overwhelming amount of evidence it reduced diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol and blood pressure.

Yet fewer than 1 in 10 people in the UK eat the required 30g of fibre a day.

They are also loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which all help to avoid deficiencies.

They will also help make you feel really good as they provide the body with what it really needs.

How to make vegetables taste better

Now it’s about finding ways to make vegetables taste better.

They key to do this is to complement vegetables with other flavours that will hide or reduce the vegetable flavours you may not enjoy so much. The best tips I have for doing this are;

1. Combine with citrus or sour flavours such as lemon, lime or vinegar

1. Combine with salty flavours such as sea salt, dijon mustard or olives

1. Combine with herbs such as rosemary, basil and mint

1. Combine with spices such as black pepper, garlic, ginger and paprika

1. Combine with sweet flavours such as maple syrup, cooked onions or oranges

1. Combine with healthy fats such as tahini, creamy avocado or chopped nuts and seeds

1. Choose a cooking method to maximise depth of flavour such as roasting, pan frying for caramelisation or mashing

Example combinations mights be roasted broccoli with paprika, spinach with caramelised onions, peppery rocket with lemon and tahini or roasted root vegetables (like sweet potatoes and butternut squash) with rosemary and garlic.

Start small and experiment

It’s about progress, not perfection.

Make one change that you think can work for you now.

It can be an addition to your current lifestyle – if you already eat a sandwich add in some tomato, pepper or cucumber with a bit of mustard.

Or choose a vegetable you already like and experiment with flavours. It might be something sweet such as butternut squash.

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Experiment with ingredients and find what works for yourself.

If you have any questions or want to know more then please leave a comment or contact me and I would be happy to help.