Help me plan vegetables into our meals!

[daisymommy]

I'm great about planning the main entree.  But I have a really hard time knowing what vegetables to put with my meals, unless it's a default sort of situation (ex. pasta with a salad, roast with root vegetables, soup containing veggies).  Part of the problem is I grew up only eating canned green beans and corn.  Now that I'm an adult who is trying to make healthy eating choices, I'm floundering when it comes to veggies.  I like most of them, but don't know how to cook them, or what to serve them with.

So, here is a list of the meals that I am drawing a blank on.  PLEASE tell me what you would serve with each one! 

Thank-you so much :)

EDITED TO ADD: Just wanted to clarify, this is only about 1/3 of the meals in our menu rotation.  The other ones I already have a standard "go-to" vegetable that I put with it, that came to mind easily (like salad with our Italian food, vegetables in our Asian stir-fry, etc.).  These are the meals that I am drawing a blank on and need help with.  It's not that we only eat American or Mexican food :)

    * Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?)

    * BBQ Pork & coleslaw

    * Bean and Ham Soup w/cornbread

   *  Enchiladas w/rice or beans

    *Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice

    * Chicken Chili & cornbread

    * Chicken Tortilla Soup

    * Hamburgers w/ oven fries

    * Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes

    * Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + ?

    * Pork Roast + ?

    * Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes

    * Salsa Chicken and ?

    * Sloppy Joes w/oven fries

    * Taco Soup + ?

    * Tacos + ?

    * Texas Chili & cornbread

Edited by daisymommy - 4/13/11 at 1:58pm

[la mamita]

A salad as the first course is the easiest thing to do, imo. It doesn't need to 'match' the meal.

Also, cooking dishes that revolve around vegetables, like quiches, vegetable fajitas, soups/stews, or a main-dish salad with chicken/fish on top, negates the need for an additional side of veggies.

Here are my thoughts for your list:

* Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?) Soup and salad. If not, perhaps a side of green beans or peas, seasoned with salt and pepper and butter.



* BBQ Pork & coleslaw Coleslaw I would count as a veggie side dish. Another thing you could do is pan-wilted spinach or other greens, southern-style.



* Bean and Ham Soup w/cornbread Salad or green beans or peas or sauteed zucchini...



* Enchiladas w/rice or beans Lots of guacamole and a homemade salsa (cilantro, onion, tomatoes, garlic). Add tomatoes to the rice ala Mexican red rice.



*Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice Lots of guacamole and a homemade salsa (cilantro, onion, tomatoes, garlic). you can also add carrots and peas to the rice.



* Chicken Chili & cornbread Salad or any vegetable steamed, roasted or sauteed--green beans, peas, carrots, etc.



* Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make with chopped tomatoes in the soup, serve with an avocado for each person to go into the soup.

* Hamburgers w/ oven fries Lettuce and tomato on the burgers, plus a salad or veggies roasted with the potatoes in the oven, such as red peppers, carrots, eggplant.



* Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes Again roast more vegetables with the potatoes.



* Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + ? Salad or traditional American side of cooked veggies...



* Pork Roast + ? Roasted vegetables or salad.



* Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes Peas and carrots and cabbage to mix into the mashed potatoes



* Salsa Chicken and ? Homemade salsa, guacamole, rice with vegetables cooked into it like arroz con pollo style rice



* Sloppy Joes w/oven fries Salad or roasted veggies



* Taco Soup + ? Cook more veggies into the soup, homemade salsa and guacamole



* Tacos + ? Fajita style red peppers and onions (blackened in a pan and served with cilantro and lime), homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, lettuce and tomatoes as taco toppings



* Texas Chili & cornbread Southern style pan fried greens

Also, it seems like this list is heavy on the Meat & Potatoes American diet plus Mexican food. I would add in some other cuisines to get a wider range of options, like Italian (homemade tomato sauce with lots of veggies over spaghetti, creamy polenta served with roasted vegetables/sauteed vegetables), Chinese (vegetable fried rice), etc...

[Lisoula]

Bolded are my ideas that came to mind....

Originally Posted by daisymommy 

    * Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?)  Yes...salad

    * BBQ Pork & coleslaw Green Beans....lightly steamed and served sprinkled with vinegar

    * Bean and Ham Soup w/cornbread Salad

   *  Enchiladas w/rice or beans Sliced raw tomatoes & avocado

    *Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice Same as enchiladas

    * Chicken Chili & cornbread  Steamed brocolli or baked sweet potatoes

    * Chicken Tortilla Soup  Grilled or broiled zucchini brushed with olive oil & salt/pepper

    * Hamburgers w/ oven fries  Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, & carrots with dill & butter

    * Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes Sugar snap peas with red pepper slices

    * Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + ? Roasted brussels sprouts

    * Pork Roast + ? Broiled asparagus sprinkled with olive oil, bread crumbs, and parmesean cheese

    * Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes  Green & wax beans fried with olive oil and garlic until lightly browned

    * Salsa Chicken and ? Corn, peas, & black beans

    * Sloppy Joes w/oven fries  Broccoli salad salad with raisins & sunflower seeds

    * Taco Soup + ? Salad

    * Tacos + ? My tacos always have lettuce, guac, & tomatoes.....so the veggies are covered

    * Texas Chili & cornbread  Roasted parsnips & turnips

[lovebugmama]

My kids love veggies most when they are just lightly steamed with butter and salt.  If I overcook the veggies they are not as popular.  Their favorite is steamed string bean topped with sliced mushrooms sauteed in butter.  They also like asparagus roasted with olive oil and garlic.  There are some veggies that they will not eat at all (spinach, peppers, peas) so they are not in our rotation.

I too struggle with mexican food side dishes - my first thought is corn, but that's not really a veggie.  I love the idea of fajita style peppers and onions, I will definitely incorporate that in my own planning, though my kids don't usually dig peppers. 

    * Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?) yes, salad

    * BBQ Pork & coleslaw - coleslaw is the veggie or maybe cucumber salad

    * Bean and Ham Soup w/cornbread - salad

   *  Enchiladas w/rice or beans -

    *Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice

    * Chicken Chili & cornbread

    * Chicken Tortilla Soup

    * Hamburgers w/ oven fries - roast some sweet potatoes and carrots along with the fries

    * Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes - string beans with mushrooms

    * Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + ? - carrots

    * Pork Roast + ? - roasted veggies or cauliflower

    * Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes - broccoli or cauliflower

    * Salsa Chicken and ?

    * Sloppy Joes w/oven fries

    * Taco Soup + ?

    * Tacos + ?

    * Texas Chili & cornbread

[Greenlea]

As far as serving any type of soup, I would just always go with a salad.  You can always spice up the salads depending on what kind of soup you're serving.  Like if you're serving taco or tortilla soup, add some corn, blackbeans, & jicama to your salad and serve with avocado and lime wedges.  For other types of soup like chicken just put the veggies in the soup.

Originally Posted by daisymommy 

     * BBQ Pork & coleslaw - corn on the cob or fresh steamed green beans

   *  Enchiladas w/rice or beans - tomato & avocado salad

    *Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice - side of black beans crumbled with cheese

    * Hamburgers w/ oven fries - I don't usually serve a side veggie with burgers, but will put a tomato wedge, lettuce, onion, pickle on the plate

    * Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes - roast some brussel sprouts with the potatoes or add steamed broccoli

    * Meatloaf w/baked potatoes - corn, broccoli, or green beans

    * Pork Roast - cauliflower, peas, or broccoli

    * Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes - steamed carrots

    * Salsa Chicken and  - peppers and onions

    * Sloppy Joes w/oven fries - corn on the cob or baked beans

    * Tacos - the veggies are in the taco

My go to veggie is steamed broccoli, but I love it so I make it quite a bit.  I tend to serve broccoli, asparagus, or zucchini when having fish.  We are vegetarians so I'm not always worried about pairing up our veggies with our meat though.

[jimblejamble]

* Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits Broccoli (in the soup)
* Bean and Ham Soup w/cornbread Carrots and tomatoes (in the soup)
* Enchiladas w/rice or beans Green bell pepper and grated carrot. I dice up the bell pepper so finely it's almost like ground beef in the texture (little bitty chunks instead of long strips). Sautee it and the grated carrot with a little garlic and add it with whatever other fillings you want into the enchiladas.
*Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice Avocado, sauteed bell pepper & red onion
* Chicken Tortilla Soup - Tomatillos
* Hamburgers w/ oven fries Satueed mushrooms, avocado, onion, tomato
* Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + Broccoli, carrots, and/or green beans -- steamed
* Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes - Kale, red cabbage, carrot, and onion salad with an olive oil, lemon juice, and ACV-based dressing
* Sloppy Joes w/oven fries -- Salad, or repeat the enchilada filling with the bell pepper and carrot and mix it right in with the sloppy joes instead of having something on the side.. The beauty of grated carrots is that they are small so you don't get an overwhelming carrot taste.
* Taco Soup + Slices of avocado on top
* Tacos + Avocado, bell pepper, lettuce or kale, chunky salsa

When in doubt, a green smoothie is always a good backup!

[rhianna813]

Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?)

- Add cauliflower or broccoli to the soup

- Serve with green salad

Enchiladas w/rice or beans

- add veggies to the enchiladas: peppers, zucchini, pumpkin, shredded carrots, spinach

- serve with salsa or green salad with shred cabbage, mango, cilantro and lime

 Chicken Chili & cornbread, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Taco soup, Texas chili:

-Add veggis to the soups and chilis: cubed pumpkin/squash, zucchini, peppers, diced carrots, celery. shredded cabbage

* Pork Roast + grilled onions and beets is a favourite with pork. Or sauté apples with onions.

* Hamburgers w/ oven fries, Meatloaf w/baked potatoes, Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes, Salsa Chicken, Sloppy Joes w/oven fries:

- Green salad with many variations

- Steam broccoli, kale or other dark greens or green beans or peas

Rhianna

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Roasted veggies are our go-to here.  I make a mixture of whatever veggies sound good - sweet potatoes, zucchini, squash, asparagus, green beans, etc. - add in a little diced onion, coat it all in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 400 degrees stirring every 10-15 minutes until they get crispy.  My DD will eat any veggie cooked this way, so we've stuck with it.

[MrsBone]

what about a salad main dish? I like to make taco salad, so you can load up the salad with all kinds of veggies..even carrots, corn, celery, tomatoes, whatever sounds good! It does sound very heavy on the meat/potatoes and mexican fair. Shepherds pie is a great way to incorporate veggies. You can hide shredded zucchini and carrots in with the sauce and still add carrots and peas to the dish. I like to shred zucchini and carrots, turnips or cabbage in with pasta sauce, sloppy joes and the like. I don't "hide" veggies all the time, but when it's a dish that typically doesn't have a lot of veggies, I throw them in simply for nutritional value.

[ollyoxenfree]

I often serve a plate of raw veggies (crudite) and dip if it's a casual meal like soup or tacos or hamburgers or chili. There are lots of tasty, healthy dips that you can "match" to the main course - hummus, roasted red pepper, spinach etc.  Since we eat hamburgers and tacos with our hands, it seems natural to have a veggie side dish that is also a finger food. 

For the "meat and potatoes" meals like meatloaf, pork or chicken, the easiest veggie sides are steamed carrots or broccoli or green beans or asparagus. Roasting vegetables is nice too, especially cauliflower or summer squash or winter squash, or a mix of roasted peppers, tomato, zucchini etc. 

[onlyzombiecat]

    * Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?) I would just put vegetables in the soup or have fruit for dessert. I'm not fond of soup and salad.

    * BBQ Pork & coleslaw I would count coleslaw as a vegetable. An obvious additional vegetable is corn on the cob.

   *  Enchiladas w/rice or beans You could make a fresh salsa or guacamole. A salad would be fine.

    *Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice Same thing.

    * Chicken Chili & cornbread Throw some veggies in the chili.

    * Hamburgers w/ oven fries I think any vegetable dish would go well with this.

    * Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes What about squash or zhuchinni?

    * Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + ? Broccoli with mushrooms, rosemary and garlic

    * Pork Roast + ? Grilled Asparagus, mashed cauliflower, squash, salad...

    * Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes Salad or any vegetable dish

    * Tacos + ? My tacos have tomatoes and lettuce or spinach on them and we have salsa and sometimes guacamole.

I recommend the book The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen for some good vegetable dish inspiration.

[Chicky2]

One thing I do is to start each and every meal w/chopped onion, bell peppers, celery, carrots, or a mixture of whatever else I have.  Then I build on that.  If I have cabbage, I'll chop that, zucchini, celery, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and then add all that to my taco meat, or to my enchilada filling, or whatever.  If I'm making soup, the main protein usually comes from the bone broth base, and then I just toss in a HUGE bowl of veggies.  Yesterday we were low on snackage so I whipped up some cheese quesadillas with swiss chard from the garden.  I can't think of much that wouldn't be greatly enhanced by a gob of veggies. 

[jenniferlynne]

Originally Posted by Chicky2 

One thing I do is to start each and every meal w/chopped onion, bell peppers, celery, carrots, or a mixture of whatever else I have.  Then I build on that.  If I have cabbage, I'll chop that, zucchini, celery, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and then add all that to my taco meat, or to my enchilada filling, or whatever.  If I'm making soup, the main protein usually comes from the bone broth base, and then I just toss in a HUGE bowl of veggies.  Yesterday we were low on snackage so I whipped up some cheese quesadillas with swiss chard from the garden.  I can't think of much that wouldn't be greatly enhanced by a gob of veggies. 

I do this too.  I always have bell pepper, onion and/or zucchini and carrots on hand.  I dice them very finely, saute them and add them to anything that has ground beef (tacos, spaghetti sauce, etc.) and the kids don't even notice them.  The key is to dice them finely!  Ditto with soups.  You can add in all kinds of vegetables.  I also keep on hand a huge bag of frozen spinach, which can easily be added to all kinds of sauces and soups.  It's an easy way to punch up the veggie content.  As far as specific vegetable side dishes, I think you've gotten some great suggestions.  At our house, we tend to eat a lot of steamed broccoli and green beans (the thin ones) with butter and lemon pepper. 

[Chicky2]

Oh, I wanted to say that a great way to eat more veggies is to make "super veggie spaghetti sauce".  I take my cans of diced or crushed tomatoes, a couple of onions, a couple of bell peppers, several zucchini, a couple of tubs of mushrooms, several carrots, a head of garlic, several stalks of celery, and a big bunch of fresh spinach, or a big bag of frozen spinach.  I cut up all the veggies (doesn't have to be perfect or anything because they'll cook down), dump 'em in a big pot and let 'em simmer just slightly for an hour, or until all veggies are very soft.  Then I use my immersion blender to puree it all.  Then I taste and add seasonings (I use oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, toasted anise seeds).  Finally just let it simmer until it is as thick as you like.  Freeze extra for later.

And please, please don't use corn as a vegetable substitute.  It is a grain.  It is, however, good with veggies!

[Thparkly]

Might I suggest you consider learning a variety of ethnic dishes (Chinese, Indian, Japanese) in which fruits and vegetables are the main component and not just a garnish? 

I guess after trying to come up with ideas for your meals here is my main problem: the meals themselves are all entrees that don't focus on vegetables in the first place; they focus on carbs and protein, and I am of the opinion that healthy diet should focus on fiber at least equally. When I have an American style meal, I usually preface it with a large spinach or brocolli slaw salad beforehand.  Also, kidney beans or chick peas are compatible with most dishes (although not a vegetable they are high in nutrients and fiber).

    * Baked Potato Soup & cheddar garlic biscuits (salad?)-spinach salad

    * BBQ Pork & coleslaw-eat broccoli slaw instead of coleslaw

    * Bean and Ham Soup w/cornbread-carrot and beet salad

   *  Enchiladas w/rice or beans-avocado,onion, and tomato salad

    *Beef or Pork Carnitas w/cilantro lime rice-avocado,onion, and tomato salad

    * Chicken Chili & cornbread-broccoli slaw

    * Chicken Tortilla Soup-avocado,onion, and tomato salad

    * Hamburgers w/ oven fries-fresh spinach on the burger and grilled squash

    * Italian Breaded Pork Chops w/roasted red potatoes-sweet potatoes instead of red potatoes

    * Meatloaf w/baked potatoes + ?-peas

    * Pork Roast + ?peas

    * Oven “Fried” Chicken w/mashed potatoes-spinach salad

    * Salsa Chicken and ?avocado,onion, and tomato salad

    * Sloppy Joes w/oven fries-I give up:-)

    * Taco Soup + ?

    * Tacos + ?

    * Texas Chili & cornbread

[daisymommy]

Doing the happy dance!  You gals are AWESOME!!!  Thanks a million for your helpful suggestions!  I'm going to add notes with "vegetable serving suggestions" on all my recipe cards :)

[skreader]

We just always plan to have some green veggie. Uuually we cook it stir fried w/ garlic or blanched in water briefly. Here we usually have:

• gai lan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai-lan
• choi sum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_sum
• Bok choi jai (baby Peking cabbage)
• Broccoli
• pea pods (thin)

In a pinch, we'll also cook Napa cabbage or western cabbage that way. When we're feeling like not cooking  much, we'll wash some lettuce leaves and the kids have to have those - however they want to consume them (w/ dressing, plain, wrapped around something..)

My husband and I also like to have spinach or  dou miu (pea sprouts) or water-spinach, but the kids don't like those so much.

So it's just there &  since it's pretty simple in taste, I never worry whether or not it goes w/ the rest of the food.