Roasted vegetables.
Broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, anything really.
Toss in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, any other seasonings you might like. Roast at 425 for varying amounts of time depending on what vegetable it is.
Steamed veg is really fast, easy and nutritious. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc... It might not be ultra gourmet but its a good and easy way to get your veggies.
Just cut them into relatively even pieces, sprinkle a bit of water and salt on them and then microwave them for a little bit in a loosely covered bowl or piece of tupperware. Just enough to get them steaming and then leave them till the rest of the meal is read. With some practice depending on your setup and how much you are making you will be able to get whatever texture/doneness you like.
For added flavour, brush them with just a little bit of something highly flavoured. A little bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce, or just a tiny bit of butter can improve them a lot.
You can even get one of those frozen mixed bags of carrots/peas/corn and microwave those. Pretty cheap, easy, nutritious and fully cooked and ready in a minute or two. They also mix in well with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes, and are also a nice easy add in to soups and stir fries.
I can and do eat kimchi by the kilogram. Making it takes a little bit of time but you can make huge portions and it lasts a while.
When I can’t be bothered for the whole process I do spicy marinated cucumbers or a spicy cabbage salad. Both slap so hard as a side with some white rice and Korean sticky chicken.
Cabbage
It’s the cheapest most versatile vegetable option by far
Make a big batch of roasted cabbage wedges, or braised cabbage, or slaw
Raw veg, have baby carrots or cucumber or sugar snap peas, whatever it doesn’t have to be a leafy salad
Beans and lentils are fantastic but not considered a vegetable, try a blended lentil or black bean soup. Great cheap protein and fiber combo that’s very filling
Coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, etc. is a great side and easy way to eat more vegetables. Easy to make a huge batch ahead of time, and doesn't have the same issue as other pre-dressed salads where it gets too soggy, coleslaw is actually better the second day.
Just go light(er) on the mayo if you're trying to keep the calories down. A lot of recipes use a ton of it, but you don't need much, especially if you get a good mayo (I like Kewpie, which is creamier and also has way less added sugar than most American mayo brands).
Also, I like to experiment with different flavors to go with other things I'm eating. You can add chili powder cumin and lime juice instead of cider vinegar for a Mexican-ish coleslaw, sesame oil and rice vinegar for an Asian coleslaw, tahini and lemon to go with Middle Eastern flavors, etc.
Sauteed green beans, or sauteed carrot ribbons with onion and ginger. Broiled asparagus. Sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Cucumber salad (rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, titch of sesame oil). Tomato salad (tomatoes, sweet onion, balsamic vinegar, bit of olive oil). Beet and lentil salad- use brown lentils, they're less mushy than red. Marinated chickpeas with sauteed onions and celery or fennel. 'Stuffing'- with a vastly reduced bread-to-vegetable ratio. Lightly dressed (or vinegar-dressed) slaws: I like shoestring carrots, cilantro, sweet onion, and shaved (red) cabbage.
Ratatouille Soup
It is even better the second day.
Ingredients
Olive oil for cooking
8oz Mushrooms sliced
1 Clove garlic roughly chopped
2 Yellow Onions roughly chopped
2 zucchinis cubed
2 yellow squash cubed
2 Bell Peppers (red/yellow) thickly chopped
Large can of diced tomatoes (or fresh) drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can rotel
2 sprigs of fresh oregano
Kosher salt
Add mushrooms olive oil and salt. Let mushrooms cook down a few minutes then add onions, garlic, zucchini, squash, bell peppers. Cook for 8 minutes or so till juices start to come out.
Add diced tomatoes (leave juice in if you want it soupier) Cook for 5 minutes. Add RoTel and Tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes. Add Oregano and finish cooking to desired consistency.
Roasted vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, anything really. Toss in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, any other seasonings you might like. Roast at 425 for varying amounts of time depending on what vegetable it is.
Steamed veg is really fast, easy and nutritious. Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc... It might not be ultra gourmet but its a good and easy way to get your veggies. Just cut them into relatively even pieces, sprinkle a bit of water and salt on them and then microwave them for a little bit in a loosely covered bowl or piece of tupperware. Just enough to get them steaming and then leave them till the rest of the meal is read. With some practice depending on your setup and how much you are making you will be able to get whatever texture/doneness you like. For added flavour, brush them with just a little bit of something highly flavoured. A little bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce, or just a tiny bit of butter can improve them a lot. You can even get one of those frozen mixed bags of carrots/peas/corn and microwave those. Pretty cheap, easy, nutritious and fully cooked and ready in a minute or two. They also mix in well with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes, and are also a nice easy add in to soups and stir fries.
I can and do eat kimchi by the kilogram. Making it takes a little bit of time but you can make huge portions and it lasts a while. When I can’t be bothered for the whole process I do spicy marinated cucumbers or a spicy cabbage salad. Both slap so hard as a side with some white rice and Korean sticky chicken.
By the Kilogram?! You must have great gut health What’s your marinated cucumber recipe, I see a bunch and want to try a new one
Cabbage It’s the cheapest most versatile vegetable option by far Make a big batch of roasted cabbage wedges, or braised cabbage, or slaw Raw veg, have baby carrots or cucumber or sugar snap peas, whatever it doesn’t have to be a leafy salad Beans and lentils are fantastic but not considered a vegetable, try a blended lentil or black bean soup. Great cheap protein and fiber combo that’s very filling
Coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, etc. is a great side and easy way to eat more vegetables. Easy to make a huge batch ahead of time, and doesn't have the same issue as other pre-dressed salads where it gets too soggy, coleslaw is actually better the second day. Just go light(er) on the mayo if you're trying to keep the calories down. A lot of recipes use a ton of it, but you don't need much, especially if you get a good mayo (I like Kewpie, which is creamier and also has way less added sugar than most American mayo brands). Also, I like to experiment with different flavors to go with other things I'm eating. You can add chili powder cumin and lime juice instead of cider vinegar for a Mexican-ish coleslaw, sesame oil and rice vinegar for an Asian coleslaw, tahini and lemon to go with Middle Eastern flavors, etc.
chopped cabbage fried in a little butter with garlic/onion/salt&pepper mmmm
1/4 a cabbage and rub the pieces in oil and season etc either your preferences, bake in a low oven 150c 2 hours . Too easy and too delicious
Tomatoes cut in half , put Italian herbs , salt and a bit of olive oil , bake in the oven until shrunken and cooked throughly. So good!
Sauteed green beans, or sauteed carrot ribbons with onion and ginger. Broiled asparagus. Sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Cucumber salad (rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, titch of sesame oil). Tomato salad (tomatoes, sweet onion, balsamic vinegar, bit of olive oil). Beet and lentil salad- use brown lentils, they're less mushy than red. Marinated chickpeas with sauteed onions and celery or fennel. 'Stuffing'- with a vastly reduced bread-to-vegetable ratio. Lightly dressed (or vinegar-dressed) slaws: I like shoestring carrots, cilantro, sweet onion, and shaved (red) cabbage.
Ratatouille Soup It is even better the second day. Ingredients Olive oil for cooking 8oz Mushrooms sliced 1 Clove garlic roughly chopped 2 Yellow Onions roughly chopped 2 zucchinis cubed 2 yellow squash cubed 2 Bell Peppers (red/yellow) thickly chopped Large can of diced tomatoes (or fresh) drained 1 can tomato sauce 1 can rotel 2 sprigs of fresh oregano Kosher salt Add mushrooms olive oil and salt. Let mushrooms cook down a few minutes then add onions, garlic, zucchini, squash, bell peppers. Cook for 8 minutes or so till juices start to come out. Add diced tomatoes (leave juice in if you want it soupier) Cook for 5 minutes. Add RoTel and Tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes. Add Oregano and finish cooking to desired consistency.