Good Healthy Ways To Cook Fresh Veggies

Eating a diet filled with fresh vegetables doesn't necessarily mean a daily regimen of salads and boiled broccoli. Discovering healthy ways to cook fresh vegetables adds variety to your diet and may increase your overall vegetable consumption, a recommendation made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010." According to the USDA, there is evidence that consuming 2.5 cups of vegetables per day helps reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Grill

The next time you fire up your grill, don't limit yourself to hamburgers and hot dogs. Slice and grill fresh vegetables and serve them as a main course or as side dish to replace higher calorie options such as macaroni salad. Any vegetable can be grilled, including onions, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. Keep your vegetables healthy and avoid using heavy sauces. Marinate them prior to grilling using olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a low-fat salad dressing.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a traditional French vegetable stew that uses tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, eggplant, peppers and onions. Each vegetable is cooked separately to preserve its unique flavor. The great thing about ratatouille is that it is highly adaptable to individual preferences. In her book, "The Pleasures of Cooking for One," Judith Jones writes that "rules are meant to be bent in cooking" and ratatouille is no exception. Jones recommends placing your personal spin on ratatouille. Use vegetables that are in season. If you like mushrooms, use them in your ratatouille. Add more fluid you want a soup-like ratatouille or less if you'd prefer a heartier version.

Puree

In its publication "Explore the World with Fruits and Vegetables," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests pureeing fresh vegetables to use as a dip, reminiscent of hummus, a Middle Eastern dish made from mashed chickpeas. Chop your favorite vegetables along with some of your favorite fruits to create a chutney, a type of relish, or fresh vegetable salsa.

Lasagna

The next time you prepare lasagna, try using shredded vegetables in place of ground meat and low-fat cheese in place of regular cheese. According to the CDC, modifying your favorite lasagna recipe to include more vegetables and less meat helps reduce the amount of fat and calories in this popular dish. Increase your consumption of whole grains and fiber by using whole wheat lasagna noodles instead of refined grain pasta noodles.