Did you know that only one in 10 U.S. adults meets the federal vegetable and fruit intake recommendations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?
Are you one of the naughty nine?
You shouldn’t be. Veggies supply many of the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy. They’re great foods to aid in weight loss. Not only that, they’re chock full of phytochemicals—plant chemicals that have been linked to protection from most of the deadly or chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
You should be feasting on at least four servings of non-starchy vegetables every day on the Nutrisystem program. And we make it easy. Our Recipe Center is brimming with delicious vegetable recipes that take your veggies from dull to full-on flavorful!
Become part of the veggie-lovers’ club with these 11 mouthwatering vegetable recipes:
1. Oven Roasted Tomatoes >
Baked in the oven for 20-25 minutes, these sliced cherry tomatoes dressed in olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, pepper and a touch of sugar will fill the house with an aroma so tantalizing you may not care what the main course is. Only 42 calories, a half cup of these caramelized tomatoes supplies 15 percent of your recommended daily requirement for vitamin A and 20 percent of your vitamin C needs. They’re served with flavorful ribbons of fresh basil.
This is one of our favorite vegetable recipes. It makes six servings, with each serving counting as one Vegetable and one Extra on the Nutrisystem weight loss program. This means that you can enjoy as many as three servings and still stay on plan! (While non-starchy veggies are unlimited on the Nutrisystem plan, you are allowed up to three servings of Extras each day.)
2. Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots >
It really does exist: The veggie that tastes as good as dessert. It’s these baby carrots, tossed in a sweet-savory marinade of honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and roasted for 40 minutes to enhance their natural sweetness. Best of all, they’re more than a side dish. You can also use them as a healthy snack!
The recipe makes six side dish servings which count as just one Vegetable, so feel free to indulge away!
3. Roasted Rosemary Beets and Carrots >
As tasty as it is colorful, this Mediterranean-flavored dish (thanks to two sprigs of rosemary) marries two favorite root vegetables plus red onion roasted to (literally) sweet perfection, at only 130 calories a serving. It will be hard to believe that this side dish won’t send your blood sugar soaring, but beets are low on the glycemic index, a measure of how much a food raises blood sugar, which will keep you on an even keel. If you’re only familiar with canned beets, this fresh version will be a pleasant surprise. Just ask our customers: They’ve told us that this is one of their absolute favorite vegetable recipes.
This healthy recipe, which makes four servings, counts as one and a half Vegetables and two Extras.
4. Cheese Sauce Smothered Broccoli >
You’re going to be amazed how good this ooey-gooey cheese sauce is. In fact, you’re going to want to have it with everything. But it’s totally made for this broccoli dish which clocks in at 110 calories per serving. Made with nonfat milk, garlic and onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper, reduced fat cheddar, Dijon mustard and corn starch for thickening, it’s every bit as flavorful as a full-fat version. The broccoli underneath is delicious, too, and it supplies this dish with plenty of vitamin C, fiber, vitamin A and potassium. Broccoli also contains suforophane, a plant chemical linked to reduced risk of cancer.
Counts these cheesy classic as one Vegetable and one PowerFuel on the Nutrisystem program.
5. Chinese Cabbage with Spicy Garlic Ginger Sauce >
A crispy Asian style slaw featuring Napa cabbage, bell peppers and green onions, this has become a Nutrisystem customer favorite. Some tell us they make a big batch and take it to potluck suppers. The secret to its popularity may be in the sauce. It’s made from soy sauce, minced ginger, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. It’s low in calories—only 55 per serving—but huge in flavor. This healthy recipe makes six servings. One serving counts as one Vegetable and one Extra.
If you’re craving something savory-sweet, stop right here. Prep is simple: Spread green beans and Baby Bella mushrooms on a foil-covered baking sheet, drizzle with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey, then sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme over top, and bake. That results in a delicious, comforting side dish for a Nutrisystem meal or Flex meal. The recipe makes six servings at 58 calories each, and counts as one Vegetable and one Extra. Good thing it’s so healthy, because this is definitely one of those vegetable recipes you’re going to want on your plate often.
7. Skinny Mashed Sweet Potatoes >
It used to be that sweet potatoes only made their appearance at the dinner table on special occasions. Thankfully, we’ve seen the error of our ways and invite them to a meal regularly. You’ll want this version all the time. The recipe melds vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes with cauliflower, an excellent source of vitamin C, into a creamy, dreamy, sweet version of mashed potatoes. It’s surprisingly quick to make. You just steam the veggies for about 12 minutes until they’re tender, then mash and mix them with a little milk, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, salt and pepper. This easy and popular veggie recipe makes six servings and each counts as one SmartCarb and one Extra.
8. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese >
It looks just like Mac and Cheese, but the “Mac” is swapped out for cauliflower florets, covered in a thick, melty cheddar cheese and cream cheese sauce. There’s a lot of “stealth health” in this delicious side dish. Cauliflower contains a unique compound called glucosinolate, a micronutrient linked to reduce risk of gastrointestinal cancers. The recipe makes eight servings, each just 114 calories and counting as one PowerFuel, one Vegetable and one Extra.
9. Cinnamon Raisin Carrot Muffins >
Even non-bakers will find this recipe easy as pie. . .or, rather, muffins. There’s a full one cup of grated carrots in these muffins, which make a delicious, naturally sweetened breakfast, dessert or snack. Only 146 calories per serving, they contain cinnamon and allspice, sliced almonds, raisins, eggs, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup and nonfat plain Greek yogurt mixed with whole wheat flour, making them extra filling and healthy. The recipe makes six servings, each of which counts as one SmartCab and two Extras. This just might be the king of all vegetable recipes!
10. Cauliflower Sweet Potato Soup >
One bowl of this thick, creamy, sweet soup is a nutritional powerhouse. It supplies copious amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, which makes it extra filling. Just 127 calories per one-cup serving, this vegetable broth-based soup is a whole lot of delicious, with two cups of sweet potatoes, two cups of cauliflower, three whole cloves of garlic and warming spices like paprika, coriander, cumin and ginger. It gets most of its creamy texture from the veggies, but it also contains a cup of nonfat milk, which makes it rich in calcium, too.
One serving counts as one SmartCarb, one Vegetable, and one Extra.
11. Spicy Peanut Slaw >
You’ll go nuts for this Asian take on slaw which turns an ordinary bag of coleslaw mix into something exotic. The dressing is made from rice vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce and peanut butter. After you dress the slaw mix, add a quarter cup of crushed peanuts and some sliced green onion and parsley, toss well and serve. The recipe makes four servings, each of which counts as one PowerFuel and two Vegetables.
