9 Healthy Ways To Make Vegetables Taste Amazing

We all know that eating vegetables is good for us; vegetables are generally low in calories and provide us with several key nutrients needed for optimal health. But adding more vegetables to your diet can be a challenge, especially if you don't like the taste. Smothering them in cheese sauce or salad dressing can help the vegetable-adverse, but those types of solutions often do more nutritional harm than good. So how do you make vegetables taste amazing without compromising nutrition?

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Though it may sound strange at first, mixing vegetables with fruit can be a good way to get used to their taste. Because we're naturally inclined to eat sweet foods and avoid bitter ones (scientists speculate it's a survival mechanism since many poisonous plants have a bitter taste) adding fruit can make vegetables taste more appealing. Roasting carrots in orange juice or making salsas out of onions, peppers, and mango is a good start. And, adding juicy, flavorful fruits to salad greens can cut down on the amount of salad dressing needed; try sliced strawberries on peppery arugula salads and peach wedges with baby spinach.

Another healthy way to make vegetables taste amazing is to enhance their natural flavor with citrus juices, good fats, fresh herbs, and dried spices. A simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper is great on just about any vegetable from cooked asparagus to broccoli. Cauliflower and carrots are delicious when roasted with garlic and a sprinkle of cumin or curry powder, and you can't go wrong with fresh-chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice on grilled corn.

If you want to add more vegetables to your diet but struggle to find ones that you like, I challenge you try these delicious flavor-enhancing tips; they might just help change your mind!

Buy In-Season

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Vegetables that are grown out of their natural growing season are notoriously bland and bitter. For the most delicious and flavorful vegetables, stick to those that are at the peak of their growing season. If you're unsure what's in season, check your local farm stand or farmers market.

Buy Baby Versions

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Some vegetables are more bitter once they're fully mature. Try baby eggplant, baby Brussels sprouts, and baby artichokes if you're looking for less bitter options. As an added bonus, younger vegetables are often more tender than their fully-grown counterparts.

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Kristie Collado is The Daily Meal's Cook Editor. Follow her on Twitter @KColladoCook.