Throughout this month, we’re bringing you 30 Days, 30 Ways to Good Health, a series of easy strategies for overall wellness that focuses on the foods and cooking techniques to add into your life instead of what to take away. Read on for our latest eat well strategy: making vegetables center stage. Also, be sure to follow along with us as we share some of their favorite tips on Instagram at @williamssonoma and with the hashtag #wswellness.
A hearty dinner isn’t limited to braised meats and large roasts. One of our goals this month has been to eat more vegetables, as they tout tremendous benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re used to eating a lot of animal protein, however, the transition to becoming more vegetable-focused can feel like an unnatural one at first. Here are several of our tips for making vegetables center stage.
 1. Don’t feel like you have to go cold turkey on meat.
Forgive us for the pun. In all seriousness, though, you don’t to go meatless in order to reap the benefits of vegetables. Rather than consuming a majority of meat at every meal, consider it as a side dish, and the vegetable as the main attraction. We’ve got some ideas for ways you can eat mostly meatless this coming week. |
 2. Swap out proteins for vegetables in classic favorites.
One of the easiest ways to train yourself to look forward to eating vegetables is to associate them with your favorite foods. Craving Thai-style chicken curry? Make a Winter Vegetable Coconut Curry instead. If Chicago-style pizza is your all-time favorite, try a vegetarian deep-dish pizza with mushrooms and zucchini. |
 3. Employ vegetables, not meat, as the filling for stuffed dishes.
Instead of beef ravioli, fill ravioli skins with pureed pumpkin. Instead of Asian pork-filled dumplings, consider making a flavorful filling of vegetables like carrot, cabbage and ginger (if you need a starting point, try omitting the shrimp in these shrimp and vegetable dumplings, and replacing them with sliced shiitake mushrooms.
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 4. Only buy vegetables at the peak of their season.
A vegetable that was truly grown during its peak season can be so stunning on its own that a simple preparation of it might transform you into a vegetable maniac. But pay close attention to the seasonality of vegetables, and look beyond the basic seasons (fall, winter, spring, summer). For instance, fava beans are in season from May to July, but the beans at the beginning of the season tend to be more sweet and have a more tender texture.
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5. Don’t overlook marinades and dry rubs.
Some vegetables like tomatoes possess an assertive flavor on their own; others, like zucchini, tend to take on flavors they’re matched with. For this reason, don’t overlook marinades and rubs to add depth of flavor to vegetables, like this recipe for Grilled Corn on the Cob with House Rub. |
