You can only eat healthy when you shop healthy. Our essential veg series is all about the foods found in our shopping trolleys every week that help us eat colourful (and makes out lives easier). We’ve broken our essential veg up into snacking/salads, cooking, canned and frozen.
Remember: the more colours the better, to ensure that you’re getting a variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
The essential veg:Canned edition
Canned vegetables are cheap, always available, easy to store in the pantry, have a long expiry date and are a great way to add some vegetables when you’re short on time. Due to their high salt content, pour content into strainer and give a gentle wash before using for cooking. Canned vegetables typically last 1-2 years, but check individual cans for use by dates, as they tend to differ. Store in cool dry place, but transfer to a plastic container in the fridge once opened, as they are often highly perishable once opened, and eat within a few days.
1. Beans (kidney, Cannoli, chickpeas, baked beans)
There are so many options with beans! Add to salads, bean con carne, spooned into baked potatoes, cook in casseroles, added to burritos, tacos and nachos. Mash and use as spread in sandwiches and wraps. Add to jaffle for a fun snack or lunch. Try mashing or blending with grated carrot and an egg, and mold into bean patties – great option for burgers! Look for the salt reduced version.
2. Corn kennels
Adds sweetness to salads, omelettes, stir-fries, fritters and savoury muffins. Look for the salt reduced version.
Try – adding to salsa with avocado, red onion, tomato, coriander and lime juice to taste.
3. Lentils
Great to put in soups, curries, dhal, stews, in burger patties, stuffed capsicums and as an alternative to meat in Bolognaise sauce. Adds texture to salads – try a salad with lentils, red onion, tomato and feta cheese.
4. Crushed tomatoes (or tomato passata etc.)
Can be used as a base for many dishes such as pasta sauces, minestrone, shepherds pie, chicken cacciatore, casseroles and stews. Look for the salt reduced version.
5. Beetroot
In salads, sandwiches and burgers. Add to cakes, muffins, fritters and dips. Great in rice dishes – turns it into a pretty purple colour…what’s not to love!
What are your essential canned veggies?
Read about our essential veg: freezer edition, essential veg: snacking edition and essential veg: fresh edition.
