Serves: 5

Does it seem like getting vegetables into your day is a chore? Eating enough vegetables is important, but you won’t do it if it’s not an easy and tasty experience. Take advantage of the prepared ingredients in your supermarket produce section: bagged lettuce mixes, baby carrots, prechopped items on the salad bar. Use bagged coleslaw mix in a quick stir-fry or steam baby carrots and toss them with a bit of butter. Introduce yourself to an incredibly vitamin-packed vegetable: bagged spinach. Place the spinach, all of it, in a hot skillet with a tiny amount of water and in less than a minute, your vegetable side is ready--simply season and serve!

To make vegetables more delicious, instead of boiling them, which leaches out the nutrients and waters down the flavor, try steaming or roasting them. Cut them in different ways--carrots diagonally or zucchini in long spears--to add interest to your plate. Serve green beans or tiny baby yellow squash or baby red potatoes whole.

Side dishes can dress up the simplest cuts of meat, or you can combine several sides for a meatless meal in minutes. Start with a few of the recipes in this chapter and see if your interest in vegetables awakens.

More Recipes from the Last Minute Meals for People with Diabetes Cookbook:
*Speedy Sides
Broccoli With Spicy Cheese Sauce
Broiled Blue Cheese Romas
Cheddar'd Yellow Squash
Cheesy Risotto With Onions
Dilled Whole Green Beans
Free Veggie Stir-Fry
Greek Potato Wedges
Honey-Roasted Carrot Wheels And Onions
Pasta With Basil And Parmesan
Rough Potato Mash
Sesame-Roasted Asparagus
Spinach And Bacon
Sweet Potatoes With Orange Marmalade