My Trick for Eating More Vegetables Every Day: Let the Oven Do the Work

To be completely honest: even I don’t manage to eat three servings every single day – and that’s despite the fact that I genuinely love vegetables and salad in all its variations regularly ends up on my plate. Eating the recommended two servings of fruit is no problem: a banana here, two nectarines there, or a handful of grapes in between – really easy! But with vegetables, it somehow doesn’t work as well.

So why can’t I make it happen? I’m sitting here, and I honestly can’t think of a real reason.

Perhaps it’s because those classic three-component meals, such as potatoes with vegetables and meat or fish, are really rare in my kitchen. Yes, when I have the time and the inclination, I put in the effort – but certainly not every day, and usually not even every week.

“Good intentions rarely fail in everyday life because of taste – more often it’s because, after a long day, we simply lack the time and energy for chopping.”

Anne Krenzin

The Raw Vegetable Trap

I could say: “Okay, then I’ll just eat more raw vegetables!” and chop a plate of bell pepper, cucumber or kohlrabi every day to snack on at my desk. That’s not only healthy, but certainly better than munching on chocolate while I work (and no, there isn’t chocolate at work every day).

If I’m honest, I’ve tried that, too. Yes, it worked for a while, but in the long run the effort of first having to wash and chop all of it became too much for me. And not because I consciously decide against it. No! I simply forget – and in the evening I think: “I could have done that.” Routine looks somewhat different …

I’m sure that one or two of you have just recognized yourselves in this description and thought: “That sounds familiar.”

If so, I can only warmly recommend the recipe for oven-roasted vegetables with potatoes. Not only does it let you eat a really generous amount of vegetables, it is also wonderfully filling and tastes truly delicious. And the best part: once again, the oven does the cooking!

Just give it a try and see whether it’s right for you.

Recipe: Oven-Roasted Vegetables with Potatoes

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 6 medium potatoes (preferably with thin skins)

• 1 bell pepper

• 1 zucchini (courgette)

• 250 g (about 9 oz) button mushrooms

• 1 handful of cherry tomatoes

• 1–2 spring onions (scallions)

• 1 block of feta or goat’s cheese

• Salt and pepper

• Herbs such as thyme, rosemary or basil, to taste (fresh, dried or frozen)

• Olive oil

• Herb quark (or herbed cream cheese or yogurt)

Preparation

1. Prepare the potatoes: Wash the potatoes with their skins on and cut each one into 3 pieces.

2. Prepare the vegetables and cheese: Wash, trim and cut the vegetables. Make sure not to cut them too small – the pieces should stay relatively large. Cut the cheese into cubes.

3. Fill the baking dish: Spread the potatoes and vegetables evenly in a baking dish, season with pepper, salt and the herbs, scatter the cheese on top and drizzle generously with olive oil.

4. Bake in the oven: Bake at 175 °C (about 350 °F) for approx. 25–30 minutes. Test with a fork to see whether the potatoes are tender (the smaller the potato pieces, the faster they cook).

Simply arrange on a plate, add a dollop of herb quark, and your wholesome meal is ready.

Enjoy trying it out, and bon appétit!