Easy, healthy ways to cook your veggies!

• Wash your vegetables under cool, running water before cooking and eating them. Gently scrub off any dirt you can see. Do not use soap.
• Keep fresh vegetables separate from raw meat or chicken.
• After cooking your vegetables, put any leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours.

Baking

Baking is an easy, no-fuss, no-muss way to cook vegetables. Baking is good for cauliflower, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. For potatoes and sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put the vegetables into the oven. Do not cover them.
3. Cook until the vegetables are tender.

Grilling

Grilling adds crispiness and smoky flavor to vegetables. Grilling is good for asparagus, corn on the cob, eggplant, and zucchini.

1. Put a large sheet of aluminum foil on the counter.
2. Spread the vegetables onto the foil.
3. Sprinkle olive oil and pepper over the vegetables. Mix them with your hands until all the vegetables are coated.
4. Fold the aluminum foil to make a sealed packet.
5. Cook on the grill until the vegetables are tender.

Microwaving

Microwaving cooks vegetables very quickly. Microwaving is good for beets, broccoli, and peas.

1. Put the vegetables into a bowl that can go in the microwave, adding a little water into the bowl.
2. Cover the bowl with its lid or a paper towel, to let steam escape.
3. Cook the vegetables in the microwave until they are tender. Stir once or twice while they cook.
4. Be careful when you remove the lid from the bowl. The steam can burn you!

Roasting

Roasting in the oven brings out the sweetness in the vegetables. Roasting is good for Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and zucchini.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the vegetables into cubes. Try to keep them all about the same size.
3. Spread the vegetables onto a large baking sheet. Sprinkle olive oil and pepper over them.
4. Mix them gently with your hands until all the vegetables are covered with the oil and salt and pepper. Alternatively, you may mix the vegetables in a large, plastic storage bag. Spread them out again into an even layer.
5. Cook in the oven until the vegetables are tender.

Steaming

Steaming in just a little water keeps vitamins inside the vegetables. Steaming is good for corn on the cob, green beans, and spinach.

1. Put the vegetables in a shallow pan, with 1 to 1 ½ inches of water in the bottom.
2. Put a lid on the pan, or cover it tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Cook on the stove over medium-low heat. Keep the water bubbling gently.
4. Cook just until the vegetables are tender.

Stir-frying

Stir-frying cooks the vegetables quickly. Stir-frying is good for bell peppers, mushrooms, and snow peas.

1. Cut the vegetables into thin slices.
2. Put the vegetables into a large skillet with just 1 or 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
3. Cook them on the stove over medium-high heat. Stir them the whole time they are cooking.

Cook until the vegetables start to get tender.