Enjoy these recipes to put vegetables front-and-center on your family’s table:

Americans aren’t eating enough vegetables. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is one of the keys to good health — helping to protect the body against all kinds of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more. But according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of Americans are consuming less than 1 cup of vegetables and 1.5 cups of fruit per day, and 87 percent of Americans are not eating the recommended daily amount of vegetables. In state-by-state comparisons, our own community here in Delaware is doing slightly worse than the national average.

It’s time to step it up, friends! Healthy habits at home and at work are your best defense against needing a trip to the hospital. As your expert, caring partners in health, we at Christiana Care want to help you make a difference in your life and your family’s life, and build a healthier community. What better way than to refocus on every mother’s advice: Eat  your vegetables.

This is the third in a series of recipes that we hope will teach you some delicious, fun ways to get more vegetables into your diet. We hope you find a few recipes that you like enough to make them weekly staples. Let us know your favorites! For more help in planning your family meals, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Soba noodle bowls

Visually stunning and simply delicious, soba noodle bowls are a fantastic way to encourage your family to eat more vegetables. Choose from a tempting array of healthy, fresh toppings to make a satisfying meal with tons of flavor. The ability to DIY may be just what you need to get your kids (grown ups too!) excited to eat their veggies.

Below you will find suggestions for vegetable toppings, proteins, and garnishes. This is a great way to use up leftover vegetables or surplus produce from the garden.

What would you add to your bowl?

Ingredients

8 oz soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
1-2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Directions

  1. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
soba-noodles
Soba noodles are a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat and are a good source of protein, fiber, and manganese. Soba noodles are found in the Asian aisle of many grocery stores as well as in local Asian markets. As with any ingredient, check the label. Some brands are much higher in sodium than others. Can’t find them? Consider substituting with whole wheat angel hair pasta or even brown rice.
  1. In a large sauté pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes, do not allow to brown. Add soy sauce and noodles tossing to ensure all noodles are coated in the sauce.

soba-noodles-cooking

  1. Remove from heat and divide between 4 bowls. Serve noodles warm or cold, topped with your choice of toppings.

Serves 4.

Topping suggestions

Serve toppings warm or cold, cooked or raw.

Steamed baby bok choy, radishes, bean sprouts, hard boiled egg half, cilantro.
Steamed baby bok choy, radishes, bean sprouts, hard boiled egg half, cilantro.
Vegetables
Broccoli Snow peas
Carrots Mushrooms
Asparagus Red bell pepper
Cucumber Radish
Sprouts Red cabbage
Napa cabbage Jalapeño
Edamame Zucchini
Peas Baby bok choy
Eggplant Kale
Peas Spinach
Avocado
Edamame, shredded red cabbage, tofu, green onion.
Edamame, shredded red cabbage, tofu, green onion.
Proteins
Proteins Soft or Hard boiled egg
Tofu Peanuts, no salt, or lightly salted
Seitan Almond slivers
Edamame
Steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, red bell pepper, sesame seeds.
Steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, red bell pepper, sesame seeds.
Garnishes and Condiments
Garnishes and Condiments Basil (Italian or Thai)
Cilantro Mint
Green onion Jalapeño peppers
Sesame seeds Lime wedges
Low sodium soy sauce Sriracha (use sparingly, Sriracha has a high sodium content)
Snow peas, carrot sticks, Thai basil, jalapeno, chopped peanuts, lime wedge.
Snow peas, carrot sticks, Thai basil, jalapeño, chopped peanuts, lime wedge.

Nutrition

Calories 223 Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 157 mg
Potassium 15 mg Total Carbohydrate 38 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 0 g
Protein 8 g
Top