How do you bulk your food with vegetables?

[amandajane]

I've been cooking a conventional shepherds pie tonight and it occurred to me that I am really bulking it out with vegetables. With a 500gm pack of mincemeat and added carrots and onions (and of course the requisite mashed potato on top) I have a main meal for the next four days! Veggies are good! - how do you bulk out your recipes with veggies to make the food last longer?

[mcnerd]

I'm not really understanding what you mean by bulking out with vegetables to make the food last longer.

[Megan]

I am always throwing frozen broccoli into things - pasta, rices, etc.

[Glue]

Frozen peas into a pot of Ramen noodles.

[khorrell]

The other night we were having sloppy joes for dinner and I thought that there wouldn't be nearly enough. I threw a can of beans in and smushed them up, and it was great! I imagine I could have probably put in just a touch of meat and used nearly all beans, and I'm going to try it in the future.

Other things that I considered as I rummaged through the pantry included barley and couscous.

[72Tiger]

mushrooms and broccoli in pasta.

[lucille]

We mostly just eat more veggies. I have also started making more things where meat is in some larger dish rather than a separate meat serving. I seem to be able to use less meat that way with few complaints and can add more veggies or beans etc. to the dish or use dishes that are veggie heavy in the first place.

Beef prices are insane. Most cuts were $5-$8 a pound, not including steaks. Seafood here is even more expensive if you want anything edible. Enough for 4 reasonable portions of anything that isn't bait quality is going to run $16-$20. I have been using quite a bit of ground turkey to augment things since that is only $1.49 a pound.

[kav122]

Originally Posted by lucille

We mostly just eat more veggies. I have also started making more things where meat is in some larger dish rather than a separate meat serving. I seem to be able to use less meat that way with few complaints and can add more veggies or beans etc. to the dish or use dishes that are veggie heavy in the first place.

Beef prices are insane. Most cuts were $5-$8 a pound, not including steaks. Seafood here is even more expensive if you want anything edible. Enough for 4 reasonable portions of anything that isn't bait quality is going to run $16-$20. I have been using quite a bit of ground turkey to augment things since that is only $1.49 a pound.

I agree! I find that if the meat is part of the dish, it is MUCH easier to throw veggies in! I throw extra veggies into everything--even scrambled eggs Actually, there are so many veggies in my eggs, it looks like breakfast stir fry--haha!

I don't usually cook "from a box" but if I do, then I add all kinds of veggies--peppers, mushrooms, onion, etc--and it definitely gives it more flavor!

P.S Don't mind her, McNerd, she DOES talk funny

j/k amanda! :

[rhino]

I try to eat more vegetables and less meat. Better on both your body and wallet!

[lucille]

We have been trying to add more lentils, wild rice, beans and brown rice into out meals. They seem to have less carbs than some other things like white bread and help round out meals while saving money. If you combine beans with another starch you get a complete protein that is supposedly equal to meat protein.

Does anyone know of other good combinations to round out meals without adding lots of carbs to them?

One we have been doing is making black beans in the crock pot with a ham bone and spices and then using those and brown rice in things like burritos.