Frozen Veggies With a Kick!

Frozen veggies with some flavor!

I almost always include a veggie side with dinner. It’s one of those easy ways to add veggies to your family’s day. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and at our house, it rarely is. I keep frozen peas, green beans and corn on hand at all times to throw in the microwave. If I’m feeling slightly more veggie-ambitious, I’ll roast Brussels sprouts, asparagus, even broccoli. Super easy and super tasty.

When Lisa’s Organics offered to send me some of its frozen veggie sides, I jumped at the chance. Instead of boring old fro-veg, the company’s chef-inspired sides include tasty glazes and sauces so that you get a kick of flavor with your veggies. The options even sound tastier than your standard fare, and there are enough options to cover your favorite vegetable: California Vegetables in Balsamic Glaze, Sweet Peas in Parmesan Herb Sauce, Whole Green Beans in Garlic Olive Oil Sauce, Broccoli Florets in Gorgonzola Bleu Cheese Sauce and Southwest Vegetables in Ranchero Sauce.

While all of the veggies were pretty tasty, there were a couple that came out on top. Before I get to those, I’ll say that the Southwest and California veggies were my least favorite; the sauces were a bit sweet, which is fine, but reminded me too much of frozen low-cal meals to really love. However, the broccoli in gorgonzola bleu cheese sauce? I loved, even if the broccoli was slightly mushy (as frozen broccoli tends to be). But the sweat peas? So good. The peas tasted SO fresh and SO sweet, and I loved the cheesy but not overpowering sauce. My hands-down favorite though? The green beans in olive oil. They were crunchy and lovely and there were sun-dried tomatoes, a pleasant surprise if I ever tasted one. I had to seriously stop myself from eating the entire bag myself.

The great thing about these is that you could serve them over pasta or rice or as a side…so many possibilities because the flavor and sauces are already built in! While they taste more decadent than your regular frozen veg (just read these product descriptions!), they are still low-cal and low in sodium. Even if I had eaten the entire bag of green beans, it would have only been 120 calories and 8 percent of my sodium for the day.

Did they pass the kid taste-test? Funnily enough, no! My daughter, who has always eaten anything and everything, was not a fan. She lost her appetite with the flu and has been much, much pickier ever since. But I have a feeling if you have a picky eater who isn’t into veggies, these just might do the trick. Also cool? The bag is recyclable!

Do you have a sauce you throw on your veggies for a kick? Inquiring minds want more ideas… —Erin