As the seasons change and the days become cooler, our eating habits often change with them. Summer salads and lighter meals make way for warming soups, hearty stews, comforting pasta dishes and traditional Sunday roasts.

Autumn is actually one of the easiest times of year to enjoy more vegetables. From carrots and parsnips to broccoli, cauliflower, squash and potatoes, there’s a fantastic selection of seasonal produce that can be incorporated into everyday meals.

The best part? Adding more vegetables to your meals doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen or completely changing the way you cook. With a few simple ideas and a little preparation, it’s easy to make vegetables a bigger part of your autumn meals.

Start with the meals you already enjoy

One of the easiest ways to eat more vegetables is to avoid overcomplicating things. You don’t necessarily need to find lots of new recipes or completely rethink your meals. Instead, look at the dishes you already enjoy and think about where you could add an extra portion of vegetables.

Making a pasta sauce? Add some peppers, mushrooms, carrots or courgettes. Cooking a chilli? Try adding extra peppers, sweetcorn or finely diced carrots. Preparing a curry? Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach or butternut squash can all work beautifully.

Even small additions can help increase the amount of vegetables in a meal without changing the flavours you know and love.

Make the most of warming autumn soups

When the weather starts to cool, few things are more comforting than a bowl of homemade soup. It’s also one of the simplest ways to enjoy a variety of vegetables in one meal.

Carrots, leeks, potatoes, cauliflower, squash and other root vegetables can all be combined to create delicious, warming soups. You can keep things simple with a classic leek and potato soup or experiment with seasonal combinations such as roasted squash and carrot.

Soup is also a great option for batch cooking. Make a larger quantity at the weekend and you can have an easy lunch or quick meal ready for the days ahead.

Don’t forget about your side dishes

Vegetables don’t always need to be part of the main course. Sometimes, simply adding an extra side is an easy way to increase the variety of vegetables on your plate.

Swap a portion of chips for roasted carrots or parsnips, serve steamed broccoli alongside pasta, or add some roasted cauliflower to a curry. A colourful selection of vegetables can make even a simple meal feel more interesting.

And when you’re preparing a traditional roast dinner, autumn vegetables are the perfect accompaniment. Carrots, parsnips, cabbage, broccoli and potatoes can all be prepared in different ways to create a satisfying selection of sides.

Try something different with seasonal vegetables

Autumn is a great opportunity to experiment with vegetables you might not usually buy.

Squash and pumpkin, for example, can be used for much more than Halloween decorations. They can be roasted, mashed, blended into soups or added to curries and pasta dishes.

Root vegetables can also be surprisingly versatile. Try roasting carrots and parsnips with herbs, adding swede to a mash, or combining beetroot with fresh leaves and cheese for a simple autumn salad.

Trying a different vegetable each week can be an easy way to add variety to your meals without making things complicated.

Make vegetables more exciting

If vegetables aren’t always a favourite in your household, the way they are prepared can make a big difference.

Steaming and boiling are simple options, but roasting can completely transform vegetables by bringing out their natural sweetness and adding a delicious texture. Herbs, spices, garlic and seasoning can also help to add plenty of flavour.

You could try roasting cauliflower with spices, adding herbs to roasted root vegetables or combining different colours and textures to create a more interesting side dish.

There’s no single “right” way to enjoy vegetables, so experimenting with different cooking methods can help you discover what works best for you and your family.

Keep convenience in mind

We all know that finding the time to prepare fresh vegetables from scratch isn’t always easy. After a busy day at work, school runs and everything else that comes with everyday life, peeling and chopping vegetables can feel like one more task on the list.

That’s where prepared vegetables can help.

Having vegetables ready to cook makes it much easier to add an extra portion to a meal, whether you’re preparing a quick weekday dinner or cooking for the whole family. It can take away some of the preparation while still giving you plenty of flexibility when it comes to how you use them.

At Willowbrook Foods, we understand that convenience matters. Our range of prepared fresh produce is designed to help make everyday cooking easier, so you can spend less time preparing and more time enjoying your food.

Make autumn meals work harder

Another simple way to enjoy more vegetables is to make your meals stretch further.

Adding extra vegetables to dishes such as soups, stews, curries, pasta sauces and casseroles can help create generous, satisfying meals for the whole household. It’s also a great way to use up vegetables that are already in the fridge.

Leftover roasted vegetables can be added to a frittata or omelette, mixed into pasta or used to create a quick lunch. Cooked vegetables can also be blended into soups or sauces, giving leftovers a new lease of life.

With a little creativity, one batch of prepared vegetables can become part of several different meals throughout the week.

A simple approach to eating more vegetables

Eating more vegetables doesn’t have to involve a major change to your routine. Often, it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference.

Add an extra vegetable to a meal you already enjoy. Try a new seasonal ingredient. Swap one of your usual sides for roasted vegetables. Keep some prepared produce ready in the fridge for those evenings when time is short.

Autumn provides plenty of inspiration, with an abundance of fresh produce that is perfect for hearty, comforting meals. From warming soups and roasted root vegetables to colourful sides and family favourites, there are plenty of easy ways to make vegetables part of your everyday cooking.

So, as the evenings draw in and autumn gets into full swing, why not make the most of the season and add a few more vegetables to your plate?

With the right ingredients and a little inspiration, autumn eating can be both simple and delicious.