Recipe: Easy, Healthy Grilled Vegetables

Get those grills fired up - it’s grilling season! If you are looking for some summer grilling ideas, you’ve come to the right place! Here at YES! Nutrition, we love easy grill recipes AND healthy grill recipes - and this new, delicious summertime grill recipe from YES! Nutrition intern Megan Hemmelgarn is one we think you’ll just love, too! 

Megan is a dietetic intern from North Star, Ohio. She recently completed her Bachelors of Science in Dietetics and is finishing up her year-long dietetic internship with Bowling Green State University to help her earn that trusted RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) credential. As a busy intern and soon-to-be bride, Megan loves that this recipe delivers nutrient-dense foods in a totally hassle-free cooking method: grilling. Yep, when you use the grill, you spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying the beautiful summer weather...and that’s something that whether you’re an intern and bride-to-be, a busy professional, or a busy parent, we can all appreciate! Megan, take it away!

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Many people know that vegetables are healthy...but why? Of course, vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (special plant nutrients) that help keep your skin, eyes, heart, brain and body healthy. Even more impressive?  Recent studies indicate that incorporating more plant-based foods, like vegetables, can help you maintain a healthy weight and help you reduce your risk of diet-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and strokes. Plant-based food items are often budget-friendly, and they add a variety of nutrients to your diet, too (1).

Try adding more plants to your diet with this easy grill recipe! This summer grilling idea will give your backyard lunch or BBQ dinner some color, flavor and lots of healthy nutrients...and cleaning up is a breeze, too!

In this healthy grill recipe, I used some of my favorite vegetables that are packed full of nutrients. I used red pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, red onion and mushrooms. I always try to add different colors of vegetables, because each color provides our body with different nutrients and benefits!   

I stopped over at Tori’s and together we made these Easy, Healthy Grilled Vegetables. Here’s how you can make it on the grill!  

First, preheat the grill on medium-high heat to reach 450° F. Then, wash all the veggies and cut them into similar-sized pieces to make sure they all cook at the same rate.

Next, mix all the vegetables in a bowl and add the olive oil, mixing well until the vegetables are coated. Then, add garlic salt onto the veggies and mix to incorporate.

Split the amount of veggies you have in half to add to 2 foil packets for the grill. To do this, add half the veggies to a single layer on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place another sheet of aluminum foil, similar in size, on top of the veggies and roll the edges together to form a sealed packet. This helps trap the heat and moisture and fully cook the veggies. Keep in mind that the longer you cook the veggies, the softer they’ll become.  So, if you like your veggies crisp, you may want to reduce the cooking time. Repeat this step for the rest of the veggies, forming 2 foil packets total.

After forming the foil packet, the veggies are ready for the grill! Place the foil packet on the grill for 12 minutes at around 450° F.  After the 12 minutes, remove the foil packet from the grill with tongs, placing the packet on a cooking sheet. Open one side of the foil pack, being careful to avoid the hot steam, and spread the cheese evenly over the veggies. Seal the packet again and let sit for 1 minute, or until the cheese is melted.

Carefully remove the top layer of foil and serve the grilled summer veggies immediately. Season with salt and pepper, if you'd like. This easy recipe is perfect for grilling out, picnics, or camping and adds delicious and nutritious veggies to your meal. We hope you’ll try it!

Easy, Healthy Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients  

• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 small head of broccoli florets, diced  
• 1 small head of cauliflower, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced  
• ½ red onion, cubed  
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoon Garlic salt
• ½ cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Instructions

1. Turn on grill to preheat to around 450° F.
2. Wash and dry the vegetables and chop into similar sized cubes.
3. Mix all the vegetables together in a medium sized bowl. Add olive oil and garlic salt to the vegetables; stir to combine.
4. Place vegetables in a single layer on a sheet of aluminum foil. Add a similar sized sheet of aluminum foil to the top and roll the edges together, forming a tight packet. Place vegetables on the grill for 12 minutes, or until soft.
5. Remove the packet from grill. Carefully open foil packet. Sprinkle over cheese. Close the packet for 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
6. Serve immediately with salt and pepper for seasoning.

Will you say YES! to these Easy, Healthy Grilled Vegetables?  Have you ever made vegetables on the grill before?  Leave a comment below to let us know what you like best! Then, share all your healthy grilling photos with Tori by tagging her in your backyard BBQ Instagram pictures at @ToriSchmittRDN. Thank you so much for reading - we hope to see you back here soon!

References:

1. Davenport L. Vegetarian or ‘flexitarian’ diet benefits waistline and pocket. Medscape. 2018. Available at: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/897275#vp_1