If you haven’t heard about the spiralizer yet, your meals are about to get a whole lot healthier! This neat little kitchen device easily cuts vegetables into ribbons or strips, turning veggies into noodles – but with a fraction of the carbs and calories of pasta. This must-have gadget for the health-conscious makes it easy to serve filling and healthy meals. Spiralized veggies are delicious both cooked and raw, are a fantastic alternative to pasta, and go great in salads and slaws too!
There are lots of different veggies that can be spiralized, and different produce adds different flavor, color and texture to your dish. For best results, use veggies that are firm. Here are our top picks for veggies to spiralize.
Zucchini
It’s the most common vegetable to spiralize, but for good reason. Zucchini noodles are super simple to make and always a crowd-pleaser! Simply sauté your spiralized zucchini in a hot skillet with some olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes for the perfect el dente. (If cooked too long, they’ll get mushy.) You can sub them in for spaghetti and top them with marinara and turkey meatballs to give a family favorite a healthy makeover, or try them with a kale pesto for a fresh, delicious twist.
Beets
Delicious, nutritious and colorful, beets are an excellent vegetable to spiralize and a go-to salad topper – just make sure to use gloves when you spiralize to avoid staining. Try the sweet and juicy beet noodles in a salad with arugula, goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and toasted nuts (for some added crunch!).
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and very versatile. Spiralize them thick, coat them in olive oil and herbs, and bake them until crisp for a delicious take on sweet potato curly fries, or spiralize them thin and bake them with salt and pepper for a healthier version of shoestring fries.
Broccoli
You’re probably used to cutting off the broccoli florets to cook with and throwing away the stems – but don’t toss those stems just yet! Broccoli stems are great for spiralizing. Try them in a stir fry with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chicken and any other veggies you have lying around (including the florets!) for a healthy, filling meal.
Red Cabbage
With only 28 calories per cup, red cabbage is best eaten raw. For a bright and crisp side dish, spiralize it with apple and use a poppyseed dressing to create a healthy coleslaw alternative.
