North Texas Daily

You probably came to college and gained a little bit of weight since high school. It’s OK, you’re in good company — at least 70 percent of students gain weight their freshman year.

Let’s be honest, it’s difficult to NOT gain weight when you arrive at college. With easy access to mac and cheese, pizzas and desserts served at your dorm cafeteria, on top of the overpowering exhaustion and sleep deprivation, the last thing students are thinking of is cooking something healthy.

Whether you’re living in the dorms or off campus, there’s always a way to prepare delicious vegetables the way you personally like. With a little seasoning, you have yourself a delicious part of a meal. These are simply suggestions and you can alter whatever way you prefer.

If you time it right, it’s almost impossible to mess up baking vegetables. Depending on the size and density of the vegetable, the baking heat and time will vary — potatoes don’t cook at the same pace green beans. However, if you cut all veggies into smaller or thinner slices, they should be done cooking around the same time.

Preheat your oven to around 350-400 degrees, cut all your veggies up the way you prefer and then lay them on parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking pan, make sure you lather the pan in oil to prevent sticking. Pick whatever vegetables you find appealing, it could be peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans or carrots. Personally, I enjoy making the tray as colorful as possible.

Next, you’ll focus on seasonings — this your chance to take the dish and craft it to your personal pallet. There’s a variety of routes you can take— teriyaki sauce, red sauce, lemon peppers, peanut sauce, chipotle seasoning or even keeping it simple with olive oil and salt.

If you’re not entirely sure what you want, Pinterest is your best friend in this occasion, explore different recipes.

After seasoning your vegetables to your liking, throw the pan in the oven for 20 minutes, check on them every 10 minutes to ensure they’re not burning and voila! Now with your delicious seasoned veggies, you can throw them in pasta, rice or put them as a side to chicken or another entree.

Stir-frying food is another way to zest up your meals. Just like before, choose several vegetables, chop them up and then toss them in a pan with soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce or sriracha on medium-high heat until they’re slightly brown. If you have a wok, this especially helps gather the *tongue click* flavor, but a regular pan works as well.

Even snacking can be fun. Cutting up cucumbers, peppers, carrots and dip them in hummus, tzatziki sauce or your favorite dressing. Coating cucumbers in lemon and tajin adds zest to a typically unseasoned snack. If you’re interested in more protein, chickpeas and edamame are essential, you can bake these as well or eat them fresh with salt and pepper.

Don’t be afraid of vegetables! With a little seasoning and love, you can put yourself back on a healthy track your own way.

Featured image: Courtesy Anna Orr