Experts say we should eat more vegetables, but it’s easy to get stuck in a veggie rut. If you’re eating the same vegetables cooked the same way every night, it’s no wonder you’re bored! Break out of the routine and try new ways of using these versatile, delicious and healthy foods.

Vegetables can be the foundation for many tasty entrees — from vegetarian dishes to pairings with meat:

• Eggplant Parmesan
• Vegetarian lasagna
• Meat-and-rice-stuffed zucchini
• Stuffed bell peppers
• Baked butternut squash stuffed with sausage
• Vegetarian frittata (Italian-style, open-faced omelet)
• Spinach enchiladas

Sure, you could make a lettuce salad. After all, lettuce is a vegetable. But for a break from the ordinary, try these combinations for an exciting fresh veggie salad:

• Artichoke hearts, red peppers and hearts of palm in a vinaigrette dressing
• Broccoli florets, toasted chopped walnuts and raisins dressed with low-fat mayo thinned with red wine vinegar and sweetened with a little sugar or no-calorie sweetener
• Sliced carrots, sliced onion rings and sweet French-style dressing
• Broccoli slaw tossed with reduced-fat ranch-style dressing
• Sliced cucumbers, chopped fresh garlic and dill dressed with fat-free plain yogurt or sour cream
• Fresh spinach, toasted walnuts and strawberries marinated in equal parts sugar and good-quality balsamic vinegar
• Jicama slaw in chili lime dressing
• Fresh spinach, mango and onion in a sesame ginger vinaigrette

We’re not recommending getting your veggies from eating desserts and quick breads, but when you’re looking for a way to boost the nutrition of these special-occasion foods, adding vegetables is a no-brainer. Plus, it’s an easy way to sneak a few more vegetables into your child’s diet. Zucchini nut bread is a classic quick-bread recipe that makes delicious use of a vegetable.