Want to be a better cook? Turns out that you don’t need fancy kitchen gadgets or cooking classes, you just need a specific side dish. Researchers at Cornell University found that if you serve vegetables as part of a meal, people will think the dish tastes better—and that you’re a better cook—than if you forgo the greens.
Researchers gave menus to participants that listed dishes like chicken, steak, and pasta. Some participants’ menus included vegetables with the main dishes; others did not. Everyone was asked to rate the appeal of both the meal and the preparer. People who were shown a combo meal of, say, steak and broccoli, said that they thought the meal would taste better, and that the cook was better, than the people who had the solo steak on their menu. In fact, the steak-and-broccoli group even said that the cook was more thoughtful and attentive, and less selfish. The steak-only folks harbored much fewer warm feelings.
People tend to associate meals that have vegetables with a little more effort, like the ones served at restaurants or at holiday gatherings—meals which people usually think of as tasting really good, says lead study author Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and the author of Mindless Eating: Why Eat More Than We Think. (Disclaimer: The study, which will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Public Health and Nutrition, was sponsored by Bird’s Eye vegetables).
“The more effort that you believe went into a meal, the better you think it’s going to be. Even if that effort was heating up some vegetables,” Wansink says.
In light of the fact that 70 percent of all vegetables eaten are eaten at dinnertime but only 23 percent of dinners have vegetables, Wansink and his team wanted to find out if there was any additional motivation to include veggies in meals. “This [study] provides the best two motivations as to why you should put vegetables on the table. Not because they’re healthy—we all know that—but because it makes you look like a better cook and a more loving person,” he says.
Ready to cook up a storm? Here are three delicious side dishes to whip up the next time you want to seriously impress your dining companions.
Sauteed String Beans with Sweet Onion and Grape Tomatoes
This colorful medley is sure to make any entree look its best. The grape tomatoes are an amazingly sweet addition.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon And Orange
Baking lightly oiled broccoli and cauliflower until crisp-tender inhibits the release of any unpleasant sulphur aromas. The vegetables mellow even more when tossed with sweet citrus just before serving.
Overnight Kale Salad
Dress up vitamin and fiber-rich kale with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, Pecorino Romano cheese, and an overnight vinaigrette marinade. Not planning dinner a day ahead? You can let it steep for as little as 30 minutes.
Get even more veggie side dishes from the Women’s Health Recipe Finder!
More from Women’s Health:
The 10 Best Fitness Foods for Women
Print It: The Easy 7-Day Eating Plan
13 Great Gifts for the Foodie in Your Life
Find easy ways to look and feel good fast in Dr. Oz’s book You Being Beautiful