The new Canadian Food Guide promotes eating more vegetables per day. Now the trick of a sustainable healthy diet, for people like me, is to not get bored with it. While Bangladeshi mixed vegetables and labra are my favorite, I also like a good palak paneer or sautéed tofu. And I believe that our meals should be more plant based as it’s good for the environment too but I can’t be a vegetarian at gun point. That said, I am incorporating more and more vegetables in my family’s diet. I am being inspired by my toddler who loves vegetables.

I wanted to try something different and something that’s easier to make. That’s when I gave roasting vegetables in the oven a shot and absolutely loved the results.  The possibilities of using roasted vegetables are endless—as a side dish, in sandwiches, with pasta or as the main meal. It goes really well with rice too! Here are some of my suggestions on how to make perfectly roasted vegetables:

• Roast vegetables of same density and family together. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash together and all cruciferous vegetables together.
• Cut them around the same length and shape. Cut florets of cauliflower and broccoli around the same size. Place it on the pan floret side up. For eggplants use the long purple eggplants and put the skin side up.
• There is no need to peel the skin of potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Mix the vegetables with oil and spices in a round mixing bowl. This way you can mix a ton at a time and extra oil drips to the bottom. You can use that residue to mix some more vegetables.
• Roast in high heat, at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid using olive oil. Olive oil has a low burning point thus burns very easily. Try using avocado oil or any other oil that has high burning point.
• Flip once in between roasting time
• The thinner the slices, the quicker it will cook and you will need to adjust the grilling time according to the size of the cut vegetables.
• Keep an eye on the vegetables in between the estimated cooking time. It’s very easy to prevent burning if you take it out when you see the skin is nice and golden
• ALWAYS wear gloves before handling jalapeno peppers. Or don’t. Figure it out yourself. Live your life on the edge.

Vegetable	Approximate time  (minutes)	Spices
Bell peppers	15	salt, pepper
Jalapeño peppers	15	salt, pepper
cherry tomatoes	20	salt, pepper
Zucchini	30	Salt, Peppers, dried oregano
Eggplants	40	salt, pepper, five spices/cumin
Butternut squash	40	paprika, garlic powder, chilli powder, salt, pepper
Asparagus	12-15	salt, pepper
Cauliflower	15-20	garlic, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper
Broccoli	15-20	salt, pepper, dried oregano, cumin
Sweet Potatoes	30-40	paprika,garlic powder, chilli powder, salt, pepper
Potatoes	30-40	salt, peppers, dried oregano
Carrots	30-40	garlic powder, salt, pepper
Brussels’ sprouts	35-40	salt, pepper, dried oregano, cumin powder

If you are reading this and you are under 30, enjoy your life my friend, eat whatever you want. You are practically invincible. If you are over 30 and reading this, you’re welcome.