One of the best ways to prepare veggies while still maintaining their nutritional value is to steam them over simmering water. But if your plain steamed veggies are boring you, there are a lot of ways to add flavor without adding many calories. Here are some great, simple ideas to try courtesy of The Kitchen.

Fresh Herbs

Toss whole fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill or thyme over your steaming veggies. You could also wait until your veggies are cooked, then sprinkle chopped up herbs over the top.

Garlic

Either add sliced or chopped garlic to any veggie, or quickly saute already steamed veggies with garlic and olive oil.

Lemon

This one’s a no brainer. Just add a few slices of lemon to veggies (like broccoli and green beans). Or instead, you can squeeze some lemon juice into the steaming water to add flavor as the veggies steam.

Olive Oil

Before you steam your veggies, toss them in a mixture of a little olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper. Then steam as usual.

Vinegar

Get creative with the kind of vinegar you use. Try tossing veggies with a splash of balsamic, red wine or apple cider vinegar before you steam.