How To Eat More Vegetables 125 Ways To Eat More Veggies

If you fall into this category, feel free to consider this your wake-up call. After all, pretty soon we won’t be able to blame it on quarantine anymore—but we all know making healthy dietary choices isn’t always easy In fact, the American Heart Association suggests as little as five vegetable servings per day. That’s a lot of veggies—and that’s the minimum! Do five servings of veggies per day seem near-impossible? Don’t worry. Here are 125 easy, delicious ways to sneak more vegetables into your daily diet—no kale necessary.

125 Ways to Eat More Vegetables

1. Don’t underestimate smoothies. Smoothies may be largely associated with fruits, but there are all kinds of veggies you can add in there, too. Think spinach, cauliflower, arugula, etc. Just blend before!
2. Add vegetable-based juices to your diet. Sometimes it’s easier to drink your veggies than to eat them. But just make sure your carrot, tomato, or beet juices are the real deal—no unnecessary added sugar.
3. Use that crockpot. Do you feel intimidated by the thought of cooking vegetables? We get it—sometimes a boiled veggie just isn’t that flavorful (AKA always). Use the crockpot to make more flavorful soups and other meat-based dishes, too. Just be sure to pack in the veggies and herbs!
4. Opt for zoodles. Everybody knows there’s nothing better than the real thing when it comes to pasta and that’s regular old noodles. But zoodles are a healthier option and with the right sauce and a bit of parmesan, zoodles—that’s zucchini-noodles or other plant-based noodles that are pasta-esque—can be delicious, too.
5. Participate in Meatless Monday. You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to integrate more vegetables into your diet, but participating in Meatless Monday is a super-easy way to increase your intake. Once a week, simply plan a plant-based meal.
6. Add veggies to your pizza. Seriously? Listen, if you’re stocking up on sauce, cheese, and dough the least you can do is add a few mushrooms, spinach, onion, banana peppers, bell peppers, or even extra tomatoes to the top of your pizza pie.
7. Make soups. If you’re looking to sneak more veggies into your daily diet, soups are about to become your new best friend. Exceptionally flavorful and able to pair with a meat base, soups taste so delicious you don’t even realize you’re eating several servings of carrots, spinach, and more!
8. Add veggies to your breakfast. When you think breakfast, don’t just think “fruit cup” or “sliced banana.” Vegetables can be worked into any breakfast dish, too! Slip mushrooms, spinach, or tomatoes into your eggs. Sauté some potatoes, beets, or another root vegetable as a side.
9. Always opt for a veggie-based side. Speaking of sides, always opt for a vegetable-based side dish when eating out at a restaurant. Skip the french fries or hash browns if you can and choose carrots, spinach, cauliflower, roasted veggies, green beans, or sweet potatoes instead.
10. Add a vegetable for every meat in certain dishes. Um, WHAT? Well, let’s say you’re making lasagna. You can still add in the meat you normally would, but try adding a vegetable-based layer for each meat-based one. Making an omelet? So many veggies are good in omelets—peppers, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, you name it!
11. Rely on those one-pan dishes. Any cooking situation that allows you to throw a bunch of ingredients onto one pan is your new best friend.
12. Make one-pot dishes, too. Similarly, lots of different pasta and soup recipes can be made in a single pot. Just throw all your ingredients in and let it cook!
13. When in doubt, corn on the cob! Even if you don’t love veggies in general, most of us can handle corn on the cob. If you’re not sure where to start, start with a good old cob of corn.
14. Heat up the grill. Vegetables are delicious grilled and if you’re throwing some meat on the BBQ anyway, might as well roast some veggies!
15. Slip veggies into your sauce. Tomato sauce tastes even better when you add in some veggies, too. You can either puree veggies and add them to your tomato base or get creative by throwing in some flavorful veggies like onions, zucchini, and maybe even beets!
16. Plan a taco night. What’s a taco without the fixins’, right? Besides the cheese and chopped meat, that’s lettuce, tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, banana peppers, etc.
17. Make your own dressings. Can you get your full day’s serving from a homemade salad dressing? Probably not. But some homemade recipes call for a little sprinkling of vegetables like shallot, onion, and avocado oil. And while it’s not a veggie exactly, tofu is also found in some plant-based dressing recipes, too.
18. Eating cheese? Add a veggie. Doesn’t matter how you’re eating cheese; it can always be paired with a veggie. Raw cheese? Throw in some grape tomatoes, celery sticks, cauliflower florets, and more. Splurging with mac’n’cheese? Throw in some onions and tomato. Grilling a grilled cheese? Top it with tomatoes and mushrooms. See? The options are endless! Going for the quesadilla? Peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, etc.!
19. Reach for microgreens. New to microgreens? Microgreens are tiny seedlings of edible veggies and herbs that can be served as toppings on salads, burgers, and more. They’re also packed with nutrients!
20. Plant a vegetable garden. Once you’re responsible for growing the veggies you sow, you’re all the more likely to want to plan your meals around them!
21. Meal prep a few days in advance. Half the battle with cooking healthy meals is the prep time. If you do it all a few days in advance, you’ll have the luxury of pre-made, pre-chopped meals ready to go come work week.
22. Learn how to properly chop. This one might sound a bit silly but you’d be surprised how many apprehensive cooks are intimidated by veggies simply because they don’t know how to cook or cut them. Learning the right way to chop veggies can help you outgrow that intimidation.
23. Strive for one salad per day. One salad a day? That’s easy!
24. Make a plate of crudites. Everyone loves to pick on finger foods even before the main course, so if you get in the habit of making a little veggie platter (paired with a delicious dressing!), you’ll be snacking on veggie servings before the main meal even hits the table.
25. Get a tomato plant. Does an entire veggie garden not seem feasible? Start small. Tomato plants are relatively easy to maintain, inexpensive, and available at hardware stores like Home Depot or your local nursery.
26. Smother veggies in peanut butter. Skip the jelly and add layer after layer of peanut butter onto grape tomatoes, celery sticks, zucchini, etc.
27. Buy riced veggies at the supermarket. Nowadays, almost any veggie—from broccoli to cauliflower—can be found at the supermarket riced.
28. Add vegetables to your baking. UM, WHAT?! Trust us. A few zucchini or carrots won’t be that noticeable in muffins or even cookies but the nutritional benefit is great!
29. Reach for canned pumpkin. Canned pumpkin is for a lot more than that once-a-year pie you bake come autumn. Add it to just about anything that needs a boost of veggies—pudding, oatmeal, pancakes, etc.
30. Swap out buffalo wings for buffalo cauliflower. We promise you the flavor is there. Buffalo cauliflower is just as delicious!
31. Don’t forget your herbs. Cilantro, rosemary, mint, thyme—they may be herbs but they still count.
32. Mix your potatoes and yams. Potatoes may be “vegetables,” but they definitely qualify as starch, too. Get all that potatoey taste with a boost from one yam or two.
33. Reach for chives. Chives—or green onions—are a simple way to add a burst of veggies to any dish: quesadillas, soups, eggs, salads, sandwiches, wraps, meat dishes, etc.
34. Try 8 Greens. There are plenty of plant-based dietary supplement options out there, but 8 Greens is our personal favorite because it comes in a tasty tablet form (to be added to your water) rather than a leafy green powder. It tastes citrusy-sweet, is sold at Sephora, and just one tablet features eight different greens—spinach, aloe vera, wheatgrass, blue-green algae, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, and kale (ugh, sorry, just let this one slide because you can’t even taste it).
35. Skip the bread. Making a sandwich or wrap? Skip the bread entirely in favor of a lettuce wrap.
36. Mix powdered beets into your smoothies. Beets are high in calcium, iron, and potassium, but most people complain about the consistency and frankly, dirt-like taste. But snag it in a powder and it’s a lot easier to swallow if added to a smoothie.
37. Swap out hot drinks for mushrooms. New to Chaga and reishi? Both are types of mushrooms with superfood benefits. Four Sigmatic makes mushroom-infused coffees, hot chocolate, and other hot drinks that offer plentiful servings of mushrooms (without any icky taste!).
38. Try a vegan challenge. No pressure, but if you’re up for it, try going vegan for a week. You might find yourself reaching for veggies and fruits in favor of dairy and other animal byproducts even after the week is up.
39. Make your own burger patties. We’re not saying you have to swap out your burgers for Impossible patties, but if you hand-make your burger patties at home, you can add some veggies (like shredded carrots and spinach) into your patty mixture before cooking it.
40. Add some pumpkin to your red sauce. Onions, tomatoes, and spinach aren’t the only veggies you can add to marinara sauce. Throw some canned pumpkin in there, too! (See? Pumpkin really is a catch-all!) It adds a bit of sweetness and even acts as a thickener, too.
41. Try avocado pudding. We promise—it’s a lot healthier than the dairy version.
42. Use that air fryer. Air fryers are all the rage right now and they just so happen to be an easy way to make vegetables all the tastier.
43. Create “fries” out of other veggies, too. Nowadays, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, avocado, and so many other vegetables can be made into “French fries,” too.
44. Go veggie picking. OK, you’ve probably only ever heard of picking fruits—apples, peaches, berries, etc.—but some local farms have all kinds of produce in the fields that you can pluck yourself. Heads of lettuce and snap peas included!
45. Switch to vegetable broth. Sure, every meat-eater loves their chicken broth, but by swapping it out for vegetable broth as a base instead, you’ll be adding more nutrients to your soup.
46. Cut pasta with vegetable-based noodles. Not totally ready to make the full switch to zoodles just yet? Simply cut your pasta—half traditional noodles, half spiralized veggie noodles.
47. Get into pickling. Just about every veggie can be pickled at a home with a bit of vinegar and a handful of your preferred spices.
48. Make chili your go-to. What’s chili but chop meat with all kinds of vegetables thrown in the pot with it? Cut the chopped meat in half (or better yet, opt for a plant-based alternative!) and add double the veggies you normally would.
49. Use baking alternatives. Did you know butter can be subbed for avocado? Or that Aquafaba—that’s the liquid in a chickpea can—is a plant-based swap for eggs in baking?
50. Choose hemp milk. There are lots of plant-based milk alternatives on the market right now and you can also brew your own at home. But if you’re looking to add more vegetable-based nutrients into your milk, choose hemp milk over almond, cashew, coconut, or rice.
51. Opt for veggie pizza crusts. Broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower are all delicious veggie-based pizza crust options.
52. Add a layer of spinach puree to pizzas. Better yet, add a layer of spinach puree onto your homemade pizza before you even spoon on the sauce.
53. Familiarize yourself with different sauces. Marinara and Alfredo aren’t the only sauces out there. When in doubt, go with a mushroom-based sauce and add in spinach and onions, too.
54. Make a casserole. Casseroles are so underrated, especially when you consider just how many veggies you can jam-pack inside.
55. Remember that oatmeal doesn’t always have to be sweet. There is such a thing as savory oatmeal, too. Add carrots, mushrooms, or spinach to your oats in favor of sugar-filled berries.
56. Make veggies the main dish. As in, cook other things inside your veggies. Examples include eggs sunnyside up inside an avocado, rice and quinoa stuffed inside a bell pepper, melted cheese and herbs on top of a cut heirloom tomato.
57. Bake veggies into chocolate cake. No, seriously. Chocolate basically masks the flavors of zucchini and carrots if baked into a decadent cake.
58. Combine guacamole with pico de gallo. This little-known hack is great for adding flavor to guacamole but it also packs in more vegetables, too.
59. Opt for veggie burgers. Going plant-based for your burger is one of the easiest ways to eat more veggies.
60. Reach for that food processor. If you’re skeptical of pre-riced veggies in the supermarket, make your own with the help of the handy-dandy food processor (or even a fine blender).
61. Swap out potato chips. Potato isn’t the only kind of chip there is. Buy the spinach- and carrot-based chips at Trader Joe’s or roast veggies yourself at home to make into chips.
62. Swap lasagna for spaghetti squash. By making spaghetti squash the main part of your dish, you’ll have all the great taste of lasagna without the pasta noodles.
63. Douse Brussel sprouts in balsamic glaze. Trust us—it helps.
64. Take zucchini bread for a spin. It’s not the only vegetable-based bread there is but it’s a delicious, savory option.
65. Whip vegetables into your cream cheese. As in, mix it in!
66. Bake up some carrot cupcakes. Combine with some applesauce and maybe a mashed banana or two and you’ve got yourself a serving of both veggies and fruits.
67. Don’t forget about cornbread. It’s another delicious vegetable-based bread option.
68. Combine beets with chocolate. Chocolate is really good at covering over bitter flavors, so pair your beets with some cocoa.
69. Sign up for a delivery box. Subscription boxes like Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market offer “imperfect” vegetables and fruits for a lower price. That’s produce that’s oddly shaped, bruised, or generally looks unappealing (but still tastes good!).
70. Stop buying leafy greens in a bag. Frankly, they just always go bad when tucked away in a plastic bag in the veggie drawer. Buy lettuce and other greens by the head so you don’t forget them in the fridge.
71. Join your local CSA. Short for community-supported agriculture, CSAs act as a liaison between producers of produce and their consumers. In short, it’s an easier way to get locally-grown vegetables (and fruits, too!).
72. Scope out the local farmer’s market. It’s a great place to buy locally-grown vegetables, but it’s also a fun way to get some recipe ideas.
73. Create a local recipe-share. Speaking of recipes, we all run out of ideas from time to time. Start a plant-based recipe swap with neighbors or by starting an online community like a Facebook Group. Take turns swapping recipes with lots of veggies just in case your go-to recipes start getting stale.
74. Roast vegetables in bulk. Seriously. If vegetables are cut-up and pre-made (even if the entire meals aren’t) you’re more likely to heat them up and add them as a side dish than if they’re still uncut and sitting in the refrigerator.
75. Join your local co-op. It’s another great place to snag some quality, locally-grown produce!
76. Eat in-season. Make a mental list (or a real, physical list) of which vegetables are in season and try to buy at least one or two each time you go grocery shopping.
77. Just eat ’em raw. OK, this isn’t exactly a hack for sneaking veggies into your diet but sometimes you gotta just bite the bullet and snap a whole carrot in half with your teeth. Yum!
78. Live by the ‘add one more’ rule. Whatever traditional meal it is you’re making, add one more vegetable to it. It’s a great rule to live by!
79. Scour your local farmstands. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where farm stands are abundant, be sure to take advantage of them when it comes to fresh, locally-grown produce.
80. Swap out regular mac’n’cheese for cauliflower mac’n’cheese. Instead of macaronis, use cauliflower florets.
81. Blend veggies into your milkshakes. Remember, enough chocolate hides the veggie flavor. Try adding everything from carrot juice and spinach to sweet potatoes into your milkshakes!
82. Invest in a juicer. Don’t forget that one of the easiest ways to get more veggies (especially if you’re picky) is to drink them. Getting yourself a quality juicer might be your best bet!
83. Add veggie puree to cookie dough. This recipe idea usually works best with chocolate chip cookie dough (again, chocolate covers everything), but if you’re feeling risky, feel free to try it with your favorite cookie dough, too. We recommend adding carrot or sweet potato puree to the dough before going for a veggie that’s more bitter.
84. When in doubt, check out the freezer aisle. Frozen veggies are just as nutritious and they have a much longer shelf-life, too.
85. Make a mini salad with every meal. The salad doesn’t have to be the main course, but it can be a (small) part of every meal.
86. Swap mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower. Honestly, it tastes just as good.
87. Blend veggies into meatloaf. Put the “mystery” in “mystery meat” by blending a few of your favorite veggies into meatloaf.
88. Make butternut squash pancake batter. Maybe you’ve heard of adding pumpkin or bananas into your pancake batter, but butternut squash is a great option, too!
89. Grate your veggies. If you grate your veggies small enough and top it onto meals as if it’s black pepper or parmesan cheese, chances are you won’t even taste it, but you’ll still reap all the benefits.
90. Opt for mashed mushrooms instead of ground meat. In tacos, burgers, meatloaf, and even meatballs, ground beef can be replaced with some mashed-up mushrooms.
91. Or instead of substituting, mix it in. If you’re not ready to totally nix the ground meat, then mix it in. Mix that mashed-up mushroom with your lean ground meat of choice. By cutting the mixture in half, you’re still getting a handful of nutrients from the veggies. 92. Always add veggies to risotto. It’s not risotto without a handful of spinach or a cup (or two) of mushrooms.
92. Blend pureed veggies into cheese-based dishes. And we don’t mean grilled cheeses or pizzas; any cheese-based dish like mac’n’cheese, lasagna, or even enchiladas can have pureed veggies blended into the cheese mixture. You can also add the sweeter-tasting veggies to a blender with some low-sodium broth and puree them into a smooth soup that most kiddos (and adults) will love.
93. Make ice pops. Yup—we went there. Avocados, spinach, mint, and even some other herbs pair well with other citrusy fruits to make a refreshing ice pop.
94. Blend up some nice cream. If you’re not sure what “nice cream” is, it’s basically vegan ice cream made out of a blended, frozen banana base. Throw in a handful of spinach or other leafy greens to make that fifth serving.
95. Rely on stir frys. Always a go-to, even if you’re making a meat-based stir fry with chicken or turkey, stir fry is always made better by mixing in various veggies.
96. Add cucumber slices to any sandwich. If you’re not sure which veggie to add while fulling the “add one more” rule, always reach for the cucumber. Just a few slices and you’ve got yourself a healthy serving, plus an added crunch.
97. Cut grains with veggies. Cooking rice? Couscous? Barley? Quinoa? Turn it into something reminiscent to pilaf by throwing in a few vegetables, too. Can’t go wrong with pilaf!
98. Grate zucchini into pancake mix. Promise—you won’t even taste it.
99. Make cauli-popcorn. Similar to the buffalo cauliflower hack, cauliflower has an uncanny resemblance to popcorn when cut up, doused in coconut oil, and baked.
100. Remember to fill half your plate with vegetables. Map it out if you have to. The rest of the plate should be a quarter for starch and a quarter for protein.
101. Make a kind of veggie trail mix. OK, really it’s just raw vegetables all mixed together but thinking of it like a trail mix is more fun, right? You can even throw in a handful of craisins or raisins for some added texture and crunch.
102. Swap meat for jackfruit. OK, technically this one is a fruit but you gotta give it to us. With a texture (and appearance!) that bears a striking resemblance to pulled pork, jackfruit is like tofu in that it takes on the flavor of whatever it’s marinated in. So, marinate it just right, and you’ll think you’re eating the real thing.
103. Don’t underestimate veggies in a jar. Pickles, banana peppers, and even artichoke hearts still count… even if they’re a little higher in sodium and come out of a mason jar.
104. Get into canning. Canning is a food-preservation process that stores food in jars in high temps for a long period of time. With a bunch of veggies canned and ready to store for the season, you’ll have loads of backup veggies on deck without having to worry about them spoiling.
105. Buy some quality, plant-based seasonings. Like we mentioned earlier, herbs totally count (included dried ones) but don’t underestimate some of the more off-the-beaten-track ones. Trader Joe’s even sells a mushroom seasoning that’s virtually undetectable when sprinkled on any main course!
106. Make meatballs out of the eggplant. Just like mushrooms, eggplant makes a great meat alternative when it comes to making homemade meatballs. Not sure what you call this alternative though—egg balls? eggplant balls? Neither exactly has a ring to it, but they’re still tasty!
107. Make a cauliflower steak. The versatility of cauliflower goes behind mac’n’cheese and buffalo substitutes… This veggie can even be cooked to look and even taste (at least a bit) like a steak.
108. Opt for plant-based cheeses. Most plant-based cheeses are made with tofu or nuts, but it’s still a healthier option than dairy. Plus, if you can find a hemp-based cheese, that’s technically a vegetable!
109. Add more vegetables to your guac recipe. Mixing in some pre-made pico de gallo isn’t the only way to add more vegetables to guacamole. Just when you think your standard guac recipe is done, add a few more vegetables like jalapeno, bell pepper, or cilantro.
110. Try a tofu scramble. Instead of scrambled eggs or even an omelet, scramble in tofu with your preferred veggies of choice.
111. Opt for hummus. Instead of dipping vegetables in a fattening dairy-based dressing or dip, opt for hummus.
112. Or… dip your veggies in Tzatziki. Not a hummus fan? Try Tzatziki, a greek yogurt-based dressing that features cucumbers, dill, and other seasonings and herbs.
113. Whip up some salsa verde. Seriously, why are so many of the good dips vegetable-based? (Maybe they’re trying to tell you something!) Salsa verde is basically a mixture of different peppers with some seasonings and herbs thrown in—chili pepper, garlic, coriander, onion, tomatillo, jalapeno, and serrano pepper.
114. Make a pesto. Pesto is most often made by combining a green base—such as spinach or arugula—with herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley), and either a nut or seed (almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, hemp or sunflower seeds).
115. Stuff your veggies. Bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and even mushrooms (the big ones, portabello mushrooms) are some of the best vegetables to stuff.
116. Turn plantains into croutons. OK, so again, technically plantains are a fruit but who’s keeping score? Plantains can be made into croutons so you can skip the bread option in your salad without losing the taste or the crunch.
117. Opt for tapenades. Sometimes overlooked, eggplant, mushroom, or olive tapenades can really add a lot of flavor to sandwiches, crackers, or even a slice of bread.
118. Serve that avocado toast in the AM. Personally, we like mixing our avocado with olive oil, sea salt, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper before spreading it on a slice of toast.
119. Always try to make a rainbow. Sure, not every plate will be a complete rainbow—especially not with the ever-elusive blue color in fruits and veggies—but the more colorful your plate, the more likely you are to be getting a healthy serving of both fruits and vegetables.
120. Make slaw. Broccoli slaw, coleslaw, carrot slaw, etc.
121. Add spirulina to your smoothies. Always! The health benefits of this brightly-colored algae are out of this world and it won’t affect the taste of your smoothie at all.
122. Add frozen peas to the rice. Even if all you’re making is the rice, during the final three minutes of the rice-cooking process, add a handful of frozen peas for a touch of nutrients.
123. Swap out tortillas for collard wraps. So much healthier and while the taste is a tiny bit more bitter, remember that it’s also better for you.
124. Make avocado ice cream. Avocado can be added just about anything to thicken up the consistency, but it’s particularly good when added to traditional ice cream or even (vegan) nice cream. Next up, the top healthy habits that healthy people live by.