If you are like most people, you probably struggle to eat the recommended amount of vegetables each day. There are so many benefits to eating vegetables, including things like more energy, better digestion, and a fuller belly at the end of your meal. We know this, but there’s a gap between knowing and doing. So in today’s post, I’m going to discuss some practical tips for how to eat more vegetables.

(Pin this post to read later)

Tip #1 – Actually buy vegetables

Okay, this seems a little obvious, but it’s going to be pretty hard to eat more vegetables if you don’t actually have any in your house. There have been several times lately when I’ve looked in the fridge, ready to grab a vegetable to cook with dinner, only to realize that there isn’t one there. You can’t eat what you don’t have.

So my first tip for how to eat more vegetables is to make sure that you buy vegetables and have them in your house!

If you have the money for it, spend a few extra dollars and buy ready-to-eat vegetables, as this will make meal prep go much quicker. In addition to things like pre-cut broccoli and pre-washed salad, my local grocery store also has shrink-wrapped packs of seasonal vegetables with a pat of butter to go with them.

Also, don’t overlook frozen and canned vegetables; these are generally just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, sometimes even more so.* Both frozen and canned vegetables have long storage times, so you can keep them around for when you’re not able to make it to the grocery store.

If you forget to buy vegetables when you are at the store, I recommend a shopping list. I have used Plan to Eat since 2015 and am a huge fan of this software. If you are more low-tech, paper and pencil or a pretty shopping list also works just as well. Here is a Grocery List Printable I made for my Etsy store.

*With canned vegetables, look for “no salt added” or “reduced sodium” varieties.(1)

Tip #2 – Make the vegetables accessible and visible

I don’t know about you, but there are places in my fridge where things seem to go to be forgotten. Don’t let this happen to your vegetables! That’s why my second tip for how to eat more vegetables is to make sure that whatever veggies you buy are accessible and visible.

When you bring your vegetables home from the store, put them all together in one of the crisper drawers of your fridge. That way you always know where to find them.

Once you’ve got your vegetables purchased and stowed away, pull them out the next time you are preparing a meal. Take a few extra minutes to prep those vegetables for however you intend to use them – either cooking or eating as-is (e.g. wash, peel, chop). Then put them back in the fridge, ideally in clear containers so they are easy to see. Bonus points if you put them in single-serve containers so they are ready to grab on the go. You can take your prep a step farther by pairing the vegetable with a dip, so it’s ready to eat when you’re hungry.

For vegetable storage tips, here’s an article from Wirecutter on “How to Keep Your Produce Fresh for Weeks.”

Tip #3 – Learn simple ways to cook vegetables at home

I am a huge advocate for preparing foods at home. So my third tip for how to eat more vegetables is to learn easy, stress-free ways to cook vegetables at home.

If you already like to cook, awesome! There are a ton of websites where you can find some delicious vegetable recipes. But if you don’t, there are some simple ways that you can prepare vegetables at home.

When it comes to cooking, keep in mind that there is a whole spectrum that ranges from something as simple as microwaving food to something as complicated as being a Top Chef. (Yes, microwaving counts as cooking!) An easy way to cook a vegetable in the microwave is to take either a frozen or canned vegetable, put it into the proper container, and heat it up for the appropriate number of minutes (if you buy frozen vegetables, the bag will usually tell you; sometimes, you can even cook it directly in the bag). Then top the vegetable with something to make it taste more appealing, like butter and salt, and viola – you have just cooked a vegetable at home!

Another simple cooking technique that I personally think makes vegetables taste fantastic is roasting. All you need to do is chop your vegetable (or buy it pre-chopped), spray a sheet pan with cooking spray, and lay your vegetable on top in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Pop it in the oven – cooking times vary depending on the vegetable (here’s an example using cauliflower). It will come out delicious! If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend sweet potatoes, which taste really yummy, or zucchini, which is really easy to prep (just cut it into rounds).

Tip #4 – Make the vegetables taste good

Many people who don’t eat a lot of vegetables say that they don’t like the way they taste. So it stands to reason that if you can make your vegetables taste better, you are much more likely to eat them. That’s why my fourth tip is to make your vegetables taste good.

Luckily, there are number of easy ways to do that!

One easy trick is to use a dip with fresh vegetables, such as hummus or Tzatziki or salad dressing. There are some great recipes out there for all sorts of yummy and nutritious dips. Here is one that I’ve tried that I find particularly intriguing.

Another is to add flavor and seasonings to your vegetables. You can do this by following a recipe, like this one here, to make a vegetable side dish (yum feta and dressing!). But you can also just keep it simple and add either olive oil or butter along with salt and pepper to your cooked vegetables.

Tip #5 – Be willing to try new vegetables

My fifth tip for how to eat more vegetables is to experiment and try out some new veggies (or revisit ones you haven’t tried in a while). This suggestion may be a little harder for people who are more avid in their dislike of vegetables. But there are so many vegetables out there, you never know what you might end up liking. It can be fun to experiment and try some new ones out!

A restaurant is a good place to try out a new vegetable, since they will likely be preparing it for you in a way that makes it taste delicious. You can also pick a random vegetable while you are out shopping. The farmers’ market is an especially good place to do this, since everything they sell there will be in season and therefore taste the best.

The website FoodPrint has a “Real Food Encyclopedia” with an extensive list of vegetables, including directions on how to choose them, store them, and prepare them. It also has a Seasonal Food Guide that can be searched using your geographic location. You can check these out for ideas about which new vegetable to try.

Tip # 6 – Add vegetables to existing recipes

While I am not a fan of trying to hide vegetables in foods to get kids to eat more of them, there are some recipes that lend themselves well to additional veggies. And so my sixth tip is to add vegetables to existing recipes, in ways that make sense and don’t detract from the flavor.

For instance, this recipe from Just Bento adds veggies to taco meat, and it tastes delicious.

If you’re making a casserole, frozen veggies are a great addition. Sandwiches always taste better (in my opinion) with a little lettuce, tomato, and even cucumber or roasted red pepper. Sliced vegetables like bell pepper can be added to a pasta sauce, or greens like spinach can go well with a pasta dish. And just like the taco meat recipe above, minced veggies can be a nice addition to a meatloaf.

Smoothies are another tool for how to eat more vegetables. You may be thinking – no way, green smoothies are gross! But hear me out. You can add vegetables to a smoothie without sacrificing taste. A super easy smoothie recipe is spinach + milk of choice + frozen banana. I swear, you can’t even taste the spinach. Carrot also works well in smoothies, though I think you notice the taste a bit more.

How to eat more vegetables: in summary

I hope the above post has given you some realistic ideas for how to eat more vegetables. I recommend picking just one and trying it out to see if it resonates with you:

1. Actually buy vegetables
2. Make the vegetables accessible and visible
3. Learn simple ways to cook vegetables at home
4. Make the vegetables taste good
5. Be willing to try new vegetables
6. Add vegetables to existing recipes

If you try one of these out, leave a comment to let us know how it went!

Need help managing your shopping list so you remember to buy vegetables? Check out the link below!

References

1. Duyff, R.L. (2017) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics complete food and nutrition guide. 5th edition. Boston ; New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (p. 176)
2. Featured image credit: Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash