As A Dietitian, These 20 Recipes Are My Favorite Way To Cook And Eat More Vegetables Without Overthinking It

If you've purchased a week's worth of vegetables and proceeded to ignore them as they wilt and shrivel in the back of your fridge, this is for you. All you need to do is roast whatever vegetables you have on hand with lots of garlic and blend them into a rich and creamy sauce. No one will guess that it's full of vegetables, and you'll forget that you almost wasted your entire paycheck on produce that was about to go bad.

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce

If you've been ordering takeout more than usual, consider this your sign to make it yourself, and sneak in a few vegetables, in less time than your delivery driver takes to get to your front door. Packed with vegetables (use frozen to save time!), you can use this as a blank canvas to use up what you have in your fridge. Want to add a little protein? Add diced chicken breast, shredded rotisserie chicken, or a can of chickpeas, simple as that!

Recipe: Easy Coconut Curry

Let's be honest, eating more vegetables doesn't mean you only have to eat vegetables. You can still enjoy your favorite foods, but adding them to something with vegetables is always a good idea. Enter the meatball salad. Drown your arugula and meatball with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and you've got dinner. 

Recipe: Meatball Salad

Sometimes the only way to get vegetables on the table is to douse them in Buffalo sauce. As someone who married a Buffalo Bills fan, I get it.  If you need an excuse to eat an entire head of cauliflower, then this is it. Eat it while you watch a football game or while you just yell "go sports" into the ether. And skip the shredded cheddar on top; this soup deserves blue cheese. 

Recipe:  Cheddar Buffalo Cauliflower Soup

The best way to eat more vegetables is to add them to what you already enjoy, and who doesn't love taco/fajita night? Add bell peppers, onions, and zucchini to your taco Tuesday rotation, slather it with guacamole (avocados are vegetables, so it totally counts...OK fine, they are fruits but CLOSE ENOUGH!). Want to really go wild? Use a lettuce wrap in place of a tortilla. Don't @ me!

Recipe: Chicken Fajitas

The simplest way to consume vegetables is by hiding them in your smoothies. If you've been burned by bitter kale in your smoothie, you are not alone. Skip the kale and use something milder. Adding spinach to your smoothie will change the color, not the taste or texture. Not only is this smoothie packed with goodness and tastes great, but it means you'll start your day with a vegetable, so no matter what happens, you'll always have that.

Recipe: Immune Boosting Wellness Smoothie

Getting your veggies in can be easy if you hide them in pasta. Zucchini is mild enough that it takes on the flavor of your favorite pasta sauce; you won't even know it's there! I love how easy this recipe is, with a base of your favorite marinara sauce, to make this in under 30 minutes.

Recipe: Easy Turkey Zucchini Marinara Pasta

When roasted, vegetables become sweet, tender, and full of flavor, and if you think you don't like veggies, roast, and think again. This easy-to-make vegetarian lasagna is filled with comforting, cheesy goodness, layered between tender noodles and a butternut squash sauce. Want to save time? Use frozen or pre-chopped butternut squash!

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Butternut Squash Lasagna

I'm a firm believer that life is too short for boring salads. If you find that you are dreading your side salad, it's probably because it's too boring to crave. Turns out, if you make a creamy, herby dressing and throw in some bacon and avocado, salads can be delicious.

Recipe: Green Goddess Cobb Salad

Curry is a comfort food, and if you've never had Japanese curry, it's milder and sweeter than other curries you may be used to. Japanese curry has a secret ingredient to sweeten it: apples! Between the carrots, onions, and apples, it's basically a salad. 

Recipe: Vegan Japanese Curry

If you are like me, your 2026 resolutions include eating more vegetables and spending less money on delivery. A large part of my food budget goes to my favorite salad spot, Sweetgreen. If you aren't familiar with this chain, it has been around for a number of years, creating craveable salads that fill your belly with the good stuff (while also draining your wallet). This copycat recipe is an easy protein-packed lunch with grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and apple, all tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Yum!

Recipe: Copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl

If time is getting in the way of eating vegetables, this recipe is the answer you've been waiting for. It relies on your favorite store-bought (or homemade!) hummus, and you can top it with whatever you like, from juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, and spicy red onions. Add a handful of pre-washed greens for a little more color, and eat with a fork or a pita chip. Eating vegetables really can be this simple.

Recipe: Quick Hummus Bowls

Whenever I want something hearty, flavorful, packed with veggies, AND delicious, I turn to bibimbap, and making it at home couldn't be easier. It's best to cook all the vegetables separately, but if you need to save time, feel free to sauté them together. I like to use tofu in place of beef, and douse it in sesame oil and gochujang. I'm already drooling.

Recipe: Quick Korean Bibimbap

Shakshuka is one of my favorite weeknight meals, made with a base of tomatoes and peppers. When made in the oven, it's the perfect one-pan meal to nourish you. The best part? Those runny yolks that collide with salty feta and fresh herbs. Hint: Prepare the sauce in advance and add the eggs when ready to eat.

Recipe: Oven Shakshuka

If you haven't eaten a vegetable in weeks and want to go from zero to one hundred, make this ultra-green salad. It looks fancy, but it's actually quite simple with steamed broccoli, peas, and edamame beans, doused in a sesame ginger vinaigrette. I'd serve this with rice noodles and grilled tofu or chicken, because balance.

Recipe: Green Powerhouse Salad with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette

Dumpling salad is my new favorite salad, perfect for weeknight meals. Air-fried dumplings turn into crispy, crunchy "crouton" alternatives in this savory and spicy salad. Toss your favorite premade dumplings (I like Nasoya Vegetarian Dumplings in the refrigerator section) with greens, cucumber, tomato, scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds, drizzled with a chili-soy vinaigrette. It's hearty while keeping it fresh.

Recipe: Crispy Dumpling Salad

If your heart says 'burger,' but your brain says 'salad,' this is for you. I love how this recipe uses a mix of ground beef and lentils (great for your wallet AND health) in this crunchy salad inspired by your favorite fast-food burger. The dressing? Mayo-free (who else here doesn't like mayo?!), using a cashew cream base instead. Genius! So much protein! So much fiber! Such a big salad!

Recipe: Big Mac Salad

I typically hate the term "detox" because that's pretty much what your liver is for, but there's always a salad out there that is full of vegetable goodness that uses the term. Regardless of the name, this salad is chock full of vegetables, from kale to cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, and onions, tossed with quinoa and a simple lemony dressing. If you've ever wanted to pack all your vegetable needs into one dish, this is it!

Recipe: Detox Salad

If you've been on social media in the past five years, you've seen those viral, $20 smoothies coming from LA. Save your wallet and make it at home. Use this as a guide — some of the ingredients are expensive, but the main thing is that you should be adding greens to your smoothies! Maybe it can help you channel your inner Kardashian?

Recipe: Kourtney’s Green Smoothie

2025 felt like the year that crispy rice salads went mainstream, and I'm not mad about it. This bowl has it all: spicy coconut curry chicken, crunchy cucumber, sweet red pepper, sweet baby corn, and crispy rice and coconut. It's the perfect bowl to get a few more veggies into your day. Use tofu in place of chicken if you want to keep this vegetarian.

Recipe: Crispy Rice Bowls