How to Eat More Vegetables When You Do Not Especially Love Them

The short answer: add a vegetable to every meal, cook them in ways that actually taste good, and keep frozen ones on hand for nights when the fresh ones have wilted. Most adults need about 2.5 cups a day, which sounds like a lot until you see how quickly a handful here and a scoop there adds up.

1. Know the target and what counts

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend about 2.5 cup-equivalents of vegetables per day on a 2,000-calorie diet. MyPlate counts 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of 100% vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens as one cup-equivalent. Fresh, frozen, canned and dried all count. CDC data have long shown that most American adults fall short, so if you are struggling, you are in large company.

2. Put a vegetable in breakfast

Breakfast is the meal most often missing vegetables. Easy entry points:

• Scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes or leftover roasted vegetables
• A handful of greens blended into a fruit smoothie (you will not taste it)
• Avocado toast topped with sliced tomato or cucumber
• A breakfast burrito with peppers, onions and black beans

3. Let vegetables fill half the plate

At lunch and dinner, aim for vegetables to take up half the plate. A side salad, a pile of roasted broccoli or a scoop of sautéed greens is enough. When the vegetable portion grows, the rest of the plate naturally balances out.

4. Roast like you mean it

Boiled, gray vegetables have done more damage to vegetable consumption than anything else. Roasting changes everything. Toss chopped vegetables with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, spread them in a single layer and roast at about 425°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are browned. Finish with lemon juice, garlic or herbs. Our verdict on olive oil explains why a little fat helps.

5. Stock the freezer

Frozen broccoli, spinach, peas, green beans, cauliflower and stir-fry mixes are ready in minutes and never go bad in the crisper. Add a handful to soups, pasta, rice, eggs or curries straight from the bag.

6. Hide them in plain sight

• Stir grated zucchini or carrots into pasta sauce, meatballs or muffins.
• Blend roasted red peppers or butternut squash into creamy sauces.
• Add a bag of spinach to soups and stews at the last minute.
• Mix chopped mushrooms into ground meat for burgers or tacos.

Our verdict on pasta suggests aiming for equal volumes of noodles and vegetables.

7. Prep once, snack all week

Wash and cut carrots, peppers, cucumbers, celery and snap peas on the weekend and store them in clear containers at eye level in the fridge. When vegetables are the easiest thing to grab, you grab them. Pair them with hummus, yogurt dip or guacamole.

8. Make soup and sheet-pan meals your defaults

Vegetable-heavy soups, chilis, curries and sheet-pan dinners pack several cups of vegetables into one pot or pan. They also reheat well, which makes them perfect for busy weeks. See how to eat healthy when busy for more shortcuts.

9. Order vegetables when you eat out

Ask for a side salad or steamed vegetables instead of fries, add vegetables to pizza and omelets, and choose dishes with vegetables in the name.

10. Try one new vegetable a week

Variety matters, since each vegetable subgroup, dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, starchy and others, brings different nutrients. Picking one new vegetable a week keeps meals interesting and widens your options.

An example day that clears 2.5 cups

For picky eaters

Start with milder vegetables like carrots, peas, corn, sweet potatoes and bell peppers. Serve them alongside foods people already like. Offer them again and again without pressure; tastes change with repeated exposure. Dips, cheese and spices are allowed.

The short version

Aim for about 2.5 cups a day. Add a vegetable to breakfast, fill half your plate at lunch and dinner, roast instead of boil, keep frozen vegetables handy, hide them in sauces and soups, and prep raw ones for snacking. Fresh, frozen and canned all count, and good cooking does most of the convincing.