Eat More Vegetables: 45 Ways by Meal & a 7-Day Starter Plan

The short answer: the easiest way to eat more vegetables is to add one to food you already eat: spinach in eggs, carrots in sauce, frozen peas in rice. These 45 easy ways to eat vegetables are sorted by meal, so you can start at breakfast tomorrow.

How much: most adults need 2 to 4 cups a day, and almost 90 percent of Americans fall short. One cup is 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or 2 cups of salad greens.

Cheapest picks today: canned no-salt-added green beans $0.90 a pound, baby carrots $0.91, onions $0.95 and sweet potatoes $0.96 at Walmart.com. Frozen mixed vegetables are $1.29 a pound.

Next step: get the free habit tracker (we email it to you) to check off one added vegetable a day, or plan the week with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

Prices checked November 13, 2026 at Walmart.com, plus the BLS October 2026 U.S. averages. Below: the 45 ways, how many cups you need by age and sex, a cheap-vegetable price table, picky-eater and no-time tips, and a 7-day starter plan. This is general information; if you have a health condition or a special diet, follow your doctor's or dietitian's plan.

45 easy ways to eat vegetables, by meal

The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans found that about 45 percent of the vegetables Americans eat are a separate side and about 40 percent are part of a mixed dish. So the fastest wins come from mixing vegetables into meals you already make, not from adding a side nobody touches.

Breakfast (1–8)

#	Idea	How to do it
1	Spinach scrambled eggs	Wilt a handful of spinach in the pan before the eggs go in. See our scrambled eggs method.
2	Veggie omelet	Fill it with peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomato. Our omelette guide covers the fold.
3	Make-ahead egg muffins	Bake eggs with chopped broccoli and peppers in a muffin tin on Sunday. Try our egg muffins.
4	Green smoothie	Blend a cup of spinach with frozen fruit. The color changes, the taste barely does. More in healthy smoothie recipes.
5	Savory oats	Top plain oats with a fried egg, sautéed greens and salsa.
6	Breakfast tacos	Add black beans, peppers and onions to scrambled eggs in a tortilla.
7	Avocado and tomato toast	Sliced tomato on avocado toast counts toward your cups.
8	Hash brown skillet	Fry diced sweet potato or potato with onion and peppers.

More morning ideas: healthy breakfast ideas.

Lunch (9–16)

#	Idea	How to do it
9	Load the sandwich	Add lettuce, cucumber, tomato, shredded carrot and peppers to any sandwich.
10	Half-and-half bowl	Fill half the bowl with greens or slaw, half with rice or grains.
11	Soup with lunch	A cup of vegetable soup or minestrone beside a sandwich.
12	Veggie-packed tuna or chicken salad	Stir in diced celery, onion, pickles and shredded carrot.
13	Lettuce wraps	Use romaine or butter lettuce leaves instead of a tortilla for one wrap.
14	Hummus plate	Hummus with carrots, cucumber, peppers and snap peas. Make your own hummus from canned chickpeas.
15	Leftover roasted vegetables	Toss last night's tray into a wrap or grain bowl.
16	Salad that is a meal	Add beans, eggs or chicken so the salad fills you up. See our salad recipes.

For the lunchbox: healthy lunch ideas and school lunches.

Dinner (17–25)

#	Idea	How to do it
17	Sheet-pan dinner	Roast chicken or sausage on the same pan as broccoli and potatoes. See sheet pan dinners.
18	Roast a big tray	High heat browns Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Times and temperatures are in how to roast vegetables.
19	Stir-fry	Use a 20 oz bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables. Our stir fry guide has the sauce.
20	Half-veg chili	Add an extra can of beans plus diced peppers and zucchini. Try vegetarian chili or our chili recipe.
21	Pasta with vegetables	Toss in frozen peas or broccoli for the last 3 minutes of boiling. Pasta primavera is the classic.
22	Taco night toppings	Set out lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers, corn and salsa.
23	Stuffed peppers	Fill pepper halves with rice, beans and ground meat.
24	Pizza topping rule	Add at least two vegetables to every pizza, homemade or frozen.
25	Cabbage in everything	Shredded cabbage goes into soups, slaws and stir-fries. Our cabbage soup uses a whole head.

More dinners: healthy dinner ideas and vegetarian recipes.

Snacks (26–32)

#	Idea	How to do it
26	Cut once, snack all week	Slice peppers, celery and cucumbers on Sunday and store them at eye level.
27	Baby carrots and dip	Pair with hummus, ranch or peanut butter.
28	Roasted chickpeas	Toss drained chickpeas with oil and spices and roast until crisp.
29	Edamame	Microwave frozen edamame in the pod and sprinkle with salt.
30	Salsa and chips	Fresh salsa or pico de gallo counts as vegetables.
31	Snap peas and cherry tomatoes	No prep beyond a rinse.
32	Cucumber "chips"	Thin slices with a pinch of salt and lime.

More snack lists: healthy snacks and easy snacks for kids.

Sauces and hidden vegetables (33–39)

#	Idea	How to do it
33	Grate carrots into sauce	Grated carrot and zucchini melt into pasta sauce.
34	Blend a veggie pasta sauce	Blend roasted peppers, onion and tomato until smooth.
35	Pumpkin or squash mac and cheese	Stir canned pumpkin or puréed butternut squash into the cheese sauce.
36	Cauliflower in mashed potatoes	Mash half potatoes, half cooked cauliflower.
37	Mushrooms in ground meat	Finely chop mushrooms and brown them with the beef for tacos or burgers.
38	Spinach in meatballs	Squeeze thawed frozen spinach dry and mix it into the meat.
39	Zucchini in baking	Shredded zucchini goes into muffins, pancakes and zucchini bread.

Frozen and canned shortcuts (40–45)

The Dietary Guidelines count fresh, frozen, canned and dried vegetables, and 100% vegetable juice. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines release from USDA says to eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day and to eat the right amount for your age, sex, size and activity level.

#	Idea	How to do it
40	Steam-in-bag sides	A 12 oz steamable bag of broccoli cooks in the microwave in minutes.
41	Frozen spinach cubes	Drop a chunk into soups, eggs, pasta and smoothies.
42	Canned tomatoes	Use no-salt-added diced tomatoes in chili, soup and rice.
43	Canned green beans	Drain, rinse and sauté with garlic.
44	Frozen peppers and onions	Toss a handful into fajitas, eggs or quesadillas with no chopping.
45	Canned beans	Rinse and add to salads, soups and tacos.

Sodium tip: University of Illinois Extension suggests low-sodium canned vegetables, or draining and rinsing canned vegetables to remove some sodium.

How many vegetables you need a day

These are MyPlate's general ranges by age and sex. They come from the Healthy U.S.-Style eating patterns in the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines. Your exact amount depends on your height, weight and activity level.

Group	Age	Cups of vegetables a day
Toddlers	12–23 months	⅔ to 1
Children	2–3	1 to 1½
Children	4–8	1½ to 2½
Girls	9–13	1½ to 3
Girls	14–18	2½ to 3
Boys	9–13	2 to 3½
Boys	14–18	2½ to 4
Women	19–30	2½ to 3
Women	31–59	2 to 3
Women	60+	2 to 3
Men	19–30	3 to 4
Men	31–59	3 to 4
Men	60+	2½ to 3½

What counts as 1 cup: 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of vegetable juice, or 2 cups of leafy salad greens, per the Dietary Guidelines. Beans, peas and lentils can count as a vegetable or a protein, but count them in one group only.

Why it matters: the Dietary Guidelines report that almost 90 percent of the U.S. population does not meet the vegetable recommendation. For protein-rich options, see plant-based protein sources and our high protein foods chart.

Cheap vegetables: prices per pound

Store-brand frozen and canned vegetables, plus a few sturdy fresh ones, are the lowest-cost way to add cups. Prices are Walmart.com online prices checked November 13, 2026, and they vary by store and ZIP code. The last four rows are national averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for October 2026.

Vegetable	Package	Price	Per pound
Canned cut green beans, no salt added (Great Value)	14.5 oz	$0.82	$0.90
Baby-cut carrots	2 lb	$1.82 (rollback, was $2.47)	$0.91
Yellow onions	3 lb	$2.86	$0.95
Sweet potatoes	3 lb	$2.88	$0.96
Canned diced tomatoes, no salt added (Great Value)	14.5 oz	$0.96	$1.06
Whole carrots	2 lb	$2.26	$1.13
Frozen mixed vegetables (Great Value)	32 oz	$2.58	$1.29
Frozen peas and carrots, steamable (Great Value)	12 oz	$0.98	$1.31
Frozen broccoli florets, steamable (Great Value)	12 oz	$1.16	$1.55
Frozen chopped spinach (Great Value)	12 oz	$1.47	$1.96
White potatoes (BLS U.S. average)	per lb	—	$0.99
Iceberg lettuce (BLS U.S. average)	per lb	—	$1.96
Tomatoes, field grown (BLS U.S. average)	per lb	—	$2.08
Romaine lettuce (BLS U.S. average)	per lb	—	$3.49

Canned weights include the liquid. Money-saving tip: frozen and canned vegetables keep for months, so less of your grocery budget ends up in the trash. Track your store's lowest prices in a grocery price book, and see how to grocery shop on a budget, meal planning on a budget and the grocery budget for a family of 4.

How to get picky eaters to eat vegetables

The Dietary Guidelines note that it can take up to 8 to 10 exposures for an infant to accept a new food, and that repeated exposure increases acceptance. Keep offering, without pressure.

Serve one "safe" food: put a familiar vegetable next to a new one so there is always something they will eat.
Offer tiny tastes: one green bean on the plate is a win. Try again next week.
Let them choose: have kids pick a vegetable at the store or from the freezer.
Change the texture: a kid who refuses steamed carrots may eat them roasted, shredded or raw with dip.
Hide, then reveal: sauces and baking (ideas 33–39) help, but also serve vegetables in plain sight so kids learn to like them.
Cook together: let kids wash, tear or stir the vegetables. Our easy recipes for kids are a good start.

How to eat more vegetables with little time

Buy pre-cut or frozen: steamable bags, baby carrots, bagged salad and frozen peppers skip the chopping.
Prep once: wash and cut vegetables right after shopping. The healthy meal prep ideas guide shows a one-hour Sunday routine.
Double the vegetables, not the work: add a second bag of frozen vegetables to the same stir-fry or soup.
Cook once, eat twice: a big tray of roasted vegetables becomes tomorrow's wraps and bowls.
Keep a "backup bag": one bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer means dinner always has a vegetable.

7-day add-a-vegetable starter plan

Add one vegetable a day and keep it. By day 7 you are adding vegetables at every meal and snack. Each day builds on the last, so keep doing the earlier days.

Day	Add this	Where	Roughly
Mon	Spinach	A handful in morning eggs or a smoothie	½ cup (1 cup raw greens)
Tue	Baby carrots	Lunch side with hummus or dip	½ cup
Wed	Frozen mixed vegetables	Stirred into rice, pasta or soup at dinner	1 cup
Thu	Canned tomatoes	In chili, pasta sauce or soup	½ cup
Fri	Peppers and onions	Pizza or taco night toppings	½ cup
Sat	Green beans	Sautéed side with garlic	1 cup
Sun	Sweet potatoes	Roasted on a sheet pan, extras saved for Monday	1 cup

Starter shopping list: a 32 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables ($2.58), a 12 oz box of frozen chopped spinach ($1.47), a 2 lb bag of baby carrots ($1.82), two cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes ($1.92), a can of no-salt-added green beans ($0.82) and a 3 lb bag of onions ($2.86). That is $11.47 at the Walmart.com prices above, before tax, and most of it lasts beyond the first week. Add sweet potatoes ($2.88 for 3 lb) and peppers if your budget allows. Write it on a grocery list template so you buy only what the plan needs.

For a whole week of meals, follow how to meal plan or how to meal plan for a family.

Plan your vegetables for the week

Meal Planner and Grocery List printable with a weekly meal plan, prep page and grocery list

A list of ways to eat vegetables only helps once the vegetables are on your shopping list. Like a lot of oldest daughters, I hold everyone's plans in my head, and writing the week down is how I put some of it down. Vegetables get easier the same way: once they are on the page, they end up in the cart.

Plan the week: the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner, a monthly menu, a meal prep checklist, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories. Write one added vegetable into each day.
Save what works: the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) keeps the veggie-packed versions your family actually eats.
Get both, plus more: the Family Life Admin Bundle is $15.99 (~~$23.95~~ when bought separately) and includes the meal planner and recipe binder.
Start free: get the free habit tracker (we email it to you) and shade a box each day you add a vegetable.

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Frequently asked questions

What are some easy ways to eat vegetables? The easiest ways to eat vegetables are to add them to meals you already make. Put spinach in eggs or smoothies, grate carrots into pasta sauce, stir frozen peas into rice, load sandwiches with lettuce and tomato, and keep cut vegetables and dip at eye level for snacks. Frozen and canned vegetables count too, so you can skip most of the chopping.

How many cups of vegetables should I eat a day? Most adults need 2 to 4 cups of vegetables a day. MyPlate's general ranges, built from the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines, are 2½ to 3 cups for women 19 to 30, 2 to 3 cups for women 31 and older, 3 to 4 cups for men 19 to 59 and 2½ to 3½ cups for men 60 and older. Children need less: 1 to 1½ cups at ages 2 to 3 and 1½ to 2½ cups at ages 4 to 8.

What counts as a cup of vegetables? One cup of raw or cooked vegetables counts as 1 cup, and so does 1 cup of vegetable juice. Leafy salad greens are lighter, so it takes 2 cups of raw greens to count as 1 cup. Fresh, frozen, canned and dried vegetables all count toward your daily total.

Are frozen and canned vegetables as good as fresh? Frozen and canned vegetables count toward your daily vegetables just like fresh ones. The Dietary Guidelines include fresh, frozen, canned and dried forms, and the 2025–2030 edition says to eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day. Choose frozen vegetables without sauce and canned ones labeled low sodium or no salt added, or drain and rinse them.

How do I get a picky eater to eat vegetables? Keep offering vegetables without pressure, because repeated exposure helps. The Dietary Guidelines note it can take up to 8 to 10 exposures for an infant to accept a new food. Serve a familiar vegetable next to a new one, offer tiny tastes, let kids choose a vegetable at the store and try a new texture, such as roasted or raw with dip instead of steamed.

How can I hide vegetables in food? Hide vegetables in sauces, ground meat and baking. Grate carrots and zucchini into pasta sauce, blend roasted peppers into a smooth sauce, stir pumpkin or squash into mac and cheese, mash cauliflower into potatoes, and mix finely chopped mushrooms or thawed spinach into meatballs and taco meat. Serve some vegetables in plain sight too so kids learn to like them.

What are the cheapest vegetables to buy? The cheapest vegetables on November 13, 2026 were canned no-salt-added green beans at $0.90 a pound, baby carrots at $0.91, yellow onions at $0.95 and sweet potatoes at $0.96 at Walmart.com. The BLS October 2026 U.S. average for white potatoes was $0.99 a pound. Store-brand frozen mixed vegetables were $1.29 a pound.

How can I eat more vegetables when I have no time? Buy vegetables that are already prepped. Steamable frozen bags, baby carrots, bagged salad and frozen peppers and onions need no chopping. Cut fresh vegetables once right after shopping, add a second bag of frozen vegetables to stir-fries and soups, and roast a big tray so leftovers become the next day's lunch.

Do potatoes count as a vegetable? Yes, white potatoes count as a vegetable in the starchy vegetable subgroup, along with corn, green peas and plantains. Sweet potatoes are in the red and orange subgroup. Baked, boiled or roasted potatoes are a cheap way to add cups; just go easy on butter, cheese and frying.

Do beans count as vegetables? Beans, peas and lentils count as vegetables, and they can also count as a protein food. The Dietary Guidelines say to count them in one group only, not both. Canned black beans, chickpeas and lentils are an easy way to add them to salads, soups and tacos.

Should I talk to my doctor before changing how I eat? Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian first if you have a health condition, follow a special diet or take medicine. This guide is general information, not medical advice. Your care team can tell you whether any vegetables, sodium levels or portion sizes need to change for you.

What planner helps me plan more vegetables? The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. is a printable with a weekly meal planner, a monthly menu, a meal prep checklist, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories. Write one added vegetable into each day of the week, then copy what you need onto the grocery list.

Where can I keep the vegetable recipes my family likes? The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. is a printable with section dividers, four recipe page layouts, 4x6 and 3x5 recipe cards and a conversion chart. Give your veggie-packed versions of family favorites their own section so they are easy to find.

Is there a bundle with the meal planner and recipe binder? Yes, the Family Life Admin Bundle is $15.99, compared with $23.95 for its items bought separately. It includes the Meal Planner & Grocery List, the Family Recipe Binder, a kids chore chart, a newborn baby tracker and pet health records.

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Sources

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (USDA and HHS) dietaryguidelines.gov
USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 release usda.gov
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Average Retail Food and Energy Prices bls.gov
University of Illinois Extension: Vegetables (Eat.Move.Save.) eat-move-save.extension.illinois.edu

How to eat more vegetables: 45 ways by meal, plus a 7-day starter plan