We’ve all heard the refrain: Eat more fruits and vegetables! But what does that really look like? And what are the healthiest vegetables to eat? Well, we’ve got answers. Alex and I are cookbook authors of a vegetarian cookbook and our website has over 1,000 recipes for how to make plants taste delicious. But today, we wanted to delve into this question: What are the best vegetables to include in a healthy diet? After lots of research, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best vegetables to include in your everyday. The great news? There are so many ways to make them taste delicious. With each vegetable, we’ve included our top recipes for making it taste good. (And you can click the “Get Recipes” button to get even more recipes.) Ready to get started?
And now…the best vegetables to eat in a healthy diet!
Want more ideas? Cruciferous Vegetables Guide & How to Cook Vegetables
More resources
Need more resources on how to eat more veggies? There are so many delicious recipes out there: it’s just a matter of finding them! Here are a few more of our favorite resources for getting lots of veggies into your diet, including meal plans with a weekly planning spreadsheet: Spinach nutrition: It’s full of calcium and iron, and very high in vitamin K and vitamin A. Best ways to eat spinachSauteed Spinach (That Tastes Amazing)Spinach Apple SaladChickpea Curry with SpinachGlowing Green Smoothie Broccoli nutrition: It’s low calorie and high in vitamins C, A, and K. It may also reduce the risk of cancer. Best ways to eat broccoliRoasted Broccoli or Perfect Roasted BroccoliniBest Steamed Broccoli (or Sauteed)Broccoli SlawBroccoli SaladBroccoli Stir FryYellow Rice Bowls with BroccoliBroccoli Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes nutrition: They’re high in beta-carotene and very high in Vitamin A. Best ways to eat sweet potatoes Quick Baked Sweet Potato (or Instant Pot)Roasted Sweet PotatoesBest Sweet Potato ChiliMexican Sweet Potatoes Cauliflower nutrition: It’s high in vitamin C, potassium and omega 3’s. It’s also is high in fiber (1 cup has about 10% of your daily needs). Best ways to eat cauliflower Perfect Roasted CauliflowerLemon Herb Steamed CauliflowerBBQ Grilled CauliflowerCauliflower SoupCauliflower Tacos with Yum Yum Sauce Kale nutrition: Kale is packed with beta carotene and Vitamin K. It contains 10% of your daily vitamin C. Best ways to eat kale Sauteed Kale or Roasted KaleThe BEST Kale Salad Tuscan Lentil Stew with Kale Massaged Kale Pomegranate Salad What’s great about beets: They’re high in potassium and heart-healthy nitrates. You can even eat the greens. Best ways to eat beetsRoasted Beets with Goat Cheese (oven roasted or Instant Pot)Beet Salad with Balsamic DressingCreamy Beet Hummus Lentils nutrition: They’re full of protein, fiber and iron. 1 cup cooked lentils has about 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. Best ways to eat lentils Best Damn Lentil Soup or Curry Lentil Soup Quick Coconut Lentil Curry Lentil Sloppy JoesEasy Lentil Tacos Carrots nutrition: They’re very high in Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, and may have cancer fighting properties. Best ways to eat carrotsPerfect Sauteed CarrotsRoasted CarrotsSimple Carrot SaladSticks with Healthy Ranch DressingCurried Carrot SoupCarrot Cake Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal Green beans nutrition: They’re high in Vitamin A, C, K and fiber. Best ways to eat green beansLemony Steamed Green Beans (or Instant Pot)Grilled Green BeansGreen Bean Dill Potato SaladNicoise Salad Bell peppers nutrition: They’re very high in vitamin C, and have double your daily need. They also have Vitamin B and beta carotene. Best ways to eat peppersQuinoa Stuffed Peppers RecipeBest Roasted VegetablesBest Healthy Pizza Eggplant nutrition: It has cardioprotective compounds that make for a healthier heart. Best ways to eat eggplantPerfect Roasted Eggplant Roasted Eggplant PastaGrilled Eggplant with Herbed QuinoaEggplant Sandwich with Pesto Asparagus nutrition: It’s loaded with fiber and vitamins C, A and K. Best ways to eat asparagusEasy Baked Asparagus (or Roasted or Sauteed)Asparagus Salad with FetaPasta with Lemon Asparagus Onions nutrition: They’ve got vitamins and compounds that may protect against cancer. Best ways to eat onions1-Hour Quick Pickled OnionsThree Onion Fried RiceHomemade Vegetable Soup Mushrooms nutrition: They help with heart health and disease prevention. Best ways to eat mushroomsBest Ever Sauteed MushroomsRoasted MushroomsMushroom Barley SoupFarro with Mushrooms & ParmesanPesto Portobello Mushroom Burger Tomatoes nutrition: They’ve got lycopene, which may play a role in cancer prevention. They also may protect vision. Best ways to eat tomatoes Tomato Basil Pasta Mozzarella Tomato Basil SaladGreek Salad Easy Pizza Sauce Recipe Peas nutrition: They’re high in fiber, protein, and vitamins, and may have cancer fighting benefits. Best ways to eat peasPeas with LemonGreen Pea DipSplit Pea Soup (or Instant Pot)Farfalle Pasta with Peas & DillVibrant Spring Soup Brussels sprouts nutrition: They’re high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Best ways to eat Brussels sprouts Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe (or Instant Pot)Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pomegranate Farro & Brussels Sprouts Soup Squash nutrition: They’re full of beta carotene, protein, Vitamin C & B6, potassium, and fiber. Best ways to eat squash Stuffed Acorn Squash (or Instant Pot) Curried Butternut Squash Soup Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti Cabbage nutrition: It’s high in fiber and Vitamin C. It may have some heart health benefits. Best ways to eat cabbageBest Creamy ColeslawEasy Cabbage Salad Red Cabbage SlawHow to Make SauerkrautPeanut Noodles with Napa Cabbage Avocado nutrition: Avocado is full of healthy fats and helps stabilize blood sugar. Best ways to eat avocadosGrilled AvocadoAvocado Grilled Cheese SandwichCreamy Avocado DressingAvocado Toast with Egg
Plant Based Diet for Beginners A resource for eating lots of plant based (vegan) meals. Whole Food Plant Based Diet: Guide & Recipes A comprehensive guide for eating whole food plant based (WFPB) meals on the regular 28 Day Plant Based Diet Meal Plan Veggie-heavy recipes organized as a meal plan. 28 Day Vegan Meal Plan Includes a downloadable meal planning spreadsheet! Guide to Plant Based Protein All you need to know about plant based protein and why it’s important! Healthiest Vegetables Here’s a bit more information on nutrients behind these tasty plants!
Last updated: June 2020
