Healthy Eating 101 30-Day Challenges 30-Day Eat More Vegetables Challenge Here’s how to fit more vegetables into your diet—and do so deliciously—with fresh, frozen, canned and jarred produce. By Megan O. Steintrager Megan O. Steintrager Instagram Megan O. Steintrager's career in digital food media includes stints at EatingWell, Epicurious, AOL, TODAY.com and more. She loves every vegetable—and scoop of ice cream—she's ever met, and firmly believes that eating a healthy diet does not mean giving up delicious food (quite the opposite, in fact). EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 27, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email This Eat More Veg Challenge focuses on how to fit more vegetables into your diet and enjoy the health benefits that go along with it. We have 30 days of tips and recipes to inspire you, as well as tricks to help you get the most out of your veg. We know fresh produce can get expensive, so we include canned, frozen and jarred alternatives as well as tips to extend the shelf life of the veg you buy. Here are 30 ways that we're eating more vegetables right now—join us! 31 Recipes to Eat More Vegetables This Month Here are our calendar tips with more detail for those of you following along with the challenge: Day 1: Add Frozen Veggies to EggsFrozen veggies and fruit sometimes get a bad rap, but they're often even better than fresh—they're picked at their peak of ripeness and have all the same nutrients as fresh, are often cheaper and last a long time in the freezer. Thaw frozen veggies like broccoli, corn and peppers and add them to frittatas, omelets and muffin-tin eggs. Day 2: Try a Veggie-Packed Tofu ScrambleDon't eat eggs or just want to mix things up? Frozen veggies are great in a tofu scramble as an alternative to traditional scrambled eggs. Day 3: Make Mac & Cheese + PeasWhether you are making homemade macaroni and cheese or reaching for a box, add a few handfuls of frozen peas while the pasta is cooking. Try this Quick Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Peas if you want an actual recipe, or feel free to improvise. Frozen broccoli and green beans are also nice additions to mac. Day 4: Bake with VegetablesUsing your time at home to bake more? Try working some veggies into your treats with delicious recipes like our Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins or zucchini bread. Check out these other vegetables that you can sneak into dessert, too. Day 5: Eat Dip for DinnerVeggie-based dips, like spinach and artichoke, are a creative, fun way to eat more produce. Our Slow-Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip calls for frozen spinach and canned artichokes, so it's easy to make. Dig right in with bread, crudités or tortilla chips, or turn it into more of a meal with our Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta recipe (feel free to use thawed frozen spinach in place of fresh in the recipe). Day 6: Say Yes to PotatoesYes, potatoes are part of a healthy diet. They keep for a long time if stored properly and they are basically the ultimate comfort food. Try this easy and super-popular Melting Potatoes recipe to get your serving of spuds today. Day 7: Just Add CheeseGot frozen veggies? There's a good bet that they'd benefit from cheese. Simply grate cheese over steamed veggies or make this Easy Cheese Sauce. Day 8: Make a Green SmoothieAdd a handful of frozen kale or spinach to your smoothie—no need to thaw first. Vegetable smoothies are a great way to sneak some produce into breakfast or snacks. Day 9: Try a New VegetableMaybe your store is out of the vegetable you always buy, or you saw something new at the local farmers market. Variety of veg is key to a healthy diet, so try something new today. Never cooked with vegetables like kohlrabi or okra before? We have recipes to give you inspiration. Day 10: Spoon on Some SalsaYou know what salsa's made of? Vegetables! Scoop it up with chips or spoon it onto beans, tacos, eggs and more. We even have this easy Tomato Salsa Recipe if you want to make your own. Day 11: Make It Better with BaconWe love our vegetables, but it is hard to deny that a little bacon makes most vegetables, and especially frozen and canned ones, taste better. If you aren't a meat eater, smoked paprika is a great vegetarian substitute for bacon. Try these Green Beans with Bacon & Hazelnuts with frozen or canned green beans (and swap in any nut you have on hand or leave them out altogether). Day 12: Stock Up on SauerkrautPile sauerkraut onto sandwiches, add it to salads or serve it as a side—this fermented cabbage isn't just a tasty way to eat your veggies, it's also good for your gut. Day 13: Reach for KimchiOther fermented veggies, like Korean kimchi, have many of the same health—and taste—benefits as sauerkraut. Try our fan-favorite kimchi fried rice. Day 14: Don't Overlook OnionsWhile you might think of onions as something you add to a dish, don't overlook them as a vegetable in their own right. Try these Caramelized Balsamic Onions and you'll see why onions can be the star of your plate. Day 15: Make Tomato SauceIf you've stocked up on canned tomatoes, this is good news. Outside of about a month or two in summer, canned tomatoes are your best bet for making tomato sauces like this stovetop Quick Tomato Sauce or this Pressure-Cooker Tomato Sauce. Want to bulk up your veggies even more in your spaghetti dinner? Add a handful of frozen spinach or kale to the sauce. Day 16: Make a Carrot SmoothieThis bright-tasting Carrot Smoothie can be made with cooked fresh or frozen carrots. Day 17: Roast Some RootsRoot vegetables like beets, parsnips and rutabaga last a long time, so if you see them in your grocery store, go ahead and stock up. Use them to roast a big batch to have on hand for adding to salads, grain bowls, soups and more. Day 18: Add a Side SaladHaving a side salad with your meals is an easy way to add fresh flavors and up your veg intake. Plus, it can help you get in the habit of getting through the greens that you buy. Try one of our delicious vinaigrette recipes that will have you loving salad again. Day 19: Grab a Jar of Roasted PeppersVeggies in jars count as vegetables too, and they last a long time in the fridge! Try roasted red peppers on sandwiches or in this 5-ingredient, 20-minute Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Pasta. Day 20: Try Cauliflower RiceCauliflower rice is well-loved in the low-carb community, but riced cauliflower—which you can make yourself or buy frozen in bags—is also great when you're just looking to up your veggie intake. Try it in Greek Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Chicken, Southwestern Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Shrimp & Avocado Crema, Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice or anything else you'd serve over rice. Day 21: Make a Pie-Inspired SmoothieCanned sweet potatoes or pumpkin puree last for a long time and add great sweetness and a nutrition boost to your smoothie. Try this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie with either one. Canned carrots and beets work well in smoothies too. Day 22: Grab Some CabbageCabbage is another vegetable that lasts a long time—up to two months in the fridge! Our Sautéed Cabbage recipe has suggestions for four variations, so it doesn't get boring. Balsamic Roasted Cabbage is another fan favorite. Day 23: Mix Mushrooms into MeatTake it easy on your budget and up your veggie intake by adding diced fresh, frozen (thawed) or dried mushrooms to stretch ground meat in meatloaf, spaghetti sauce and more. Day 24: Stuff Some PeppersBell peppers (especially green ones) can last up to three weeks in the fridge, so if you see them at the market, grab them and make stuffed peppers, like these cheesy Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers. Day 25: Eat Some BeetsBeets aren't just for Dwight Schrute. Fresh beets keep for a long time in the fridge and are great roasted or steamed, and you can add canned or vacuum packed beets to salads and smoothies as well. Recipes like our Beet Salad with Feta & Dill let their flavors shine. Day 26: Add Something SourPerk up vegetables—fresh, frozen or canned—or roasted root vegetables with lemon and other citrus juices or any kind of vinegar. Balsamic is one of our faves! Day 27: Sweeten Things UpYou know what goes great with sour flavors? Sweet ones! Add a bit of honey, maple syrup or brown sugar to simple vegetables like carrots. Try these Honey & Orange Glazed Carrots, Balsamic Roasted Carrots with maple and Candied Carrots with brown sugar. Day 28: Heat It UpA dash of hot sauce or a sprinkle of cayenne is yet another great way to spice up your favorite vegetables. Growing up in North Carolina and Louisiana, I never ate collard greens without several shakes from the hot sauce bottle. Hot sauce also livens up spinach, broccoli stir-fries (try Sriracha) and of course, fajitas, tacos and chili. Day 29: Grow Your OwnOne way to eat more vegetables is to grow your own! We have a guide to food gardening for beginners to help you get started. You can even grow vegetables from scraps. Day 30: Drink More VegA Bloody Mary—or Virgin Mary, if you prefer—is a great way to get in some vegetables. Cheers to completing the challenge! 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