By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD

It’s common knowledge that eating your vegetables is a main tenet of healthy eating. Yet, the majority of Americans don’t even come close to the recommended minimum of 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day. While there are many reasons for America’s low veggie intake, both not liking and not knowing how to cook vegetables play a role.

This post highlights a long list of veggies to try, including some popular and some lesser-known options, with tips on why and how to eat them as part of your weight loss meal plan. Whether you’re already eating enough vegetables or looking to increase your intake, there’s something for everyone!

Asparagus

• Benefits: Rich in fiber that feeds healthy gut bacteria (prebiotics) and a good source of folate, an important B vitamin that promotes healthy fetal development

• How to Prepare: Steamed, roasted, or grilled and served with fish or mixed into pasta

Beets

• Benefits: Contain nitrates, compounds that may help lower blood pressure

• How to Prepare: Roasted and sliced for salads with goat cheese and walnuts, added to smoothies, or used to make borscht

Bell Peppers

• Benefits: Excellent source of vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin that helps the body create proteins and plays a role in healing and immunity

• How to Prepare: Served raw in salads and salsa, cooked for fajitas and tacos, or roasted whole and stuffed

Broccoli

• Benefits: A member of the cruciferous vegetable family, known for their possible anti-cancer effects

• How to Prepare: Roasted or steamed and seasoned with lemon juice, served raw in broccoli salad or slaws, and pureed into soups

Carrots

• Benefits: Good source of beta-carotene that converts to vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes good vision and a healthy immune system

• How to Prepare: Added to healthy baked goods like muffins and breads, served raw in salads, or roasted and drizzled with nut butter for a healthy side dish

Cauliflower

• Benefits: Excellent source of vitamin C and rich in fiber that promotes healthy digestion and gut health

• How to Prepare: Chopped into rice-like pieces and used in place of rice, roasted and sprinkled with parmesan cheese, or frozen then added to smoothies

Eggplant

• Benefits: Contain compounds that act as antioxidants and protect against inflammation and cell damage that may lead to disease

• How to Prepare: Breaded and baked as eggplant parmesan, grilled and topped with pesto, or roasted then blended into dip

Green Beans

• Benefits: Provides vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin that’s necessary for blood clotting and bone health

• How to Prepare: Gently steamed and tossed in Italian dressing or sautéed with slivered almonds and lemon juice

Kale

• Benefits: A source of several vitamins, including vitamins C and K, and magnesium, a mineral that’s important for muscle and nerve function

• How to Prepare: Served raw (thinly sliced and massaged) in salads, added to smoothies, or roasted as kale chips

Mushrooms

• Benefits: Provide B vitamins, which assist the body in extracting energy from foods, and selenium, a mineral that helps the body produce thyroid hormones

• How to Prepare: Added to taco meat or other beef-based dishes for extra veggies, grilled and served as burger replacements, or roasted with garlic and thyme

Onions

• Benefits: Contain beneficial plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties and may help prevent chronic disease

• How to Prepare: Chopped for salsas and salads, caramelized and used in dips, sandwiches, or pizzas, or roasted whole and served as a side

Sweet Potatoes

• Benefits: Rich in beta-carotene that converts to vitamin A and energizing, complex carbohydrates

• How to Prepare: Baked and served with toppings of choice, sliced into fries and roasted, or cooked and mashed to use in healthy baked goods

Tomatoes

• Benefits: Great source of potassium and the antioxidant compound lycopene, which may promote heart health

• How to Prepare: Cooked and blended into tomato sauce or soup, chopped for salsa, or sliced for sandwiches

Turnips

• Benefits: Provide vitamin C, folate, and fiber, along with beneficial compounds also found in other cruciferous vegetables, such as those with antioxidant effects

• How to Prepare: Steamed and mashed to serve as an alternative to potatoes, roasted and seasoned with rosemary, or added to soups

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