How to Make Veggies Taste Good

Want to get yourself or your loved ones to eat your veggies? Use these dietitian tips for how to make veggies taste good!

If you don’t love eating vegetables, I have news for you: Maybe you haven’t tasted delicious veggies yet. Yup, you have to make a version that makes your taste buds sing! So let’s talk about how to make veggies taste good.

Whether you’re a picky eater or simply think you don’t like vegetables, I encourage you to use these tips to cook up veggies that taste good. 

You’ll find cooking methods that provide a ton of extra flavor for not so many calories. Learn secrets for making frozen, canned, and fresh vegetables taste delicious. 

Plus, eating veggies helps fill you up. And vegetables provide vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy. These dietitian tips to make vegetables taste better will have you wanting to whip up veggies at every single meal!

How to make veggies taste good

Without further ado, here’s how to make veggies taste good. In fact, I’m giving you 15 delicious ways!

1. Cook veggies in broth

I love to prep shiitake and oyster mushrooms by cooking them in low-sodium broth, then turning off the heat when most of the liquid is absorbed, If you let them sit a moment, the mushrooms drink up the remaining heat. Yum!

2. Roast veggies

“I love my veggies a bit on the scorched side—roasting at a high heat brings out their natural sweetness,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It.

“I cut all types of veggies in similar sizes,” she says. “I add a handful of nuts for some crunch, some Turkish or Moroccan seasoning, paprika, and avocado oil.”

“Roast at 450° Fahrenheit for around 40 minutes,” adds Taub-Dix. “But keep on eye on them, and turn veggies as necessary.” If you love roasting vegetables, put some lemon garlic asparagus in the oven!

3. Sauté veggies

“I love veggies sautéed with marinara sauce,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. “Add your favorite protein and some whole-wheat or veggie noodles, and you have a complete meal.”

See more healthy meal hacks to steal from dietitians.

4. Steam veggies

“My go-to method for preparing veggies couldn’t get any easier,” says Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet.

“I simply steam them in a microwave, making sure not to overcook them and lose important nutrients. Since I like to make half my plate veggies at dinner, I don’t have to worry about adding too many extra calories; plus, there is always room for seconds.”

Make some quickie microwave steamed Brussels sprouts.

5. Grill veggies

“With summer here, my go-to is the grill,” says Robin Plotkin, RD, nutrition blogger at Robins Bite.

“Grilled vegetables require minimal prep work and deliver a huge flavor, color, and nutritional boost to any grilled menu.”

6. Puree veggies

“I love pureeing root vegetables like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and pumpkin,” says Kara Lydon, RD, RYT, blogger at The Foodie Dietitian.

“Then, I and add them to sauces, soups, and even smoothies for an extra nutrition punch,” she says.

7. Dice up veggies

“Change up the texture of vegetables that you eat often to avoid boredom,” says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of Expect the Best.

“For example, instead of plain steamed cauliflower, I steam a cut-up head, then put it in the food processor with some milk and Parmesan cheese.”

8. Shred veggies

“Shred vegetables in your food processor so they become like grated carrots,” says Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RD, CLT, co-author of Fertility Foods Cookbook.

“Add these to your stir-fry pan with a little soy sauce, rice vinegar, and powdered peanut butter, and bam—you have a tasty side that can double as an entree with some lentils on top,” she says.

9. Spiralize veggies

“I love spiralizing sweet potatoes and making my own hash browns for breakfast!” says Angie Asche, MS, RD, author of Fuel Your Body.

“Since they’re cut so thin, the cooking time is decreased quite a bit so you have a delicious meal that much faster!,” she says. A little dash of salt and pepper will accent the veggies nicely.

10. Make a pizza with veggies

“This is how I learned how to cook vegetables, back in my post-college days,” says Elana Natker, MS, RD, owner of Sage Leaf Communications .

11. Toss veggies into a salad

“A lot of people who may not like cooked vegetables may like salads,” says Sharon Palmer, RDN, author of The Plant-Powered Diet.

“So make the most of salads by including super nutrition veggies, like deep green leaves, radishes, bell peppers, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, and more,” she says.

“A drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice tops it off beautifully,” she adds.

12. Use veggies to bulk up omelets

“I like to make a veggie-packed omelet with spinach, mushroom, tomato, and any other veggies I have on hand,” says Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies.

12. Pair veggies with something yummy

“Incorporate a fruit or vegetable into your snack,” suggests Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, author of 365 Snacks for Every Day of the Year.

“Enjoy fruit with a serving of nuts, reduced-fat cheese, or low-fat yogurt,” she says. “Have some veggies with a hummus dip. You can mix low-fat cottage cheese with fruits or veggies.”

13. Stir veggies into soup

“Add a can of cooked pumpkin or sweet potato to homemade chicken soup,” suggests Ward.

15. Spiralize veggies

“Replacing half the spaghetti or noodles in a dish with spiralized zucchini is a great way to up the veggie content and keep carb portions in check,” recommends Jessica Cording, MS, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changers.

Delicious veggie recipes

When it comes to making veggies taste good, it helps to have delicious recipes to turn to. Try these:

• Broccoli Slaw Recipe
• Butternut Squash Challah French Toast Casserole
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Onion Prune Jam with Brie
• Homemade Mushroom Pizza on Flatbread
• Vegan Hummus Pizza with Mushrooms and Onion
• Homemade Mexican Salsa & Baked Flatbread Chips

Final thoughts

When it comes to how to make veggies taste good, you have so many options at your disposal. From cooking veggies with broth to adding them to pizzas and soups, use these tips to introduce your loved ones to delicious ways to eat veggies.

Sources

• Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It
• Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club
• Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet
• Robin Plotkin, RD, nutrition blogger at RobinsBite.com
• Kara Lydon, RD, RYT, blogger at The Foodie Dietitian
• Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of Expect the Best
• Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RD, CLT, co-author of Fertility Foods Cookbook
• Angie Asche, MS, RD, author of Fuel Your Body
• Elana Natker, MS, RD, owner of Sage Leaf Communications 
• Sharon Palmer, RDN, author of The Plant-Powered Diet
• Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies
• Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, author of 365 Snacks for Every Day of the Year
• Jessica Cording, MS, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changers

I’d love to hear from you! What are your favorite ways for how to make veggies taste good? Have any more tips on how to make vegetables taste better?