| | | If I had a nickel for every time one of our dietitians recommended eating more fruits and vegetables, I would have a lot of nickels! It's probably one of the most common pieces of nutrition advice out there, and for good reason. Research suggests that consuming an average of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day can reduce your chance of death by up to 13%. | | But what if you simply don't enjoy eating fruits and vegetables? Below, Jessica Sandoz, a registered dietitian at Healthline, offers suggestions for getting your daily dose — without upsetting your taste buds. | | | | | | | Eat up,
Ginger Wojcik
Newsletter Editor, Healthline |  | | Written by Ginger Wojcik
May 6, 2025 • 4.5 min read | | | |  | | | | Q: | What are some hacks for eating more fruits and veggies, especially when you don't especially like the taste? | | | A: | Vegetables and fruit — which are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water — should be a nutrition staple for everyone.
Ideally, you'll want to aim for at least 2 to 4 cups of vegetables and 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit every day. That said, those recommendations are a hefty goal for most people. If you don't eat that much every day, don't fret — just do the best you can. Here are some ideas to help you get in all those servings. Smoothies By adding a balanced mix of ingredients, you can "hide" the taste of fruits and veggies. Some easy ways to do this include adding: - healthy fats, such as nuts, avocado, peanut butter, or milk (dairy or nondairy)
- flavorful ingredients, such as fresh herbs or 100% fruit juice
- protein, such as protein powder or silken tofu
Recipes to try: Pasta One simple hack is to use a food processor or blender to puree veggies and combine the puree with a premade sauce (the veggies add both nutrients and flavor).
You can also make your own sauce by pureeing roasted vegetables such as carrots, onions, garlic, broccoli, and squash with broth, olive oil, and grated Parmesan.
Another idea: Swap your pasta noodles for spiralized veggies like zucchini, sweet potato, or summer squash.
Recipes to try: Baked goods Try adding veggies and fruits to bread, muffins, and even cakes! Some options that work well are zucchini, pumpkin, banana, applesauce, and berries.
Recipes to try: Dips You can blend green peas with guacamole, make tzatziki with fresh cucumber, or whip up a homemade French onion dip using fresh onions. As a bonus, you can use fresh-cut veggies as dippers. One of my favorites is using sliced radishes as a chip replacement!
Recipes to try: Soups Almost any veggie can be added to a soup. Personally, I like to add green beans to chicken noodle soup, spinach to white bean soup, broccoli to potato soup, and different-colored bell peppers to chili. Again, there are so many options here!
Recipes to try: Prepare them in a new way! Hate steamed veggies? Try them roasted, air-fried, or sauteed instead! Different cooking methods bring out different flavors and textures.
I hope you have lots of new ideas and new recipes to try to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Be creative and don't be afraid to try new things. Bon appétit! | | | | | Jessica Sandoz, Registered Dietitian | | | |  | | | | The 10 Best Foods for Heart Health | | Want to reduce your cholesterol, decrease inflammation, and keep your heart strong for years to come? This video will guide you through the best foods to add to your diet. | | | | | | | | | | | What we're digesting | | 🧪 What level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) indicates cancer? Learn what to expect if your test results are high. | | 😌 Is remission from chronic migraine possible? Yes, but how symptoms progress can vary for each individual. | | 🌺 Everything you need to know about IUD side effects. Plus, we'll tell you how to handle the ones most people don't discuss. | | 🧘 32 mindfulness activities to find calm at any age. Slow down, get present, and be more aware of yourself and your surroundings. | | | | | How did you feel about this newsletter? | | | | | Email nutritionedition@healthline.com with comments related to this newsletter or topics you'd like to see in future editions. The newsletter editors read every message that lands in our inbox — yes, really! We look forward to hearing from you. | | | | Until next time, |  | Take care of yourself, and we'll see
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