For most people, eating vegetables can be an acquired taste. Not just for kids, but also for adults. However, we all know how vegetables are an integral part of being healthy. If we want to eat a balanced meal, we have no choice but to incorporate vegetables into our diet.
Below, I’ve tossed in 5 tips on how to make vegetables taste good, even for the picky eaters!
1. Learn to mix your vegetables
By mixing your vegetables, I don’t mean tossing it into a bowl of mixed veggies and making a salad out of it. Let’s be honest, it’s not exactly appetizing to say that your dinner is a bowl of steamed broccoli. Instead, mix 1/4 cup of steamed broccoli into a bowl of whole-wheat pasta. Feel free to add a flavorful sauce like tomato sauce, pesto, etc. 
2. Play with flavors
Nobody wants a boring meal. You have to remember that there are a lot of herbs, spices, and sauces that you can use to spruce up the flavors of your cooking. It makes a world of a difference when you play with the flavors of a veggie dish. If Brussels sprouts aren’t your thing, you might want to drizzle balsamic vinegar over them, or even try roasting it with olive oil and a little salt. Don’t forget to sprinkle basil, parsley or chives as well. If you’re up for an adventure for your taste buds, you can even dip them in Thai peanut butter dressing in order to add a rich burst of flavor. Oh, have you tried chickpea pancakes as well?
3. Try different methods in cooking
Different cooking methods can bring out different tastes and flavors. Sautéing greens like bok choy and collard greens make them soft and tender while roasting vegetables like cauliflower and Brussels sprouts give it a crispy texture that you can’t achieve in steaming. It also brings out their natural sweetness. Again, don’t forget to drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper for added flavor.
4. Vegetables can also have a sweet flavor
Most of us wouldn’t dare to make vegetables sweet because they’re mostly accompaniments for savory flavors. However, a lot of vegetables can actually taste really good when made into a sweet meal. For example, adding cinnamon or maple syrup to your dishes can give these boring vegetables a whole new taste. Candied vegetables are also possible. Have you tried adding cinnamon and maple syrup to your carrots?
5. Be creative
The good thing about vegetables is that they’re very flexible ingredients. You can make tons of quick and easy vegan recipes with just a couple of ingredients. You can add it to almost any other dishes like pasta, pizza, or even veggie burgers. You can even try cauliflower pizza crust or zucchini lasagna. If you want something that’s packed with flavor, you can even try umami-rich mushrooms and cauliflower buffalo wings.
If you have kids, you can even cut your veggies into cute little animals and make fun dips. The opportunities are endless!
Now that you’ve mentioned it, my favorite dish is veggie pitas. The pita bread makes a big difference on how the veggies taste. I also have my favorite blend of garlic sauce.
I love pita bread with veggies too! You should share your favorite blend of garlic sauce with our readers, Florence! ?
I love roasting vegetables. There’s just something about the sweet and tangy taste! ?
I know, adding basil and chives also add to the flavor. I also love rosemary in my veggies.
Thank you for sharing these tips. I’m not really good in cooking and inventing but I try my best. I mostly just go for steamed veggies and that’s it. I almost forgot about being creative with my meals!
My kids would love the carrots with maple syrup and cinnamon. I really want them to enjoy veggies without having to argue with them during dinner. I guess it really makes a difference when you put an effort in what you’re cooking.
Meal prep is all about creativity and having a wide imagination on which flavors work best together. If you don’t learn how to experiment, you will always have boring food.
Yes, it’s all about creativity and having fun preparing your food. ? There are also a lot of available resources online, just in case your creativity runs out.
When you’re always preparing your food, you sometimes forget about these things already. You get so caught up in the thought of just adding vegetables to your meals.
I love inventing new recipes just for the sake of eating something new in a month. I don’t want to get tired of eating healthy, so I really try. ?
When I badly need an inspiration in making my kids eat, I always check out Japanese bento recipes. There’s something about how cute bento lunches look like and even if I’m serving my kids with veggies, they don’t mind as long as their veggies are shaped like bunnies and flowers. Not only that you’re giving them a balanced meal, they’re also enjoying their food.
Interesting. This can actually work!
Olive oil can be your bestfriend when you like eating vegetables. It brings out the flavor of almost any vegetable. Sesame seeds also add that nice roast-y taste.
Candied vegetables are a great idea. Instead of snacking on junk food, it would be better and healthier.
Just by looking at the photos, I can tell that my menu for the entire week needs a little boost. My cooking looks terrible compared to that.
Aww I’m too lazy to do all of this. I hate preparing my own meals!! ?
This can be good for moments that you’re bored of what you’re eating but raw food seems healthier for me. Sauces and dips just makes you gain weight and it has ingredients that aren’t always healthy. Unless, you make your own.
I read this because I was running out of ideas on what to cook for dinner. Thanks for always being reliable for such info!
Veggie wraps has been my lazy day meal since day 1. It packs an easy source of carbs to the mix and I love how I just have to roll it all together and I have food already.
I prefer roasting than steaming. Even for cherry tomatoes, roasting just makes it taste so wonderful.?
One thing I do with my veggies to taste better is to add mushrooms to the mix while I’m cooking it. I like it when my veggies are soaked with different flavors other than the usual plant taste. When I don’t have mushrooms, I add chicken breast to the mix for a richer meaty taste.
Is it weird that I love dipping steamed veggies to cheese dips? Or salsa? OMG they taste so good.??
Actually, it’s not that weird. Dips are dips and people’s preference differs!
Now I want a zucchini lasagna.? I’ve been craving lasagna for quite some time now.
My children love snacking on celery and carrots. I also provide them with sour cream dips and they like it just fine. If you let your kids eat veggies at an early age, there’s going to be less chances of them being picky eaters. Also, if you dislike a certain type of food, don’t say it in front of them.
Guys, if you love the taste of garlic or onions, I find that it actually makes other vegetables taste better and richer.
Nature’s cruel joke. Make unhealthy stuff tastes good and makes healthy stuff taste like crap. Some vegetables are tolerable at best but most are not and you basically have to add stuff to them to make them even close to edible.
Thank you for the tip!! This is helpful to know. I really struggle to like vegetables. I can only think of about 10 different veggies that I’ll eat. Maybe a few more with soup or rice. I wish I like them better.
These tips are so helpful!! I’m not a huge fan of veggies. But with these tips, I think I will enjoy them a lot more! Thanks for sharing.
Veggies are originally delicious. I never understood how people can choose junk food and sweets over vegetables.
I am totally cooking this soon!!! Thank you for make veggies taste good.
Finally, something that isn’t a hazard to your health or something that’ll give you diabetes!!
Basically just put a shit-ton of olive oil on whatever it is and it will work.
I only eat fruit salad with just grape, in a bottle, finely aged. Some people call it wine.
Thank you!! Roasting some veggies tonight.
Gonna make these in a couple of hours. I’ve had a had In my crockpot for a few hours already, so I will make a salad to have with veggies and ham, and dinner will be awesome tonight.
These look great. As a matter of facts I tried to make baked veggies today but for some reason, the potatoes took over an hour to cook.
I am definitely going to make some of these for my mom she loves veggies!!
Great veggie tips. I used to hate eating veggies, but they are necessary for my health. I tried eggplant and it doesn’t taste good by themselves, but they do taste good when they’re mixed with spices…lol
What do you think of frozen veggies? I find that frozen stir fry veggies are a bit mushy with the exception of the water chestnut and snap peas.?
To be honest I’m searching for vegetarian ideas but all I can find are vegan ones ??
I get sooooooo excited about veggies! Eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, you name it! I love baking them, putting them in salads, grilling them, boiling them or even roasting them! I can’t get enough!
See, the reason kids don’t like vegetables is because any food tastes bad if you steam/boil it without seasoning. For example… Pan fried brussel sprouts are one of the best tasting things EVER.
This is random but it would interesting to see an article of things you used to eat and reasons why you don’t anymore. For people maybe struggling to understand which foods are okay to eat.
Thinking back, as a kid I didn’t hate vegetables so much as I hated how they were prepared. Usually any vegetables I was served had been sitting in a pot of boiling salted water until they turned into mush, or came out of a can. But hey, I’m a vegan now.
I love your food ideas!!!! I’ve always loved fruits and vegetables. My fav as a kid was lima beans. I used to eat tomatoes like apples. Any fruit or vegetable I devour! ❤️❤️
We usually rotate between green beans, broccoli, or some type of stir fry veggie. I would love next summer, especially with the farmers market opening back up to not be afraid to buy veggies like eggplant, kale, and other in season things, even if it’s just one piece at a time lol. Thanks for the tips!
I’m always looking for healthy ways to make veggies tastier. I use a lot of herbs with cooked veggies, and cook most veggies (that need to be cooked, or simply defrosted) on low heat. I love marjoram, basil, tarragon, savory, cilantro, ginger, fennel, thyme, all that stuff, plus lemon/lime juices, etc.-sometimes a little vinegar, sometimes not. But still, there are days when I just want to warm up a frozen chimichanga or two… I’ve become so used to green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and peas, that they are among my “go to” veggies now, though there are many others.
I love veggies and this was a really good article. i read it out of curiousity. my favorite veggies are broccoli, asparagus, and brussel sprouts. im not fond of blueberries though. i will eat them in smoothies, muffins, or pancakes but I dont find them snack worthy .
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My all time favorite food trick thing for picky eaters is to add to rice or vegetables or salad is cilantro! It tastes soooo good!!
These tips were soooo helpful! My significant other is not a huge fan of veggies, but with these tips I think I will get him to enjoy them a lot more! Thanks for sharing .
For extra flavor on veggies, I always use Italian salad dressing – it has a good combo of oils, garlic, and seasonings which add much flavor. Also use it on soups and casseroles.
I always have a hard time grocery shopping. i know to make health choices and stock up on fruits and vegetables but when it comes to making a meal of it i seem to be lost half the time so things end up going bad in my fridge. do you have (or can you put together) a weekly grocery shopping list with recipes that include breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks?
Great ideas, I love the advice! Fresh and organic are definitely must for me, it just makes all the difference! I don’t use butter, but I do use coconut or extra virgin olive oil, omg it is so good. And there is a tip I recently learnt: add garlic in the end, if not it kinda gets burnt or just looses itself in the process. Adding it one or two minutes before the end makes a big difference, I love it!
The “organic” label is a known fraud. It’s used as a price discriminator, convincing people it’s somehow a good idea to over pay for food.
I have loads of sauces in my kitchen so I can just pour it or use it as a dip for my vegetable meals. It really does make a difference. I have a range of spicy, sweet, salty, sour and even just sesame oil.
What I enjoy about vegetables is that when they’re mixed together and they look so colorful. I don’t just focus on the greens. I enjoy eating my food if they look pleasing to the eye, so I usually have about 3-5 colors of different veggies on my plate.
GREAT IDEAS! And easy to incorporate into my day. I was craving vegetables but didn’t know what to do and this post came just in time. Going to my local produce market to buy these and get it crackin’ in the kitchen .
These tips are good but my brother will not touch them becoz he can see the vegetables in them ,it don’t matter to him whether the taste is good or not ,annoying brat, plus it’s more difficult for me to find recipes for my family is vegetarian .
Wrap Veggies in foil and roast low and slow then let them cool completely in the foil/ when cool lightly paint oil mixed with garlic onto them and grill them quickly on high heat. Everybody will love it! 🙂
This is helpful to know! I really struggle to like vegetables. I can only think of about 10 different veggies that I’ll eat… maybe a few more if they’re in soup or rice! I wish I liked them better. My palette HAS expanded since I was a child. But I wish I was like you and really enjoyed them better! Most of my life, I haven’t eaten super well. I’m really trying to change that. Trying to stick with veggies, fruits, whole grain or gluten free. It may not be perfect or completely perfect of clean, but it’s HUGE progress for me!
This is really motivating! I grew up eating pretty much just canned green beans and corn and while I feed my family way more variety than I grew up with, I am in a pretty deep veggie rut. I’m excited to get out the onions and garlic now; thanks for the tips!!
I wish my mom used these recipes to get me to eat vegetables. However, my mom just used the line, “I’m going to hit you if you don’t eat it.
My mom would never get this creative either you eat it or get a butt whoopen ???
I used to despise peas. But I had only tried canned peas, which taste nothing like fresh or frozen. To be able to eat canned peas it had to be blended in to a creamy soup. I now eat pea pods like chips, and frozen peas as pesto, dip, and in soups.
You inspired me to go vegan and it was honestly one of the best choices ive made! it’s only been 2 weeks but I already feel such a big difference. have a nice day 🙂
My absolute favorite vegetable is sweet potatoes. The way that I incorporate more vegetables is either in smoothies, adding fresh herbs to dishes, or just adding different vegetables to your favorite dishes like you mentioned as well.
I’m a picky eater and one of my favorite things to do is get a Japanese sweet potato and put basil and fat free/low sodium marinara sauce on top. SO GOOD.
Veggies are originally delicious. I never understood how people can choose junk food and sweets over vegetables.
Because you have a different opinion so stop saying that you don’t understand that they can choose that instead of vegetables. It’s their choice, their life and everyone thinks differently about food.
I’ve recently started following you and I’m loving all your recipes! I’m very inspired by you. I can’t wait to try out these ideas ! Xo
It depends. Sometimes I may add vegan cheese or just salt and pepper or even season salt. It all depends on how I feel at the very moment.
Thanks for linking these recipes. I’ve even printed them all and combined them into my file folder of recipes. Other than being creative, which I lack, I just get recipes over the internet and recreate them. That way, I can just randomly turn the page and know what I’m having for lunch or dinner.
Just wondering…how much do each of you weigh? I don’t mean to offend or anything, I am just wondering cause you look so fit 🙂 Much love to you!!
Cool ideas! I add already made Indian spices and my veggies taste like curry without all the calories 🙂
If you had to choose between staying vegan and eating lots of fat or staying on a low fat diet while eating animal products what would you choose?
I am an extremely picky eater! Nature’s cruel joke. Make unhealthy stuff taste good and make healthy stuff taste like crap. Some vegetables are tolerable at best but most are not and you basically have to add stuff to them to make them even close to edible. Some people just love em but it’s not something you can just cook and make taste good. I heard plenty of people make the case that with their cooking they will taste better but it always fail. ???
Can’t wait to try your ideas. I love veggies but I get foundered easy on them then the bad habits creep in and the cycle starts all over…….and over……….and over…..
I am a vegan and I think this is the best “picky eaters” related article I’ve ever seen. Thanks for sharing!
Great ways to get your children to eat and enjoy their veggies; as for me, I have no children so I’ll have to enjoy it all myself.
More cooking tips like these please!!! ♥♥♥♥ Thank you you are such a big inspiration! !
These are brilliant ideas. I’m not full vegan but I’m healthy and I do treat myself sometimes .
I’m trying to eat healthy but I hate vegetables I always cook them and eat them with potatoes…so kinda boring. Gonna try some of these out.
I recently became vegetarian, I now love veggies and fruits. Never can imagine going back to eating meat ever again! #plantpower
Wow that’s just amazing I need it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can u come to my house and cook for me please!!!!!???! Your the Best
Thanks so much!! I was just talking to my boyfriend about how I wasn’t sure how to “spice up” my veggies! 🙂
You are very inspiring! What is your take on not vegan but vegetarian eating? Thanks! 🙂