Whip up plant-based recipes with tips from the pros.
There are plenty of good reasons to choose a diet rich in nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables.
“They boast plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that contribute to health and disease prevention,” says Christine Palumbo, RDN, who is based in Chicago. “Vegetables offer a big bang per bite,” adds Marisa Moore, RDN, an integrative and culinary registered dietitian in Atlanta.
For starters, the fiber and water in veggies and fruit help with digestion and make you feel full, which could help you avoid overeating and potential weight gain, notes Palumbo. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health also suggests that fruits and vegetables with a low glycemic load (meaning they’re digested at a slower pace) can help prevent blood sugar spikes, which increase hunger. A review published online in April 2019 in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition even found that a veggie-filled diet could up the number of “good” microbes in your gut responsible for health factors, including body weight and blood sugar control.
Also, many veggies and fruits come with more than just one perk. “While a red bell pepper can cover your vitamin C for the day, it also delivers a dose of vitamin A and plant compounds like carotenoids, which offer an antioxidant benefit,” says Moore. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), vitamin C helps the body absorb iron and keeps the immune system functioning properly, while vitamin A is important for vision and plays a role in supporting the immune system too, the NIH also notes. Plus, antioxidants prevent damage in the body caused by free radicals, which are produced by several factors ranging from air pollution to tobacco smoke, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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In the long run, greens (and every other colored plant) can help lower your risk of developing chronic health problems, like type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, per a past review. And one study published in August 2019 in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that eating more plant-based foods and fewer animal foods lowered the odds of getting heart disease and dying from a heart attack or stroke. Another study, published in February 2020 in the journal Neurology, found that people who ate a vegetarian diet rich in veggies, nuts, and soy had a lower risk of stroke compared with nonvegetarians.
What’s more, a review published in January 2021 in the Journal of Hypertension discovered that plant-based diets can lower blood pressure (both the top and bottom numbers), even when people still ate small amounts of meat and dairy.
Exactly how many plants should you be eating each day? Though following a plant-based diet can help you get your fill, an easy guideline for everyone from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to fill half your plate with fruit or vegetables at each meal. “If it’s tough to get veggies or fruit in for your breakfast, double up on them at lunch or dinner,” says Palumbo. And once you check out these plant-loving Instagram accounts, that won’t be a problem. Your goal: “Keep an open mind,” says Moore. “Experiment with new ways to prepare vegetables and think of ways to fit more vegetables in — even where you wouldn’t always add them,” Moore says.
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From vegan nacho cheese to crispy cauliflower tacos, these dishes from social media foodies take eating green way beyond the kale salad.
@elavegan
Whether you’re looking for healthy vegan entrées or decadent (yet still beneficial!) vegan desserts, Michaela Vais has your back. The recipe creator and chef packs her Instagram account (and her blog, ElaVegan) with vegan recipes that are mostly sugar-free and gluten-free, too.
Try her Easy Red Lentil Dahl recipe for a protein-filled weeknight dinner that’s both full of flavor and super simple to make. (You can whip it up in 30 minutes.) Lentils are not only high in protein and fiber but also low in fat, according to the Mayo Clinic, thus making them a great alternative to meat.
@earthyandy
If you can’t get to Hawaii any time soon (like most of us!), you can turn to Andrea Hannemann’s Instagram account for healthy, island-inspired vegan and gluten-free recipe ideas. Hannemann, a mom of three boys and author of Plant Over Processed, calls Oahu home, and so many of her recipes showcase all the delicious produce that can be found there.
Take her OG Acai Bowl recipe, which is filled with strawberries and banana slices, plus nut butter, which is featured in her book. (You can also find other acai bowl variations on her blog.) Make your own, and enjoy it while kicking your feet up (Hawaiian music optional).
@onceuponapumpkin
Calling all pumpkin lovers! Author of The Great Big Pumpkin Cookbook Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, fills her Instagram feed with wholesome, pumpkin-inspired recipes that are just as nutritious as they are tasty. (Check out her blog for other plant-based recipe ideas that go beyond pumpkin.)
If you’re looking for a cozy and delicious meal to make at home, consider whipping up this creamy Pumpkin Harvest Pasta Sauce, which is loaded with pumpkin puree, butternut squash, and tomatoes. And Michalczyk wants to let you know: You don’t have to eat pumpkin strictly in the fall — the comfort veggie can be enjoyed year-round! Plus, pumpkin comes loaded with vitamin A. According to the USDA, ½ cup of organic pumpkin puree has over 15,000 international units (UI), making it an excellent source. Score!
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@thefirstmess
If seasonal eating is your forte, look no further than Laura Wright’s Instagram account, which can give you ideas for all sorts of plant-based, wholesome meals that use fresh, of-the-moment ingredients. The author of The First Mess Cookbook started her blog as a way to help anyone (no matter whether they identify as vegan or plant-based) eat more plants and whole foods.
You’ll find ample vegan main course recipes, like one of her favorites: Creamy White Bean Soup With Kale, Rosemary & Lemon, which is quick to make but tastes super rich. (She has a trick for making it creamy ... without actually including cream!) You’ll also find vegan treats like dark chocolate energy bites and ginger molasses softies on her feed, so satisfying that sweets craving is a slam dunk.
@hotforfood
As long as it’s vegan, Lauren Toyota, author of Hot for Food All Day: Easy Recipes to Level Up Your Vegan Meals, is, well, “hot for food.” Her Instagram account and blog features ample vegan takes on comfort foods, including one of her favorite recipes: Vegan Nacho Cheese, made with potatoes and carrots as well as garlic and onion powder (aka all good-for-you ingredients!). You’ll also find inspiration on her account for vegan macaroni and cheese and Cauliflower Buffalo Wings. We’ll take both!
Vegan sweets make a big appearance, too — her Instagram account showcases everything from vegan glazed doughnuts to gingerbread men. Yes, please!
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@sproutedkitchen
Have you misplaced your measuring cups? No problem! Food blogger Sara Forte encourages readers to improvise with the uncomplicated recipes she features on her Instagram account. “This is art, not science,” she says on her blog, Sprouted Kitchen.
She loves fresh ingredients and natural foods. That means you’ll find all sorts of plant-based inspiration in her posts, from this mustardy Brussel slaw to Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean & Goat Cheese Enchiladas. Plus, she focuses on seasonal recipes, so you can explore the best veggie-packed meal options from spring to winter.
@marisamoore
If you’re looking for nutrient-packed produce recipes all developed by a top registered dietitian, you’re going to want to start following Marisa Moore, RDN, an Atlanta-based registered dietitian nutritionist and Everyday Health contributor.
You’ll find loads of healthy-produce recipes on her Instagram account and (mostly!) vegetarian blog, including her Apple Pecan Farro Salad, which is dressed with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette. Moore also has simple ideas for when you’re just too crazed to make something elaborate, like Smokey Chickpeas and Spinach, which she suggests putting over rice, into a pita, or just eating as is. Yum!
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@thecolorfulkitchen
Fun fact: Different-colored vegetables have their own unique array of nutrients, according to Harvard Health Publishing, so it’s important to eat a wide variety of colors to take advantage of the diversity. Ilene Godofsky’s Instagam account and blog, The Colorful Kitchen, gives you tons of rainbow-packed meal ideas to help you do just that.
Her Kabocha Squash & Lentil Stew recipe, also featured in her new plant-based cookbook, The Colorful Family Table: Seasonal Plant-Based Recipes for the Whole Family, is filled with color, like orange from the kabocha squash, green from the sautéed greens, and pink from the sauerkraut. Godofsky is a certified health coach and admitted latecomer to a veggie-filled diet — though she was a vegetarian, she had never had tomatoes, peaches, or oranges, she says on her blog, until she was 19 years old! She became a full-on veggie convert and loves crafting vegan recipes, whether that’s vegan Creamy Tahini Sweet Potato Stew or Vegan Berry Breakfast Pizza.
@vegukate
Kate Jenkins, Portland, Oregon–based founder of the Vegukate blog and Instagram account, likes to celebrate the benefits of unprocessed, whole, nourishing foods. Jenkins has her master’s degree in nutrition and develops plant-based recipes, like one of her favorites — Spring Salad With Green Goddess Dressing — for her blog. (In her spring salad, expect to find, as she says, “everything-possible-spring in one bowl,” like strawberries, radishes, and spring greens.)
Her Instagram account is brimming with salad and stew inspiration, plus nutrition tips such as how to make the perfect big salad. Her suggestions: Add plenty of protein, cooked foods (like roasted veggies), healthy fats, and at least two or three handfuls of greens like arugula, spinach, or kale.
@blissfulbasil
Having tacos tonight? You’ll impress guests by serving Crispy Cauliflower Tacos With Slaw & Avocado Cream from Instagrammer and blogger Ashley Melillo. “These vegan, gluten-free crispy cauliflower tacos with slaw and avocado cream are the perfect balance of crunchy, tender, and juicy,” Melillo says on her blog, Blissful Basil. To give the cauliflower florets a breaded, crispy texture, she uses almond milk and brown rice flour, and then tosses them in oats. You might think they taste almost fried, but they’re actually baked in the oven.
Melillo is a former school psychologist and author of the cookbook Blissful Basil. She started her blog, packed with vegetarian and vegan recipes, as a hobby in 2010, to share her love of cooking and writing, but in 2016 she decided to work full-time on the blog and Instagram, posting regularly with recipes on everything from vegan spinach-artichoke dip to a Vegan Pumpkin Ricotta Tortelloni.