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How to Eat 12 Servings of Vegetables a Day

October 27, 2025

When many people learn that I recommend 12 to 18 daily servings of non-starchy vegetables—the equivalent of 6 to 8 cups—they tell me, “That’s not remotely possible!”

I understand the pessimism.

Most people consume only 1-½ cups a day—a mere sixth of what I recommend.¹ Only about 12% of adults hit the U.S. government’s much easier target of 5 to 9 daily servings of produce.² Most of that paltry intake comes from just two foods: French fries and pizza sauce.¹

Given that national track record, getting to 12+ servings, to some, seems about as doable as breaking the Guinness World Record for the most one-armed pushups completed in an hour.

In reality, reaching 12-a-day and beyond isn’t as difficult as you might imagine.

It all comes down to behavioral science. By tapping into four science-tested behavior change techniques, you’ll transform this seemingly impossible nutrition goal into a daily habit that comes as naturally as brushing your teeth.

The Science of 12-a-Day

If the US government and World Health Organization suggest people consume five servings a day, why do I recommend more than twice that amount?

It all comes down to your health goals.

▶ If you merely want a little bit of health protection, then aim for the government’s quota. Think of it as the bare minimum for reducing the risk of disease.

▶ If you want to optimize your health and wellbeing, I recommend going beyond 5-a-day, and targeting 12+ daily servings. I’ve found this leads to vastly improved nutrition overall—fortifying your body with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

When combined with their high water content and low calorie content, this aids weight control, enhances energy levels, and guards against diabetes, heart disease, cancer, cognitive decline, and other diseases that rob you of health, well-being, and overall quality of life.

You don’t have to just take my word for it.

According to an analysis of 95 studies involving 2 million people, the greater your consumption of produce, the bigger your drop in disease risk.³

	2.5 servings a day	10 servings a day
Risk of Heart Disease	⬇ 16%	⬇24%
Risk of Stroke	⬇18%	⬇ 33%
Risk of Cancer	⬇4%	⬇13%
Risk of Premature Death	⬇15%	⬇31%

Though the study didn’t analyze intakes greater than 10 servings, the dose-response improvement is pretty clear from the data.

Here’s why it works.

Vegetables are loaded with fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. These compounds benefit our biology in hundreds of ways. Among them, they boost immunity, reduce inflammation, nourish the microbiome, and provide anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.

At the same time, non-starchy veggies are low in calories and glycemic load, a measure of how quickly food raises blood sugar.

This allows you to consume a satisfyingly high volume of food for very few calories. Folks, this is the opposite of a restrictive diet.

In addition, by reaching for 6 to 8 cups a day, you’ll somewhat automatically displace many higher-calorie and less healthy foods, especially ultra-processed foods and sweets. For that reason, as consumption of non-starchy vegetables rises, body fat levels tend to drop, research shows.⁴

Increased consumption of low-glycemic foods like non-starchy vegetables can also prevent large blood sugar swings. The result: You not only prevent disease, you also feel amazing.

12-a-Day: A Meal-by-Meal Guide

To get to 12+ daily veggie servings—or 6+ cups— think of vegetables as the foundation of each meal.

Try to include at least 1 to 2 cups of veggies for each of your main meals and another cup for a snack.

Do that and you’ll reach 6+ cups by day’s end.

Use the following meal-by-meal ideas for inspiration.

Breakfast

By sneaking greens and chopped veggies into smoothies and egg dishes, you can check off three or more veggie servings by the end of your morning meal.

Veggie-loaded smoothie: Blend 1 cup packed greens, ½ a cucumber, and half a zucchini with 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk, ½ an avocado, the juice of half a lemon, one tablespoon chia seeds, ¼ cup frozen berries, and one scoop protein powder.
Veggie-loaded egg scramble: Chop a total of one cup of mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions. Sauté these with a cup of chopped greens. Once they’ve softened and reduced in size, mix in two pasture-raised eggs. Serve with lightly dressed greens on the side.

Lunch & Dinner

Turn lunch and dinner into a percentages game.

Cover 75% of your plate with vegetables. For instance, I enjoy preparing three vegetable dishes for every meal. So, on a dinner plate, I might include a steamed artichoke, a tossed salad, and sautéed broccolini.
Sneak more veggies into the remaining 25%. Look for ways to sneak finely chopped or pureed veggies into the meals you already make. Use spiralized zucchini as a substitute for pasta. Add veggies to stir-fried tofu, beef, or chicken. Wrap ground chicken in lettuce. Top chicken or fish with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and greens. Mix chopped veggies into meatballs, meatloaf, and burgers.

To follow the 75/25 rule, try the following:

The Big Salad: Cover a dinner plate with a cup or more of your favorite greens. Mix a cup or more of your favorite chopped vegetables, along with a handful of sprouts. Include a sprinkle of sesame seeds for some crunch. Top with leftovers, roasted veggies, or cooked chicken, salmon, or another protein.
The Veggie Bowl: Use a cup of greens as your base. Add a cup or more of roasted or steamed veggies of your choice. Great options include Brussels sprouts, zucchini, and cauliflower. Top with a half cup of crunchy veggies like shredded carrots or sliced radishes. Sprinkle on your favorite herbs. Then top it off with chicken, salmon, or beef.
Soup, Stews, and Chili: Mix pureed greens, carrots, zucchini, or cauliflower into chicken or vegetable stock for your base. Then add chopped onions, garlic, peppers, celery, and other veggies. Greens disintegrate into soup. Experiment by adding handful after handful. Then fill out the soup with your favorite protein.

Snack

Net two+ servings by munching on a cup or more of pre-cut veggies — think bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots—dipped in hummus. Here are some of favorite homemade versions:

Behavior Change Magic

The following behavior change techniques can help you go from “I should eat more vegetables” to “holy smokes, I’m actually eating more vegetables.”

Technique #1: Take it one step at a time.

It’s hard to go from one daily vegetable serving to 12 or more.

However, most people can go from one to two. Then, once they’ve got two daily servings dialed in, they aim for three and so on.

Here’s another way to use this step-by-step approach. Rather than trying to increase your veggie count in all daily meals at once, focus on one meal at a time. For example, you might focus on adding veggies to breakfast. Then, once you have that down, move on to lunch.

Technique #2: Make it easy to eat more vegetables.

Continually look for ways to minimize obstacles and effort.

Double your serving size. If you don’t have enough time to cook two or three different vegetable dishes, that’s okay. Instead, create a heaping portion of just one of them. For example, instead of consuming a ½ cup of steamed broccoli, opt for a full cup or a cup and a half. Instead of having a small side salad, cover an entire dinner plate with greens and other veggies.
Stock your fridge with grab-and-go options. If frozen vegetables are always in the freezer, you’ll always be able to use them to boost the vegetable content in soups and stews. In addition, wash and cut several types of crunchy veggies—bell peppers, carrots, radishes, celery—as soon as you arrive home from the grocery store. To extend their shelf life, store them in a mason jar filled with water. Place the jars in the front of your fridge. That way, you’ll see them every time you open the door.
Tap into leftovers. Always cook more veggies than you need. That way, you’ll have leftovers to use for future meals. In addition, consider keeping organic pre-washed greens available. For an easy veggie-loaded meal, simply cover a plate with your favorite veggies. Then top the greens with whatever leftovers you have available.

Technique #3: Automate your consumption.

To turn veggie eating into a reflex, try the following.

Keep them visible. You’re more likely to eat what you see. So, store veggies in clear, glass containers toward the front of your fridge.
Make them munchable. Consider the qualities that drive you to overeat ultra-processed foods. Then use cooking and preparing techniques to engineer those qualities into vegetables. For example, you can massage greens with a small amount of oil and lemon juice to create a silky texture. Sautéing cabbage with a bit of oil has the same effect. By massaging oil into chopped kale and then baking it, you’ll end up with a snack that’s as crunchy and satisfying as potato chips.
Give yourself permission to eat veggies mindlessly. Usually, I’m a big advocate for mindful eating, which involves paying attention to the flavor and texture of every bite. However, let’s be realistic. Most people eat mindlessly sometimes, especially when in front of a screen. Use those moments to your advantage by keeping cut veggies nearby.

Technique #4: Pump up the yum.

Add an element of pleasure to the vegetable shopping, prep, and eating experience. That way, you’ll look forward to it rather than dread it.

Join a community of people who love vegetables. This way, you’ll form veggie-eating friends who can encourage and support you as you build your new habit. Our Hyman Hive community is a great way to do this. Post and comment on veggie-centric recipes in the Hive to benefit from the camaraderie.
Find ways to look forward to shopping and prep. Would you be more likely to stock up on vegetables if you shopped at an open-air farmer’s market? How about if you grew your own? Similarly, would you be more likely to chop grab-and-go veggies if you were listening to your favorite music?
Make plants the most delicious thing on your plate. Use the Maillard reaction—triggered by dry, high heat—to your advantage. With this chemical process, the food’s sugars and acids transform into a delicious caramelized flavor. You can create it by roasting, grilling, or searing veggies. To roast veggies, lightly coat them with avocado oil. Then bake at 400 degrees. The cooking time will vary from 10 to 60 minutes depending on the type of veggie.

What If Vegetables Make You Feel Worse?

For most people, eating more vegetables is one of the best ways to support better health. But it’s not always straightforward.

If you feel bloated, gassy, or uncomfortable after eating certain vegetables—especially raw ones—you’re not imagining it. These reactions are common in people with issues like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), or sensitivities to certain plant compounds such as FODMAPs.

That doesn’t mean vegetables are bad for you—it just means your gut might need some extra support first. A temporary focus on cooked, lower-FODMAP vegetables (like zucchini, spinach, carrots, and leafy greens) can make them easier to digest while you work on restoring balance in your gut.

During this time, prioritize gentle, nutrient-dense foods: high-quality protein, healthy fats, and the vegetables you tolerate best. Over time, as your gut heals, you can gradually reintroduce a wider variety of produce and enjoy the benefits without discomfort.

Working with a functional medicine practitioner or nutritionist can help you find that balance—so you can nourish your body with the vegetables it needs, without the downside.