Happy New Year, friends! Faced with this fresh slate of ours, you might have strengthened a pre-existing resolve to change a habit or two. I bet if you’re reading here, you already view the world through food and cooking, so might imagine your improved new year using that lens (as I do).

A resolution that contains within it so many others – kindness to the planet, kindness to our bodies, kindness to our wallets – is to eat more vegetables. I have been eating a vegan diet since the summer, and even I still don’t feel like I eat enough vegetables! So, this is my love letter from the quiet voice that lives inside me to the quiet voice that lives inside you, whispering secrets for hope and good health, offering a few practical tricks for how to bring more veggies into their/our lives.

SIMPLE PREP

One reason I know I don’t manage to eat as many vegetables as I want is because I’m pressed for time and the idea of peeling and chopping after a workday (usually of peeling and chopping, lol) is impossible. My solution? Recipes that keep veggie knifework simple, like these Roasted Radishes with Mint, or this roasted haloumi with whole scallions and cherry tomatoes. Or stir extra veg into something already made, like this Spiced Red Lentil Soup (which is, essentially, a simple Indian daal) or this Roasted Fennel and Tomato soup. Or finding that special sauce to spoon over steamed asparagus, broccoli, or green beans; mine are Basil-Walnut Vinaigrette, Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette and this Smashed Herb Sauce.

SIMPLE PLANNING

Bringing more vegetables into your life is a good thing, so take it easy on yourself. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing to count. I’ve always loved the idea of Meatless Mondays as a way to bring conscious cooking and eating to your table in an approachable way. Here are a few Meatless Monday recipes I’ve written over the years to get you started: Red Lentil Moussaka, Tofu Pad Thai, Broccoli + Ricotta Pasticcio, Linguine with Lentil Ragù (or this White Bean and Escarole Ragù with Harissa Oil), homemade Dumplings with Sweet + Sour Cabbage, Three-Bean Chili, and Escarole and Egg Crostino.

ADD SALAD

One simple way I love bringing more veggies into my diet is to add a simple salad before or after a meal. I don’t even make a civilized salad – by that I mean one that is well-crafted, or even with toppings. (Though I have a handful of recipes for those here, too.) Just some crisp, fresh lettuce, lightly dressed and sprinkled with salt as I toss it with my hands, served out of a huge wooden salad bowl with a crack climbing around its curve.

That’s a good start for 2025! As a bonus bit of encouragement, another tactic is to take care of your food goals apart from your family’s with a solid prepared lunch, like with this Summery Noodle Salad or a thermos of soup. And thank you for reading here to welcome in our new year together, what an honor! I look forward to navigating it together in good health and good food. For paid subscribers, hang back for a brand-new recipe bursting with veggies, one I love to serve in my house in regular rotation. See all of you next month; I hope you spend the meantime feeling and cooking at your best.