7 Vegetable and Spice Combos for Every Day of the Week

Americans certainly have their favorite foods. The vast majority of households regularly purchase potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. This means that many Americans are missing out on the flavors and nutrients from other vegetables. 

Looking to add some variety to your meals? Here we share seven vegetable and spice combinations to inspire you and your family to try something new — and explain the health benefits of each. The best part of these combinations is how easy they are to prepare, and there’s no exact recipe to follow. Just combine, cook, and enjoy.

1. Tomatoes and basil

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are technically fruits (even though most people think of them as vegetables). Over 80% of tomatoes are eaten in a cooked or processed form, like soup or ketchup. But if you have ever enjoyed a fresh summer garden tomato paired with fresh basil, you know that there’s no comparison. 

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Both canned and fresh tomatoes provide vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene. Lycopene is the red pigment that gives tomatoes a bright color. It’s also a well-known antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that may help protect against heart disease and cancer. 

Basil: Both basil and tomato are superstars of the Mediterranean diet. Basil provides a strong punch of flavor with minimal calories and no sodium. Although usually eaten in small quantities, basil can add to your nutrition by contributing a small amount of potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin K. Basil turns brown when exposed to the cold, so avoid storing it in the refrigerator. 

Easy preparation: 

1. Dice the tomatoes. Discard the ends, seeds, and excess liquid. 

2. Sprinkle salt, minced garlic, pepper, and olive oil onto the tomatoes. 

3. Rip basil leaves into small pieces, and sprinkle on top of the tomatoes. 

2. Carrots and ginger

Carrots: Like potatoes, carrots are a root vegetable. They can be eaten multiple ways: raw, thrown into a soup, or roasted in the oven. The orange color in carrots is mainly made up of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. One cup of carrots provides a third of an adult’s daily recommended amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for immunity, growth and development, and vision. 

Since carrots contain a small amount of natural sugar, they pair well with sweeter spices and flavors. 

Ginger: Ginger adds a slightly spicy flavor to carrots. It gets this spicy flavor from a compound called gingerols. Gingerols are known for supporting the stomach and digestive tract. This is why ginger has been used for thousands of years for its anti-nausea effects. Research has shown some evidence of ginger’s health benefits when eaten in large doses (like supplements). But culinary quantities tend to be too low to determine an exact health effect. 

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Easy preparation:

1. Peel and slice carrots.

2. Drizzle with oil of choice, ginger powder, and a small amount of honey.

3. Cook in the oven at 425°F for 30 minutes.

3. Butternut squash and cinnamon

Butternut squash: One cup of butternut squash provides a quarter of your daily vitamin C needs — plus a good dose of fiber and potassium. Potassium is one of the most important electrolytes in your body. It can be particularly good for your heart and blood vessels. 

Butternut squash is a delicious addition to savory or sweet dishes. It can be added to pastas, pureed into soups and sauces, or roasted and added to a salad. You can also purchase it pre-cubed or frozen to save on time. Or, if you’re prepping at home, you can poke holes in the squash and microwave for about 10 minutes. This will make the peeling and cutting easier. 

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is usually paired with sugar in baked goods, but it also goes well with fruits and vegetables, like roasted apples, pears, and butternut squash. Cinnamon has been studied over the years for its many health benefits. It acts as a strong antioxidant. In high doses, like those found in supplements, it has been associated with improving insulin sensitivity. This means it can help with regulating blood sugar.

Easy preparation: 

1. Cover a pan with aluminum foil.

2. Coat cubed butternut squash with olive oil. 

3. Toss with cinnamon and a small amount of brown sugar.

4. Roast in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes.

4. Broccoli and everything bagel seasoning

Broccoli: A 1-cup serving of broccoli provides about 2.5 g of fiber, as well as vitamin K, potassium, and vitamin A. Vitamin K is mainly found in green vegetables, and broccoli provides 90% of your daily serving of vitamin K. Vitamin K helps to create the proteins that are needed for blood clotting. It’s also important for bone health. 

Seasoning: “Everything bagel” seasoning is a mixture of sesame and poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and sea salt. Sesame seeds provide similar nutrients to other seeds, such as healthy fats, a small amount of protein, and vitamin E. Sesame seeds are also a rich source of lignans, which act as antioxidants in the body. Because of its unique combination of flavors, everything bagel seasoning adds a delicious flavor to vegetables, dips, and sandwiches — and, of course, bagels. 

Easy preparation: 

1. Place broccoli in a pan with your choice of oil and lemon juice.

2. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on low.

3. Sprinkle broccoli with everything bagel seasoning. 

5. Little potatoes and chives

Potatoes: Potatoes are a starchy vegetable. That means they have a higher carbohydrate content than most vegetables. Although most potatoes are consumed as french fries, potatoes alone pack a good nutritional value for an affordable price. Little potatoes in particular can be a fun and delicious way to eat potatoes. Five to six little potatoes contain 3 g of fiber and are a good source of potassium. The potato skin contains about half the fiber in a potato, and the flesh contains many of the nutrients. 

Chives: Chives are another green herb that have a slight onion and garlic flavor, which pairs well with the starchy flavor of potatoes. Even though chives are usually eaten in small quantities, they do provide additional nutrition, including fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Easy preparation: 

1. Slice the little potatoes into quarters and drizzle with your choice of oil. 

2. Cover with dried chives, dill, and garlic. 

3. Roast in the air fryer or conventional oven for until soft, about 15 to 25 minutes. 

6. Mushrooms and garlic

Mushrooms: Mushrooms come in many varieties. They can be a great meat substitute in a plant-based diet. They can also blend well into ground meat to add a savory flavor. They are also one of the only plant sources of vitamin D, which is important for bone and muscle health. Mushrooms are also an excellent source of selenium, which is another antioxidant, and B vitamins, which are crucial for a healthy metabolism and energy. 

Garlic: Garlic adds an unmatched flavor and aroma to any savory recipe. Like some of the previously mentioned spices and herbs, garlic has been documented as an antioxidant with potential anti-inflammatory effects. 

Easy preparation: 

1. Slice up the mushrooms and place on a sheet of aluminum foil.

2. Drizzle with your choice of oil and top with minced garlic and pepper.

3. Fold the foil into a packet and place on the grill for 15 minutes. 

7. Cauliflower and turmeric

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. This family of vegetables also includes brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage, as well as kale and radishes. Cruciferous vegetables are a low-carbohydrate group of vegetables. They contain fiber, sulfur, and many beneficial compounds, like antioxidants. Examples of antioxidants are as flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. Both fiber and sulfur can contribute to bloating and gas in individuals prone to digestive discomfort. Research suggests that cruciferous vegetables are good for heart health and cancer prevention.

Cauliflower has become popular as an ingredient in lower-carb pizza crusts and baking mixes and as a main dish. For example, some people like to grill and eat it as they would a steak. A cup of cauliflower provides potassium, vitamin B6, and fiber, as well as 85% of an adult’s daily recommended amounts of vitamin C. 

Turmeric: While cauliflower alone might sound bland, adding a bold flavor like turmeric greatly improves the taste. Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that’s a part of the curcumin family (curry). Turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects linked to its active ingredient: curcuminoids. It’s difficult to get a high enough dose of turmeric powder from cooking alone to match the levels used in studies of turmeric supplements. The doses of turmeric found in supplements are linked with improvements in arthritis and markers of metabolic syndrome. You can try combining black pepper with turmeric in your recipes to help your body get more of turmeric’s benefits.

Easy preparation:

1. Slice a head of cauliflower into small florets, and coat with an oil of your choice.

2. Toss with turmeric, black pepper, and curry powder. 

3. Roast in the oven at 425°F for 25 minutes, or until brown. 

Dietitian tips to add more vegetables to your diet

The above preparations are just a few examples of the endless combinations you can try in your kitchen. If cooking and eating vegetables feels more like a chore than a delicious mealtime routine, try experimenting with different ways to make them enjoyable to you. A few of these tips can help you along the way.

It’s OK to add salt

Most Americans eat too much salt. Half of all salt in the American diet comes from food that’s frozen, canned, packaged, or prepared in restaurants. If you cook most of your meals at home, it’s OK to add a little bit of salt to your vegetables. Some seasoning mixes already contain salt. Plus, spices and herbs are a great way to add flavor without sodium. 

Adding oil helps your body absorb vitamins

Adding oil to vegetables is not only important for cooking, it also adds flavor and moisture. The fat also helps your body better absorb some of the vitamins and minerals found in vegetables — specifically fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin A, D, E, and K.

Canned and frozen vegetables count

Canned and frozen vegetables are both convenient options to keep on hand. And since they’re packaged at the time of peak freshness, they provide consistent taste and quality. Not only that, canned or frozen produce can be more affordable and can help to reduce food waste. 

Think seasonally 

Buying vegetables during their peak season in your area can help you keep your food costs down. Local markets and food stands can often charge less because the products don’t have to travel very far from the farm. Foods that are in season also tend to taste the best. You could even join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. This can be a good way to support local farmers and try new-to-you, peak-season produce. 

Try something new 

Mealtime should be a fun and positive experience. Experts recommend embracing a “try something new” mentality for young children — a concept that’s also helpful for adults. They recommend starting this approach when children are around 6 months old, when you first start to introduce them to complementary foods. If your child doesn’t like a new food at first, don’t lose hope. Studies show it can take between 6 and 15 times for a child to know if they like a new flavor, texture, or food. 

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Written by:

Kerry Hackworth, MS, RD, LDN

Kerry Hackworth has been in the field of nutrition for over a decade. Her career began in corporate wellness, where she provided personalized health coaching.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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