Have you sailed through steps 1 and 2 and are looking for new ways to incorporate veggies onto your plate that are still fun, creative, and tasty? Step 3 recipes use a variety of veggies in combinations you may not have thought of! This opens a whole new door to new tastes and textures—and keeps meals exciting! Here are some of my favorite recipes for those building their veggie arsenal.

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How do I know if I should start at Step 3 in the Veggie-Loaded Roadmap
You might be at Step 3 if…..
- you consider yourself a veggie-lover and eat lots of different vegetables.
- you are okay with vegetables being a very obvious part of a meal.
- you are looking for recipes that keep veggies interesting.
Feel like Step 3 isn’t right for you? Check out Step 2 recipes to see if that is a better fit for you!
Some tips when transitioning to Step 3
- Don’t feel discouraged if a specific recipe or vegetable isn’t your favorite.
- Allow yourself (and your family!) to simply eat around the more obvious vegetable components of the meal.
- If you know someone at the table will not want the veggie being served but you don’t want to make a whole other meal, you can either move the vegetables to a small bowl and place alongside the main dish or, if you know it won’t cause an issue, leave the vegetables on the plate and allow people to eat around it.
- Consider using a mixed approach. If the recipe allows for it, try chopping some of the vegetables up smaller (or blend them in) and leave a few pieces a bit larger. NOTE: Always be upfront about what is in a meal if asked.
- Remember: Meals should be FUN and NOURISHING! Stressing is NOT a part of the veggie-loaded approach! See what works for you and your family and go from there.
- Veggie-loading is not always linear! Allow yourself to enjoy vegetables in a variety of ways. The beauty of Step 3 is the freedom to eat veggies in all different forms! This keeps meals fun, creative, and delicious!
What if different people in my family are at different Veggie-Loaded Steps?
That is the beauty of The Veggie-Loaded Roadmap is that you can easily use recipes from different steps to make meals that the whole family will love. While often enjoyed by those with a bit more veggie experience, these Step 3 are still delicious and versatile enough to try for those still dipping their toes in veggie-loading. While some still in earlier steps (especially our kiddos!) may want to pass on the veggie pieces on their plate, just normalizing them being there is a huge step!
I often will make a Step 2 recipe as part of meal for my 10-year-old daughter and add a Step 3 to the meal for me and my husband. This not only allows my daughter to eat veggie-loaded food that she enjoys and is where she is at on her own veggie-loaded journey, but exposes her to Step 3 veggie recipes for when she is ready.
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