Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (2024)

According to my method of meal prep, if you are consistently creating hearty oatmeal bowls packed with fruits, nuts, seeds, and oats along with absolutely loaded salads (beans, leafy greens, dried or fresh berries, crucifers, a variety of vegetables, and some herbs and spices) as your mid-day meals, your dinners are going to finish off the rest of the serving categories fairly easily.

Note - If you’re having trouble adding fruit to your salad, or you’re just not a fan, opt to either get your fruit intake as a snack or blended together as a smoothie! I’m not a huge fruit fan so I feel your pain.

Anyways, here are some incredible examples of easy whole grain, vegetable, and bean-loaded plates to help you finish off your day well!

To see how I am simplifying the rest of my day in order to hit all the categories, read this post.

Vegan Unstuffed Red Cabbage Rolls

This plate is full of sweet and savory goodness! This dinner helps check off the following categories from the Daily Dozen. Be sure to make more or less according to what serving size you need to hit.

  1. Cruciferous Vegetables - Red Cabbage

  2. Vegetables - Onion

  3. Beans - Lentils

  4. Herbs - Parsley

  5. Whole Grains - Brown Rice or other Whole Grain of Choice

Omit processed vegan sour cream if you are super hardcore and avoiding anything processed.

To see the recipe, click here.

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (1)

Vegan Ghormeh Sabzi

If you have never tried this dish, I highly recommend it. This is a savory yet enjoyably bitter mix of herbs, lime, greens, and beans, yum!

Here are the daily dozen categories this amazing meal helps check off

  1. Vegetables - Onions, Garlic, Spring Onions,

  2. Greens - Spinach, Cilantro, Parsley

  3. Spices - Turmeric

  4. Beans - Red Kidney Beans & Optional Baked Tofu Pieces

  5. Cruciferous - Optional - I like to use a mix of spinach and kale to hit more categories (it’s not part of the usual recipe)

  6. Whole Grain - Brown Rice

For added protein, I like to bake some chunks of smoked tofu and add them into the mix.
Instead of serving with white rice, try serving with brown rice, quinoa, farro, or another whole grain.

Check out an incredible recipe for this dish here!

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (2)

Vegan Fesenjen

This dish is incredible. This dish mixes fruit, vinegar, spices, lentils, and nuts into a beautiful acidic yet savory mix. Serve on whole-grain rice to hit a huge chunk of daily dozen servings.

This dish uses pomegranate molasses, you can definitely sub this for Dr. Greger’s Date syrup.

Here are the categories this healthy dish helps you check off in the daily dozen

  1. Beans - Lentils

  2. Spices - Turmeric

  3. Greens - Parsley

  4. Vegetables - Onion

  5. Nuts - Walnuts

  6. Grains - Whole grain of choice

  7. Fruit - Optional - Fresh Pomegranate

I loved the recipe I found at the Minimalist Baker, check it out here.

Thai tempeh sweet potatoes

This is my twist on an existing Dr. Greger recipe!

These are perfect for anyone that isn’t usually a sweet potato fan. They are perfectly savory, sweet, and spicy all at once. This dish is jam-packed with vegetables, beans, and herbs. This is insanely tasty and very easy to meal prep at the beginning of the week. Simply assemble when about to eat.

The categories from the Daily Dozen:

  1. Vegetables - LOTS - Sweet Potatoe, red Thai peppers, green onion, corn, red onion, oyster mushrooms

  2. Beans - Black beans and tempeh

  3. Cruciferous - Collard Greens

Check out my guidelines on prepping all the materials here!

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (4)

Cuban sweet potatoes picadillo

This sweet and savory dish will definitely help you end your day well. If you haven’t yet met your fruit quota, experiment with some fresh fruit pico de gallo as you eat this plate.

This dish hits the following categories:

  1. Vegetables - Lots! - Bell pepper, onion, olives, sweet potatoes, garlic, stewed tomatoes

  2. Beans - Chickpeas

  3. Whole Grains - Whole grain of choice

  4. Fruit - Optional - Fruity pico de gallo as a side

Click here to see the recipe I used.

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (5)

Vegan Cuban Black beans and Rice

This dish is also incredible. Full of beans, spices, herbs, whole grain rice, and vegetables. Serve with fruit-based pico de gallo if you were lacking fruits as well! This hearty mix will warm your heart, satisfy your belly, and check off quite a few boxes from your Daily Dozen.

The following categories are:

  1. Beans - Black Beans

  2. Vegetables - Green peppers and onions

  3. Whole Grains - Brown rice or other grains

  4. Fruit - Optional - If served with fruit pico de gallo

Check out the Vegan Cuban black beans and rice recipe here.

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (6)

Dr. Greger dinner Recipe inspiration

I hope these recipes helped you see how easy it can be to tick off a bunch of categories with a simple dinner meal. Don’t forget to pack in a lot of grains, fresh, veggies, and fruits throughout your morning and mid-day. If you do, dinner will come together extremely easily.

I recommend looking at different international dishes to continue to get new inspiration on different ways to eat a delish mix of grains, beans, herbs, vegetables, and spices.

Good luck with all your eating goals!

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (7)

The Tales, Meal Prep Ideas

Ally Fellas

Dr. Greger Dinner Recipe Ideas (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat Dr. Greger's daily dozen? ›

The Daily Dozen Infographic
  1. Beans. Servings: 3 per day. e.g. ½ c. ...
  2. Berries. Servings: 1 per day. e.g. ½ c. ...
  3. Other Fruits. Servings: 3 per day. ...
  4. Cruciferous Vegetables. Servings: 1 per day. ...
  5. Greens. Servings: 2 per day. ...
  6. Other Vegetables. Servings: 2 per day. ...
  7. Flaxseed. Servings: 1 per day. ...
  8. Nuts and Seeds. Servings: 1 per day.

Is Michael Greger vegan? ›

In the same year, he was hired to work on mad cow issues for Farm Sanctuary, near Cornell, and became a vegan after touring a stockyard as part of his work with Farm Sanctuary.

How Not to Diet Dr Greger's Guide to Weight Loss? ›

How Not to Diet goes beyond food and identifies 21 weight-loss accelerators. Dr. Greger uncovers the latest discoveries in cutting-edge areas like chronobiology to reveal ways to maximize our natural fat-burning capabilities.

Can I lose weight with daily dozen? ›

Healthy weight loss comes with its own checklist. Dr. Michael Greger, a physician who specializes in clinical nutrition, calls it his Daily Dozen — a summary of all the “healthiest of healthy foods” and habits he tries to fit into his daily routine to stay slim and prevent disease.

What does Michael Greger eat? ›

Each day, I recommend a minimum of three servings of beans (legumes), one serving of berries, three servings of other fruits, one serving of cruciferous vegetables, two servings of greens, two servings of other veggies, one serving of flaxseeds, one serving of nuts and seeds, one serving of herbs and spices, three ...

Why are some vegans not skinny? ›

Are you eating a vegan diet and just not seeing results on the scale? It could be the way you're preparing the food. Unfortunately, plant-based foods doused in high-cal dressings and loaded with sugary sauces can lead to weight gain. Instead, you want to eat healthy, whole, clean foods with minimal sauces.

Why quit vegan? ›

One of the primary reasons people quit veganism is health concerns. While veganism can be a healthy and sustainable diet when done correctly. Some individuals may experience inadequate nutrition and deficiencies due to a lack of knowledge about plant-based sources of essential nutrients.

How many calories are in a Dr Greger's daily dozen? ›

How many calories are in the Daily Dozen? The Daily Dozen averages about 1,200 calories, but given the wide array of food choices in each category, it can range anywhere from 800-1800.

How should I structure my meals to lose weight? ›

How to Create Your Own Custom Weight Loss Meal Plans
  1. Avoid Calorie Counting. ...
  2. Find Nutrient-Dense Foods. ...
  3. Stick to an Eating Schedule. ...
  4. Find a Meal Prep Method That Fits Your Routine. ...
  5. Eat Foods You Actually Like. ...
  6. Variety Is Best. ...
  7. Remember to Plan For Snacks. ...
  8. Learn More About Weight Loss Meal Plans and Fitness.

Is meal timing sabotaging your weight loss? ›

How many calories you take in, and how much activity you engage in, still matters… a lot. But several studies over the past decade have shown that eating late meals might make it harder to lose weight.

What vegetables should I eat daily? ›

Healthy eating means consuming more dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens. Include more red or orange vegetables, such as carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and legumes, in your diet (dry beans and peas).

Is brown rice a whole grain? ›

Brown rice is a whole grain, consisting of three parts: a fibrous outer layer (called the germ), a middle layer (the bran) and a starchy center (the endosperm). White rice is basically a processed version of brown rice.

What food we need to eat every day? ›

Using Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate as a guide, we recommend eating mostly vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins. We suggest drinking water instead of sugary beverages, and we also address common dietary concerns such as salt and sodium, vitamins, and alcohol.

How to follow the daily dozen? ›

Each day, I recommend a minimum of three servings of beans (legumes), one serving of berries, three servings of other fruits, one serving of cruciferous vegetables, two servings of greens, two servings of other veggies, one serving of flaxseeds, one serving of nuts and seeds, one serving of herbs and spices, three ...

What is a daily dozen greens serving? ›

Serving = 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked (kale, collards, romaine, leaf lettuce, etc.)

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