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Easy Meatless Mondays


I’m a veggie-lover. Just one look inside my pantry or fridge will prove this, and we definitely have days where we don’t eat any meat (every Wednesday and Friday, in fact- I meal plan those days to be meatless). #MeatlessMonday is another popular day for those that are health conscious to try to cut dairy and meat from their diets, and we are all for it!

progresso-hearty-good-natured-soup

Luckily, it is easy to go meatless and revel in a good vegetable soup with the new line of Good Natured Soups from Progressoโ„ข, and these are really, really good! They also contain no genetically-modified ingredients, preservatives and colors from artificial sources, or artificial colors and provide 3/4 cup of veggies per serving.

hearty-tomato-good-natured-soup

Good Natured Soups make it so easy to add more veggies to our diets, especially now when the best vegetables are available during fall harvest. Let’s make the most of it and enjoy them before the season is over.

For fun, here are some crazy ways I’ve tried sneaking more veggies into my diet in the past, as well as some good ways, and why it’s much, much better to eat them in an amazingly delicious soup like Good Natured Soups).

1. Baked in a muffin- most baked treats aren’t meant to be vegetable-y
2. In smoothies- carrot juice is good, but the green stuff? Not tasty juiced.
3. Chopped up and added to soups- delicious, but time consuming (which is why Good Natured Soups rock!!)
4. On a pizza- sure, the pizza is high in calories, but at least the veggies make it less of a guilty pleasure
5. Raw, with olive oil and salt (don’t judge me, but I love this and I’m time crunched)
6. In a salad- of course! Also time consuming though, so again –> Good Natured Soup
7. In pasta- some people like it, I don’t at all. Broccoli or peas in my pasta just doesn’t work for me.

However you can get them in, veggies are awesome and we now have vegetables comprising about 25-30% of what we eat. Good Natured Soups are an excellent way to get them! (my personal favorite is Hearty Tomato with Spinach and Roasted Garlic)

Like them (love them!) on their facebook page and enjoy a good, heart, vegetable soup.

Get a coupon to try it out here –> Save $1 on Good Natured Soups

hearty-tomato-soup

Good Natured Soups are available nationally in the soup aisle for about $3.29 per 17-ounce Tetrapak carton, and there are about two servings in each carton. Good Natured Soups are available in three hearty vegetable soup flavors, Hearty Corn and Chipotle Chowder, Hearty Tomato with Spinach and Roasted Garlic, and Hearty Lentil with Garden Vegetables and they offer ยพ cups of vegetables per serving. Good Natured Soups are all vegan!
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Win a Good Natured Soup gift basket

Try the soups out yourself! Enter to win a $25 Good Natured Soup gift basket. To enter, tell me some of the crazy ways you get veggies in your diet, favorite soup pairings, or what you do on meatless Monday.

Ends 10/31, US 18+ only. Good luck!

This post is sponsored by General Mills but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.




  • Cheryl

    My favorite soup pairings are asparagus soup and grilled cheese sandwich, matzo ball soup and Reuben sandwich, and tomato soup with grilled cheese.

  • susan smoaks

    i like to roast veggies and put them on everything that i eat.

  • Diane baum

    with cheddar cheese and fresh herbs from my garden

  • Sara

    Even though we’re both adults and I’m doing the actual cooking I “hide” finely pureed kale into our classic, rich broccoli cheese soup recipe. It ends up being so much more nutritionally dense, and has the bonus of being a radiant shade of green while still tasting like the ultimate comfort food! Thanks for this ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Sharon Rooney

    My family has a problem whenever I make soups/dishes with kidney beans, especially chili. So when I make chili I leave a quarter of the beans whole and the rest I mash up. They don’t even know they are in there and have even commented on how much better the chili tastes since it doesn’t have the yucky beans in it. LOL

    Favorite soup pairing. Tomato rice soup and grilled cheese

  • Joan Kubes

    I use my ninja blender to mince up veggies fine and add to ground beef in almost any recipe. The hubby and kids never know the difference.

  • Stephanie Phelps

    I love to put lots of veggies in my marinara sauce like carrots and bell pepper onions onions and mushrooms it taste so good!

  • heather s

    I get veggies and fruit in my diet in my morning smoothie.

  • Barbara Lima

    Soup sounds so good in the fall!

  • Susan Smith

    I always put a lot of veggies in my soups to make them healthier.

  • Heather!

    Honestly, I think that most of the ways we eat vegetables aren’t too crazy. My husband and I are not vegetarians, but we do eat mostly vegetables, and only add meat occasionally. I do believe in loading up on superfoods, though, so I make citrus-y smoothies with spinach, kale, chia seeds, and flax seeds. They aren’t pretty, but they are delicious! I sneak spinach into everything possible. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Meatless Monday is just another night for us, but I usually do a stirfry once a week, and it’s usually Monday. But as cold weather approaches, I’ll definitely be making lots of soups! My current favorite is so simple…a homemade cream of mushroom. YUM!!

  • Nannypanpan

    I like grilled cheese and soup. My daughters like hot dogs and soup

  • al

    But I DO like peas with my pasta, whether it’s in a pasta with marinara sauce or even mac and cheese.

  • Steph

    I’ve been putting butternut squash in my smoothies

  • Rachel

    On meatless Monday I like to make something with beans such as three bean enchiladas or great northern bean soup. A great soup pairing is fresh bread and aged cheese. Yum!

  • DC

    We love to mix veggies into chili or pasta dishes!

  • Lorri K

    My teenager avoids greens to the extent that she had nose bleeds that would not stop. When I started integrating lots of kale into shakes, smoothies and even pressed fruit bars she became better. I boil and mix veggies with pasta sauce for fake Italian dishes.

  • KENNETH OHL

    I steam veggies that is the way I eat all my vegetables they actually taste great this way I also love tomato soup and grilled cheese

  • Shawna Saunders

    I make a huge pot of veggie soup…with whatever is on sale and left over..and lota of tomatoes. I keep it in the crock pot on low. takes.about 24 hrs to be gone. it’s what.everyone eats.till it’s gone

  • Peggy Damon

    I get more veggies in my diet by making a veggie omelet with cheese….everything is better with cheese!

  • I am addicted to zucchini bread made with walnuts & sour cream.

    One of my favorite recipes for going meatless is a vegetarian version of a steak and cheese sandwich but I replace the steak with fresh mixed mushrooms.

  • Brittney House

    I love grilled cheese and tomato soup as my favorite pairing.

  • Fiona N

    I usually eat fruits (pineapples,bananas, or watermelon) with soybean, red peppers and rice ๐Ÿ™‚
    Thank You

  • Jill S

    I make cauliflower pizza crust and put slices of avocados in our quesadillas. The kids do not even notice! I just try to make a big deal out of it!

  • Melissa Grubb

    My favorite soup pairings are tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich or broccoli cheddar soup with a good crusty baguette ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Lynne T

    My favorite soup pairing is the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup.

  • Jenny Scheldberg

    This time of year my family likes when I make butternut squash nachos. I add black beans and it’s a great meatless meal.

  • latoya

    I like to chop up veggies finely and add them to rice-usually I will chop up broccoli or carrots.

  • Erin B.

    Our favorite way to get veggies in our diet is to make a smoothie! We use blueberries, banana, kale, carrots, almond milk, sometimes an avocado or almond butter. Our kids love them!

  • Danielle Day

    I use them in smoothies sometimes, they are awesome and very healthy.

  • Jennifer Pickett

    I’m not a huge fan of veggies though I’m trying to work on it so I’ve started adding broccoli to my stir fry (which is basically just chicken, some spinach, lots of onions and tomatoes). My favourite veg is tomatoes. I put them in everything I can but I love them best, fresh and sliced in a cheese and tomato sandwich.

  • Noreen

    I tried adding spinach to brownies and let’s just say it was not a good thing. We like roasted veggies or mushroom pasta on meatless Monday’s.

  • Candace Miller

    Our meatless Mondays family favorite is crockpot chili.

  • Samantha Plotkin

    As a vegan family, every day is meatless monday! Preparing veggies in different ways and trying something new each week keeps our palates happy.

  • Kim

    When we make smoothies we toss a handful of spinach and some baby carrots in the blender!

  • Brittany B.

    My favorite soup paring is good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup!

  • Kendall W.

    My husband is very picky, so for dinners, I like to throw all the veggies in our ninja and then hide them in whatever we are eating for dinner that night lol I’m sneaky!

  • KJ Skib

    I always try to sneak them in the breading on nuggets and we call our green beans, greenie fries.

  • Ally

    Every Monday is a meatless Monday for me! I love soup with freshly baked bread!

  • Melissa

    I’ve been using sweet potatoes and black beans to make soft tacos for meatless monday!

  • Holly Mitkowski

    I’m vegan so everyday is meatless Monday and I get tons of veggies!

  • Christine H

    My toddler does not like veggies (except broccoli ‘leaves’), so I feed her Gerber veggie baby food in a reusable pouch. She only wants to drink veggies, lol. I think she gets it from me cause I much prefer to eat my veggies quick or masked (i.e. soup or in a pasta).
    This soup looks goooooood!

  • Kristie

    I don’t cook meat. I have a thing about raw meat. I don’t want to touch it. Ick! I eat it sometimes when I go out. We eat lots of Morningstar products. Just yesterday I was bemoaning the fact that my Boca Italian Sausage has disappeared. Sigh.I think I am cursed! kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.

  • allyson tice

    i make mashed cauliflower and my kids think its potatoes! I also add zucchini in my muffins and brownies all the time!

  • Corey Olomon

    I’ve found that if I can put cheese on it, me and my kids will eat it! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • sandra

    We’ve gotten veggies into our diet by using it as a substitute for carbs.

  • Becca

    I LOVE to have some creamy tomato soup with a classic grilled cheese sandwich!

  • Dana

    One of our favorite meatless dishes is black bean tostadas! Easy and delicious!

  • I love veggies. I can eat a plate full of zoodles for a meal.

  • Pat

    I puree vegetables into spaghetti sauce.

  • Angela Ingles

    My favorite soup pairing is homemade broccoli cheddar soup, fresh baked bread, and salad with lots of fixings!

  • Ashley

    I love putting veggies in my omelette at breakfast.

  • Tina W

    Some of the sneaky ways I include veggies in my Dad’s meat and potatoes diet included adding roasted butternut squash to spaghetti sauce and pureed cauliflower to his mashed potatoes.

  • megan n

    I love hiding veggies in muffins. I hide zucchini, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, etc.

  • Trisha Burgess

    I’m a picky eater so I bought a cookbook about how to hide veggies in food for kids and make the recipes for myself!

  • Marija

    I like to use veggies, especially greens, in my smoothies.

  • beth

    I try to add veggies to things that don’t normally have them, like desserts and what not.

  • I love to pair leeks and aubergines with tomato soup.

  • Austin H.

    Smoothies are always a great way for me to mix in vegetables, along with fruit. Cucumbers, celery, carrots, spinach, broccoli and on and on.

  • Pamela

    My favorite soup-sandwich pairing is the traditional grilled cheese with tomato basil soup. It works great for Meatless Monday too!

  • latanya

    make vegetable sauces and use them in soups, spaghetti, and lasagna

  • I put a can of pumpkin into a batch of chili. No one knows the difference. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Sonya Sanderson

    I hide them in spaghetti sauce.

  • Sandy H

    I grill veggies.

  • KHBride

    I love grilled cheese and tomato soup…french onion soup with melted cheese on top

  • Shawn A

    I love veggies and try to eat a lot of them. I often have no meat only veggies and rice or pasta meals. I love a no meat, just veggies spaghetti sauce.

  • I love pairing my potato soup with a ham sandwich or my tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.

  • jeremy mclaughlin

    I get my veggies by having a smoothie.

  • I have actually been a vegetarian for over 16 years, so I eat veggies every day all day! hahaha! That said, I am also a vegetarian who doesn’t like many veggies and is a picky eater. I was raised in WV on meat and potatoes, so becoming vegetarian 16 years ago was a true struggle. Today, I do better but I still prefer to get my veggies in the form of soups and burgers, where you aren’t just eating veggies but lots of herbs and spices.

  • Erica B.

    I just have a lot of fruit/veggie juice.

  • I enjoy fresh made beer bread with almost any soup. One of my favorite ways to eat veggies are in stir fry dishes. That is an easy way to get a healthy serving of vegetables with little to no meat added.

  • Soups are the only way I get my vegies in. I love blending and pureeing. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup is my favorite.

  • Jennai

    One fun “pairing” we do with soup is to put popcorn in cream of tomato soup. My son loves it.

  • Ashley

    Instead of using meat on a sandwich I sautรฉ up a bunch of veggies;onions, mushrooms, red cabbage. Then I use whatever cheese I have in my refrigerator and I throw it on a whole wheat roll with some garlic mayo. It’s so good!

  • Tatiana Bartlett

    We love veggies! We eat them all kinds of ways, but one way to eat a lot of them (esp when there’s too many ready to go bad) I’ll make juice. My kids will help make it and drink it with me and think it’s fun ๐Ÿ™‚

  • josie h

    I always put a parmesean rind in my soup to give it a salty nutty flavor. I usually do meatless by doing soup and a salad.

  • Karen Lumbard

    Thanks for a chance.

  • Terry Stevens

    I put squash into almost everything I make as well as in chicken/beef pot pie, pumpkin in my smoothies and hummus and kale, carrots and lemon into a morning juice.

  • robin s.

    I love pairing my veggie soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. It is a big hit with the family.

  • Barb Miller

    I like pairing cheddar broccoli soup with a turkey sandwich!

  • Laurie Nykaza

    I steam veggies on Monday so easy to do add a little cheese on top to change it up too love it

  • Leah Shumack

    My favorite soup pairing is grilled cheese!

  • Kathy E.

    I like to add veggies to my smoothies. Usually spinach is unnoticeable, but the color is. I also like to cook up soups with any veggies I have in the fridge…it’s always great!

  • Bethany Kingsley

    I’m a vegetarian, but Chocolate chip zucchini bread is a great way to add veggies

  • sheila ressel

    On Meatless Mondays we have spaghetti with marinara along with a salad filled with veggies.

  • lisa kay

    I have a huge bag of Frozen Kale that I bought at costco that i put in everything and I have not heard a commplaint…
    I Love cooked califlower mash and the kids have no idea it is not potatoes and so much better for you.

  • susan smoaks

    i am actually vegan so veggies are a main staple in my diet. I like to have some veggies with each meal even breakfast. I like salads and roasted veggies.

  • Morrighan Crowe Anne Perry

    I add veggies to stews.

  • Danielle McCoy

    Every day is meatless for me so I always include extra veggies with each meal.

  • Annmarie W.

    I love using pasta on Meatless Mondays…or using black beans in place of meats. And nothing pairs better on a chilly fall or winter day than grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup!

  • Lana Bradstream

    I get plenty of veggies in my diet in a variety of ways. Juicing, dehydrating, incorporating into soups and casseroles. I’m not a big fan of eating veggies raw, which is why I do juicing.

  • Taryn T

    Awesome pairings? Tomato soup and grown up grilled cheese is my very favorite. I also love butternut squash soup with a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. And now, I am hungry.

  • Erinn Sluka

    I substitute broccoli or cauliflower for rice when we have Asian. I’ll have my orange or teriyaki chicken over veggies instead

  • Crystal Rose

    We have taco nights with refried beans. My family is always happy to load up on veggies then.

  • Crafty Nunn

    I eat some kind of dried bean soup or bean casserole on Meatless Monday.

  • Jo Ricker

    We like to add extra veggies by cutting them up very fine and adding a little to foods such as burgers, soups, sauces and such.

  • Kat Emerick

    I am a big fan of homemade vegetable soup all year long!!

  • Lauryn R

    We are all pretty good about vegetables in my family, of course everyone has their dislikes and favorites though. I usually have a veggie side with lunch and dinner for my kiddos, and it is also fun to sneak some in smoothies and watch no one notice! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Mary Beth Elderton

    I add veggies to almost everything. Rather than do “meatless Monday” (I am not nearly organized enough to plan a certain day lol!) I make sure to do meatless dinners a couple of times a week. I often substitute lentils for taco meat or chili.

  • Pam C.

    We love good old fashioned tomato soup and grilled cheese. We add fresh chunks of home-grown tomatoes for an extra boost of flavor.

  • Jennifer Reed

    Some of my favorite soup pairings is hot sandwiches and yummy artisan breads.

  • angie w

    Every day is meatless Monday for me ๐Ÿ™‚ I like to add spinach to everything. If I make a pasta bake, then I add lots of extra veggies. Spinach and carrots get added to pancake batter – mix up in the blender and you’d never know!

  • Crystal Rose

    Tonight I’m having a ham & bean soup with pretzel buns. That’s one of my favorites.

  • Sam

    I tend to lean on pasta dishes when I’m trying not to eat meat… so getting more veggie soups in there would be good, haha.

  • Jessica Whitehouse

    I cook with a lot of vegetables. I add mushrooms, canned tomatoes, onions, peppers, and/or garlic to most dishes. We toss broccoli or spinach into mac and cheese or pasta alfredo. My kids seem to eat vegetables better when they are “hidden” with a sauce.

  • Renee Rousseau

    Getting more veggies in our diet is my biggest challenge. I use powdered carrots in most of my dishes. I also splurge on takeout salads sometimes to spark my sense of adventure. Growing my own veggies makes the commitment more personal.

  • Angelica Dimeo

    I like making curry which had onions, potatoes, meat its very tasty

  • Darlene Cruz

    I blend my vegetables in a blender and it hides all the things they deem “NOT” good for them. It works for years๐Ÿ˜†

  • Nancy

    I try to eat vegetables at every meal including breakfast. I’ll serve fried eggs on a bed of cooked kale.

  • KENNETH OHL

    I like to steam veggies that is the best way for me to get the family to eat veggies for sure

  • Shelly Leatham

    I throw extra veggies in my pasta sauce, meatloaf, and pretty much anything I can!!
    bleatham*at*gmail.com

  • Gabrielly

    I like to use veggies in my smoothies.

  • Yona Williams

    My favorite soup pairing is broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl. I also like to pair a creamy soup with a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato slices in it.

  • Aaron

    I like to make vegetable-heavy casseroles.

  • Jen Whitten

    Potatoe soup over frozen peas and cheese on top is sooooo good….as crazy as it sounds! Gives you extra veggies!

  • Margaret S Porter

    We have a new vegetarian Pastor. Its been interesting to prepare meals for him. We have a go to meal of Quinoa Salad when we cant think of anything else.

  • Cheryl bowman

    Old fashioned New England corn chowder yum or taco soup

  • Lynne

    Meatless Monday usually means omelets for us. bonus is that it is a great way to clean out the fridge too!

  • Trish Rucker

    I add steamed vegetables to marinara sauce, and sometimes to tomato soup as well!

  • Brandi Dawn

    One of my favorite meals to eat on meatless Monday is grilled cheese and tomato soup! Yum!

  • Nicole

    We’re a vegetarian household, so every day is “meatless Monday.” My secret? Using lentils in place of meat in most meat recipes. Tacos, sloppy joes, meat pasta sauce, shepards pie, etc.

  • Jessica Sage

    I sneak veggies into things like smoothies, soups and have even recently started to try sneaking some veggies into baked goods like black beans in brownies

  • violet taylor

    i have trouble eating veggies too, i like to add them to the crockpot or to lentils or sneak some kale into a smoothie

  • miranda

    I love grilled cheese with tomato soup

  • Sue Hull

    I put my veggies in soups,lasagna or smoothie.I love soup this time of year.Thank you for the chance ๐Ÿ˜€

  • gary

    I love butternut squash soup with garlic bread

  • wen budro

    I add veggies to sauces, soups, brownies, and cookies. It has worked so far.

  • Noreen

    Fir meatless Monday my kids love what I call mushroom pasta: mushrooms sautรฉed with a big handful of fresh herbs (whatever I have: mint, sage, parsley, cilantro) some butter, little milk and fresh grated Parmesan

  • Jeff j Faulkner

    I love making pumpkin soup!!!

  • amy Sanford

    I love the classic tomato bisque and grilled cheese. I hide veggies in pasta sauce.

  • Mary Gardner

    Meatless Monday is usually soup and a sandwich with a side salad or a pasta dish with fruit andhomemade bread.

  • Lesley F

    I like to take spinach and mix it in my smoothies

  • cyndi br

    I put vegetables in my baked goods such as zucchini bread and add vegetables to my meatloaf

  • Breanna Pollard

    I make a veggie soup for meatless mondays.

  • Krystal Dunlap

    I usually hide veggies that I know my kids won’t eat in certain recipes or I will tell my twins it’s lettuce instead of cabbage because for some odd reason if they know it is cabbage they won’t eat it. They also wont eat broccoli unless I call it tiny trees.

  • christie

    I love veggies so its not a problem for me but my ten year old son hates any kind of veggie lol I notice if you puree some you can hide it well in sauces like for spahetti

  • Cheryl B

    On meatless mondays I like to make a ziti and add green peppers, onions, tomatoes,.

  • Tamra H

    We’ve been growing a large garden this year, so we’ve been finding ways to put veggies in everything! Spaghetti, soups, stir-fried everything, zucchini bread, the list goes on! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Anita Jude

    I love to make vegetable soup and love pairing it with peanut butter sandwiches …it so good

  • Audrey Stewart

    We eat fish on Meatless Monday.

  • phxbne

    our meatless Monday is usually Indian – yum!

  • Pam Sims

    I love to add veggies to my spagetthi sauce. Also I add extra veggies to the salad.

  • Brandy Williams

    I always put in soups or salads. Also we love fresh veggies and dip.

  • Nicole Sender

    My favorite soup pairing is tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich! I love this on a dreary, rainy night for dinner.

  • DJ

    I love having Italian Veggie soup on meatless Mondays.

  • Amy Honious

    I always cook my potroast with a TON of various veggies. Before dinner is served, I remove the meat and take my stick blender to the rest. After a good blitz, all I am left with is awesomely thick gravy CHOCK FULL of veggie goodness with no one the wiser! Thanks for the great giveaway ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Christian Henshaw

    I love making zoodles (noodles made from zucchini) and using cauliflower for rice and crusts!

  • Janet Boyanton

    We like tomato basil soup and pancakes for meatless Mondays, but not together!

  • Emily

    Bean nachos

  • holly lawson

    I like to chop up veggies and add them to sauces like spaghetti sauce. We do cheesy ravioli and pasta without meat at least a few times a month.

  • Linda Kwolek

    My favorite pairing is grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. There is something tasty about those 2 going together.

  • Rajee Pandi

    For meatless Monday I use veggie soup with lima beans