Loads Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist Recipes

Loads Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist Recipes

Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checklist is a wonderful tool that can quickly and easily help anyone get healthier!

After reading How Not to Die, I began focus even more on eating the foods recommended by nutrition research for optimal health. After a year or so, I started actually tracking my food intake with Dr. Greger's checklist. For the first few months of tracking, I averaged 20 out of 24 check marks, meaning that I was meeting most of my requirements, and eating healthier than ever before!

As soon as I saw my first 24 out of 24, I was hooked! So, from that day (11/01/17) forward, I decided to aim for 100%! Sometimes I have to complete my missing check marks before bed. My odd food combinations at the end of the day can be entertaining. Tonight, for example, I had a 1/2 c frozen cherries and 2-3 large leaves of kale (equivalent of 1 c raw), 1/4 c hummus, and some pistachios. For several months now, I have averaged 23 out of 24 check marks! Meeting the exercise requirement every single day is my biggest challenge, and slowly but surely, I am getting there! 

I LOVE that I am actually eating beans and greens EACH day, more fruits and vegetables than EVER before, and flaxseed and turmeric EVERY single day! Also, having some berries and nuts on a daily basis is exciting because these are foods I love and value, but couldn't say I definitely ate them daily in the past. My family is not quite getting all their daily check marks, but they are doing great, eating lots of beans and greens...mostly with smiles on their faces :). As time goes by, their intakes are improving as well!

So here are some recipes that can help YOU get YOUR check marks! Enjoy!

Recipes to Help YOU with YOUR Dr Greger Daily Dozen

SOUPS
Creamy Carrot or Cauliflower Soup
Madras Chili
Easy Egyptian Stew

ITALIAN and MEXICAN

Spicy Vodka Pasta
Meatless Meatballs
Cheesy, Meaty Lasagna
Oil-Free Bruschetta
MEXICAN CHECK MARK RECIPES

DRINKS 
Super Juice 
Mango Recovery Smoothie
5-Checkmark Spicy Ginger Latte (how could I forget?)
Snow Day Hot Cocoa
Power-Packed Ginger Ale

SWEETS
Cherry Lemon Bars
Orange Almond Biscotti Balls
Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough
Healthy Fudgy Brownies
Banana Bread


FUN EXPLANATION OF DAILY DOZEN

COMMENTS: Do you use a daily Dozen app? What check marks are hardest for you to get? Do your kids keep track? Have you made progress in your totals? What tricks do you have for getting everything in? Do you have the cookbook? What's your favorite recipe?

Dr Greger's Daily Dozen App!

The Daily Dozen App!

This Android and iPhone app (or a simple handout I have prepared) encourages users to eat as much of their Daily Dozen as possible! I have tried to eat these foods ever since I read How Not To Die, as soon as it came out, in 2015. Even before that, we were all trying to eat our fruits and veggies, and eat our beans and greens and nuts and berries! However, this app increases intake more than abstract, lofty goals of eating healthier! See also, my SMART goals post, for help creating goals with which you can evaluate your progress and meet your challenges!

We have an opportunity to try to eat as many servings as possible from these wonderful food categories each day!

It's a very positive and motivating habit to keep!

Positive, because we don't get an X for eating a burger or a candy bar! We get credit for what we do eat, and no shame for eating an unhealthy food.

On Android, you can see your efforts over time by clicking on the small graph at the top, as well as see your "streak" for meeting the requirement in any food group. For example, I have had my serving of berries for the last 23 days! See update below :)

Please email me if you want a PDF for the handout, since I cannot attach it here. I will send it right away!

Fun Fact: when helping a friend install the iPhone app, she said "wow! I've never seen an app get 5 stars!" I don't know how reliable this statement is, but she was very impressed with the score!

COMING SOON: Many Check Mark Recipes!

Added because, why not? Me and Dr Michael Greger, yeaah! And my friend,Theresa, aka "the local Dr Greger" :)

UPDATE as of 3/4/26: 2,840 Days and Counting! 🍓

But my "streak" includes some make-up days! My son and I actually disagree on my "streak logic." He thinks my "make-up" rule is cheating, and a tracker should show exactly what happened that day. But I look at it a little differently. I say it is about the big picture! If I miss my berries on Tuesday, I just have two servings on Wednesday to make it up! To me, the "Daily Dozen" isn't about getting a perfect daily checkmark tally—it’s about the total nutritional "win" and making sure these incredible foods get into my system as often as possible.

Whether you hit every mark or just aim for a 3-day streak, the point is to enjoy the journey. Just try your best and fuel your body with the healthiest foods in the world! 😊

It’s about the habit of health. 

Don't get hung up on a "perfect" day. The goal is progress, not perfection.

Challenge: Can you hit a 3-day streak this week? Give it a try! You've got this!