by Haven Logan PH.D

        

Despite a national campaign to get Americans to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, a recent study from John Hopkins University shows that only 28% of us meet the fruit goal and 32% the vegetable goal. In fact, vegetable consumption has decreased from 35% in an earlier survey.  In addition, the vegetable eaters tended to eat the same vegetables over and over, getting little nutritional diversity.

Where would you place yourself on a ten point scale from:
(1) Vegetable Hater up to…….. (10) Vegetable Lover? Do you avoid vegetables (1- Hater) whenever possible and justify to others that French fried potatoes are considered vegetables on many charts? Maybe you eat a small salad and one vegetable serving daily, feeling that you have done your duty (5-Neutral). Or perhaps you rush down to your local farmer’s market with great excitement to find the latest seasonal produce and relish the exquisite taste of just picked vegetables (10-Lover).

Why It’s Important to Eat Vegetables

Why should we worry about eating enough vegetables? Can’t we just get the nutrition we need through all our enriched food products, a good multi-vitamin and maybe some “vitamin water”? I’m sorry to tell those of you who are Vegetable Haters, but these substitutions just won’t give you all the health benefits that whole vegetables do.

Multiple studies of the Mediterranean, Latin American, and Asian traditional diets have shown that people eating these kinds of vegetable-rich diets are generally healthier than those of us in more developed countries where we eat heavily processed foods and considerably more meat.  Research has shown that by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you can decrease the risk for stroke or heart attack, protect your body against a variety of cancers, lower your blood pressure, better avoid diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration.

It is recommended that 45 to 65 percent of our total calories come from carbohydrates, with the majority coming from complex carbohydrates which are found in what are called “whole foods” such as unrefined grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Whole foods are nutrient dense, so they provide a better ratio of nutrients to calories than do refined foods. Whole foods provide the balanced nutrition your body needs, thus potentially minimizing empty-calorie food cravings. When your body’s needs are met, you feel more satisfied, so you tend to eat less.  Eating whole foods not only fills you up faster, but also tends to reduce the number of calories that are stored as fat. A Center for Disease Control study revealed that obesity levels are lowest among those people who have high intakes of fruits and vegetables.

The rule of thumb for getting the most nutrition out of vegetables is to eat them as close to their natural state as possible. In other words, the more processed they are, the more calories and less nutrition they are likely to have. A one pound baked potato with skin is 440 calories and one pound of potato chips is 2400 calories, for example.

The USDA Dietary Guidelines 2005 recommend eating a variety of vegetables to provide a wide array of micronutrients and fiber.  Orange vegetables like carrots, yams, and pumpkins are filled with vitamin A.  Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and green leaf lettuce are excellent sources of folate and vitamin C.  By consuming a variety of vegetables, you will maximize your nutritional intake.

The USDA recommendations for vegetable servings per day depend upon the overall calories you consume. The number of servings suggested is as follows: 3-4 servings for a 1600 calorie diet, 4-5 servings for a 2000 calorie diet, 5-6 servings for a 2600 calorie diet, and 6 servings for a 3100 calorie diet. A vegetable serving size is equivalent to one cup raw leafy vegetable, one-half cup cooked vegetable, or six ounces of vegetable juice.

Ten Ideas for Increasing Your Vegetable Consumption

1. Whenever possible make your first choice local, seasonal, and organic. Talk to the farmers at the farmer’s market or the produce manager at your supermarket to learn what is in season.
2. Expand your palate by trying a new vegetable each week.
3. Grow your own favorite vegetables.
4. Make a quick and easy vegetable soup using the recipes below.
5. Bring a bag of small carrots along with you as a snack.
6. Cut vegetables ahead of time or buy pre-cut vegetables and salad mixes.
7. When fresh vegetables are not available, select frozen.
8. Drink vegetable juice or make your own by using a juicer.
9. When ordering or making a pizza, add some vegetable toppings.
10. Experiment with your salads or make your own salad bar. Put in a variety of different raw and cooked vegetables. Nothing is off limits.
    
    
    

Ten Ideas for Getting Children to Eat More Vegetables

1. Set a good example with your own diet.
2. If possible involve children in the process of growing their own vegetables.
3. Take them to visit local farms, especially ones where they can pick vegetables.
4. Take them shopping with you and have them pick out a new vegetable each week.
5. Kids often like foods served separately so don’t mix the vegetables on the plate.
6. Cut up vegetables for lunches or afternoon snacks. Let them dip the vegetables in low-fat salad dressing.
7. Encourage creative snacking. Kids love to eat peas right out of the pod.
8. Involve children in selecting vegetables for dinner and, when old enough in washing and cutting them up.
9. Hold a vegetable tasting of a seasonal vegetable such as different varieties of tomatoes in the late summer. Let kids vote for their favorite.
10. Above all share your enthusiasm.