We all know and hear we are supposed to eat vegetables, but why? Vegetables provide nutrients vital for your health and maintenance of your body. Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.
The good news is people who eat more vegetables and fruit as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Eating a diet rich in vegetables may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, protect against certain types of cancers, and may reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Many of us find it easy to eat fruit, it tastes delicious and also contains many nutrients we need. Some people find it harder to eat vegetables, maybe because of texture, taste, or smell. But it is important to eat a diverse variety of vegetables! So how do we eat more vegetables?!
Here are the top three amazing tips that help me eat more vegetables:
- Buy fresh vegetables in season. They are at their peak flavor, meaning they can be tastier to munch on raw as snacks.
- Buy vegetables that are easy to prepare. While shopping at the store, purchase pre-washed bags of salad greens, add in baby carrots and cherry tomatoes and you have a salad ready in minutes!
- Try crunchy vegetables, raw or lightly steamed. Try many different types of vegetables to learn what your favorites are. Some vegetables are better raw, some lightly cooked. Be a detective and spend some time finding out what you like best!
Do these tips work for you? If not, check out the My Plate list for even more tips, like how to choose vegetables with the best nutritional value, incorporate them into meals, make them look more appealing, how to encourage children to enjoy them, and how to prepare safely. Whew. There’s a lot to learn!
Thank you to the USDA Choose My Plate website for the above information.
