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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that Americans are still simply not eating their vegetables. Food pyramids advise us to eat at least five servings per day and some up to eight or nine. We see commercials every day advising us to “drink our vegetables” and add a salad to our evening meals or chomp down our raw veggies with a delicious dressing. But only one in four of us actually eat more than three servings a day. And some of the people included in this “three servings a day or more” counted pickles, lettuce, tomatoes etc to their count – all the stuff they put on their hamburgers.
The reason why our vegetable intake is so important is that they are so good for us that they can change our health completely. Filled with fiber, potassium, calcium, beta carotene, Vitamins B, C, D, E, K and other vitamins and minerals– they are directly linked to heart health, with anti-cancer properties, and building strong muscles and bones. Our colons, eyes and skin feel the difference, as does our weight and body fat levels. Five servings of veggies in as many days of the week as we can, is a great gift to our bodies, and those of our loved ones. Veggies are good hydrators and are very low in both calories and fats.
So why are we not eating them? There are many reasons. Some include plain old laziness. Why wash, peel and chop veggies when we can eat something pre-prepare and near instant? We’ve also conditioned ourselves to think we don’t like veggies but we actually find them to be really good when placed in front of us. Veggies – especially those in season – are really cheap. Head to a farmer’s market at the end of the day and we can get ten bucks worth of locally grown foods for five. The supermarkets often offer the same deals and chopping and peeling can be done while watching our favorite shows (if we really must!)
So what are some ideas about making vegetables a part of our daily lives?
(Firstly – a serving of vegetables is the following: One cup of leafy veggies, half a cup of chopped vegetables – really not a lot when we think about it. )
Fast food joints are adding lots of salad options to their menus. Whether sit down or drive through – we can choose from chicken, Cajun, Greek and vegetarian salads that are filling, nutritious and taste great – especially when consumed with a dressing that’s not sky high in calories. There is no point in putting a ton of fatty dressings on our salads or for dipping. But there are many great marinades and dressings out there that can keep it all low cal.
Supermarkets offer pre-packaged salads, filled with fruits and vegetables along with nuts and other options – most with a pre-packed dressing. These salads are often so large they can be split in two and used for two lunches at a cost of under $2-3 per lunch depending on whether you go organic. Either way, a great price with none of that “2.30” feeling that energy drink makers insist we all have. The reason we have that feeling is because of the rubbish we’re eating for lunch. Eating a fresh veggie and/or fruit platter will eliminate that self-inflicted feeling completely.
Buying flash (fresh) frozen vegetables in bulk for the freezer is a good idea. These veggies are frozen only a few hours after picking, allowing them to maintain their nutrients. Then there are always vegetables in the house and can be thawed to eat raw, or cook – which normally takes only a few minutes for crisp, delicious veggies to land on our plates.
A small vegetable garden is a lot of fun and really rewarding. For those in the cities, there are not pots where veggies hang upside down and can be placed on balconies or patios. Studies show that children are more likely to eat veggies they help create or cook so involving them in the fun makes their consumption easier.
Another option is juicing. We use this for our children who aren’t veggie-crazy (even though we’re vegetarian!). A ton of apples, strawberries, and bananas is a smoothie dream for them, especially when they don’t see the servings of carrots, celery and other goodies thrown in there too. Their fruit smoothies allow them about 4 veggie and fruit servings all in one. Made in bulk, juicing needs to be done only a few times a week and the clean up takes about ten minutes. A decent juicer starts at about $200 which is a pricey investment but we used a coupon for ours that made it a good price; we also don’t need to core or peel anything (other than bananas) – the juicer takes care of all that and the residue can be used as fertilizer or added into muffins or cakes if peeled/seedless. Juicers can cost as much as $800 but for a regular family on a budget, there are many great options out there for one quarter of that.
Cutting vegetables into funny shapes is a great way to make kids snap them up! Pumpkins or cats for Hallowe'en, trees and stars for Christmas and all sorts of other ideas for holidays throughout the year. Cookie cutters work well.
Teachers are telling our kids about healthy eating, as are their TV shows and commercials. Michelle Obama has the White House’s largest vegetable garden to date but we are still not taking care of ourselves. Time to take some personal responsibility for our own health and buck up with some creative ideas for eating well and follow through. Life is busy but if have time to drive through a fast food joint for dinner, why not choose the fresh options instead? It’s our life, our body and hundreds of ideas, suggestions and options for healthful ideas are out there. Let’s take them.
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