Close your eyes and go back to your childhood kitchen table. If you were a picky eater like me, you may recall the voice of your mom saying, “You’re not leaving the table until you clear your plate… You gotta eat your veggies.” Well, like it or not, your mama was right! Eating a plant-centered diet high in vegetable intake is crucial for feeling your best. I’m not talking about eating mushy, dull, canned veggies like the ones at your school’s cafeteria. When I think about eating veggies, I see a diverse and complex range of textures and tastes. I envision crunch, freshness, earthiness, sweetness, creaminess, tartness, bitterness, and tenderness! Many people see vegetables as an afterthought in a meal – a side dish to meat or poultry – but I see veggies as the stars of my plate. Veggies are scrumptious and essential for digestive health – that is the reason why I encourage you to eat a plant-centered diet!
In Part 1 of the Digestive Health Series, we will explore what it truly means to have a diet rich in veggies. It seems simple, yet there is a lot of confusing information out there. Let’s dive into a zesty exploration of how to incorporate more veggies into your everyday life!
Why is it so important to increase our vegetable intake and embrace a plant-centered diet? Increased fruit and veggie intake lowers the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. I assure you, that if you increase fruit and veggie consumption, you will undoubtedly see improvements in your digestion, gut health, and overall well-being.
Veggies First:
Eat AT LEAST 3 portions of vegetables every day. This is simply the bare minimum of veggies that you should be eating daily. Ideally, I recommended that you consume 6-7 portions of vegetables per day.
What counts as a vegetable “portion”?
1 portion of veggies = 1 cup of raw leafy vegetable
1 portion of veggies = ½ cup of cooked or chopped vegetables
Here are some examples of portions for everyday plant centered eating:
½ cup of cooked, leafy cruciferous green
1 cup of raw leafy cruciferous green
½ cup of chopped, sliced, spiralized, grated veggies
½ cup of tomatoes, bell peppers or half of a a large whole tomato or whole bell pepper
½ cup of squash, pumpkin, zucchini, or sweet potato (pureed or cubed)
½ large, baked sweet potato
If you fill half of your plate with veggies at lunch and dinner, you should be on track to reach your veggie goal. Also, if you add 1 portion of vegetables to your breakfast and snacks, you will most likely be getting all the vegetable portions needed to reap the health benefits of plant-centered eating.
Here’s a sample menu that will allow you to easily eat 8 portions of veggies per day:
Breakfast: Green Smoothie and Yogurt
1 cup of green smoothie (add 1 cup of raw spinach to your favorite smoothie recipe) with a side of plain yogurt (vegan or dairy) and blueberries:
How many veggie portions are in this breakfast?
Contains 1 portion of veggies
Snack: Hummus with ½ cup of Bell Pepper Slices
How many veggie portions are in this Snack?
1 portion of veggies
Lunch: Tofu Quinoa Kale Salad
How many veggie portions are in this lunch? 3 portions
1 cup of raw kale: 1 portion of veggies
½ cup of chopped tomatoes: 1 portion of veggies
½ cup of chopped bell peppers: 1 portion of veggies
Snack: ½ cup of almonds and ½ cup of blueberries
How many veggie portions are in this Snack?
Veggie portions: 0
Dinner: Lentil Soup with a side of roasted butternut squash, and zucchini
How many veggie portions are in this dinner? 4 portions
1 cup of lentils: 2 portion of veggies
1 cup of roasted butternut and zucchini squash: 2 portions of veggies
Total Daily Vegetable intake: 9 portions of vegetables!
Amazing! As you can see, if you are diligent about including veggies in most meals and some snacks, you will easily be able to reap all the health benefits from a plant-centered philosophy.
It is all about a colorful plate! Eat Veggies from the 5 vegetable subgroups that include: dark green veggies, red and orange veggies, legumes (beans and peas), and even some starchy vegetables. Who doesn’t love a baked potato with and veggie sandwich? The more colors you eat, the more diverse nutrients you get! (Stay Tuned for a future post on Colors and Nutrients).
Frozen, fresh, and even canned- it all counts as veggies. Most canned vegetables (except for beans) are not my favorite, because I don’t think they are as succulent as fresh veggies. However, canned veggies are budget friendly and convenient! Just remember to look for canned vegetables with no added fat or preservatives whenever possible. Preferably purchase canned vegetables that are low in added salt/sodium. If you buy canned veggies with preservatives, rinse them thoroughly. Frozen and Fresh Veggies are best!
Always keep dry beans and organic canned beans in your pantry. I love cooking beans from scratch, but let’s face it…. We don’t always have the time! Canned beans are so versatile and are a quick way to increase your veggie, fiber, and protein intake. Although organic canned beans are packed in sea salt, they are a healthier alternative to regular canned beans, since they have no added artificial preservative and stabilizers. If you buy non-organic canned beans with preservatives, rinse them thoroughly. If you are trying to reduce your salt/sodium intake, make sure to also rinse organic canned beans packed in salt before eating.
Frozen Greens are a healthy and affordable addition to any smoothie! I always buy a big bag of frozen greens and throw 1 cup of them into my morning smoothie. NO SWEAT!
Let’s explore good portions from the different vegetable groups:
Works Cited
Click to access f&v_intake_measurement.pdf
Click to access HealthyUS-StylePattern-RecommendedIntakeAmounts.pdf
https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPatterns
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-3/
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables
https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyw319/3039477/Fruit-and-vegetable-intake-and-the-risk-of