Your Mom probably said many times “eat your vegetables” and if you didn’t like what was on your plate you may not have seen the wisdom in that comment. But as time passed, we see more anymore the vital importance vegetables play in our health and longevity.
Top 10 Reasons Vegetables Are Good for You
they are the major source of minerals that you cannot get from animal foods
they provide antioxidants that guard against early aging, cancer, heart disease and diabetes
they provide digestive fiber that supports the digestive system and bowel regularity
they are quite low in calories as compared with other foods
there are more than 100 vegetables to choose from
because of the fiber in them, they keep you feeling full
they provide a variety of flavors for the palate, including sweet, salty, sour, pungent and bitter
they are very inexpensive
they are one of the best foods for weight loss
they are part of a healthy diet plan
I could probably name another 10 or 20 reasons vegetables are good for you, and you may have some reasons too. The bottom line is we should all be eating many vegetables every day, with 5-7 servings at a minimum
Preparing Vegetables Is Easy
If you are not used to preparing vegetables I recommend you stock your kitchen with the following tools:
a high quality santuko 7# knife for chopping
a colander for draining
a steamer for cooking
drawstring vegetable bags for buying and storing
a shredder, food processor or spiralizer for prepping
a grater
a cutting board
a blender for smoothies or pureed soup
As with all cooking, having simple tools makes it easy to prepare your vegetables. Shy away from buying every imaginable tool you see in a kitchen store - you really don’t need more than the simple list I just gave you. Having too many tools can discourage you from starting to build a daily habit of preparing vegetables.
Healthy Meal Plans
Vegetables needn’t be saved for dinner. Start your day with a breakfast of protein like egg or non-dairy yogurt and a medley of onion, mushrooms, baby spinach and shredded carrots. You’ll already be well on your way to meeting your daily quota of vegetables, and you won’t get a mid-morning energy crash that you’d get from a white flour based bagel or muffin.
For all meals, make vegetables the main attraction on your plate. Complement them with a good protein source like lentils, beans, fish, eggs or non-dairy yogurt, and a whole grain like brown rice, quinoa, faro, or barley. You vegetables can be a medley like I described for breakfast or individual vegetables. or in salad form. Choose vegetables you like and enjoy them.
Wayne State University Medical School
Sadly, medical schools in the US thus far have devoted limited time to nutrition. However, the incoming class of first year medical school students at WSU Medical School were mandated to attend a class demonstrating the benefits of a plant based diet.
This is a welcome effort to educate physicians so they can help their patients. It’s important to note that we may think of heart disease, cancer and diabetes as major causes of death, but in fact it is poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking that are the causes, so improving nutrition is critical if we want to overcome these major diseases.
Visit my blog for simple recipes with vegetables.