It’s important to know what you are trying to achieve and to set goals. Health focused organizations like National Institute of Health (NIH), American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommend at least 3 servings of vegetables daily but encourage 5 servings daily.
Why so many? Vegetables are low in calories, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins and minerals. They also have noncaloric compounds like antioxidants and phytochemicals that help our bodies work on the cellular level and protect our cells from damage and disease.
So what’s a serving of vegetables looks like? In general ½ cup of cooked or raw vegetables is a serving. 1 cup of raw leafy greens like spinach or salad greens is a serving. Most Americans aren’t coming close to that and our health is suffering as a result. This doesn’t mean 5 different vegetables every day- although variety is beneficial. It doesn’t mean vegetables 5 times a day either. It is okay to eat multiple servings at one time and it is okay to eat 2 or even 3 servings of the same vegetable.
So how do you increase vegetable intake?
- Incorporate vegetables as snacks like red pepper strips or carrots mid-afternoon.
- Eat multiple vegetable servings at once with an entree salad.
- Spread vegetables throughout the day, incorporating them into all meals. For instance, an omelette with peppers, onions, mushrooms and low fat cheese for breakfast, an entree salad for lunch, and roasted broccoli as side at dinner. It is reasonable if you plan ahead.
- Have vegetables on hand and at the ready so you are more likely to choose them. Make vegetables as convenient as a bag of chips and you’re intake will increase.
The first couple weeks of attempting this will be effortful and challenging. Stay the path. What is hard today will be tomorrow’s normal. You’ll be well on your way to mastering that “Eat Healthy”.
Vegetarian Minestrone
From: Food Network Magazine, Valerie Bertinelli
Level: Easy
Total: 45 min
Active: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 cups chopped collard greens (stems removed)
- 2 cups cooked orzo
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, 2 cups water, the cannellini beans, tomatoes, zucchini and vinegar.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the collard greens and simmer until the greens are tender, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the orzo.
- Season with salt. Top with the shredded parmesan.
RD Notes:
I chose this recipe for January because it is full of off-season produce and makes a complete meal with a protein component like beans. It’s also completely vegetarian and makes a great Meatless Monday choice.