Vegetables are Good for You!

Eat your vegetables - they are good for you! How many times did we hear that growing up? But why are eating veggies so important? It is time that we had an answer that is better than 'they are good for you.' Let’s talk about 3 important reasons to eat vegetables, how many you should be eating and how you should buy them.

What Makes Vegetables Good for You?

1.     Nutrient Density.  If we were just talking about nutrients essential to health, animal foods like organ meat and muscle meat win the nutrient battle.  But, vegetables provide a whole other category of nutrients not found in animal products.  These nutrients are called phytonutrients and are only found in plant materials.  They are antioxidants and though, not essential to life, studies have shown they reduce the risk of death, reduce oxidative damage and inflammation and just make our bodies function better.

2.     Low Caloric Density.  Vegetables have a high water content and are low in calories.  They make you feel full and they nourish us with things more important than energy.  Because vegetables are so satiating, they are not likely to make you gain weight.  Gotta love good food that is good for the waistline too!

3.     Microbiota-Accessible Carbohydrates.  The beneficial bacteria in your gut love the fiber from vegetables.  Your gut bacteria are responsible for regulating your immune system, producing neurotransmitters, directly impacting brain health and they are a major determinant of your metabolism.  Keeping your gut bacteria healthy and happy should be a primary concern and eating a variety of vegetables will do just that.

How many vegetables should we eat each day?  More vegetables than a vegetarian.  At a minimum, you should include 2 servings of vegetables at each meal.  Vegetables include non-starchy vegetables like greens, beets and cauliflower, starchy vegetables like squash, pumpkin and carrots, and tubers like sweet potatoes, yucca and white potatoes.  As you are choosing your vegetables, make sure that you include veggies of every color and eat lots of variety. 

Should your vegetables be organic?  This is a tough question because even organic vegetables can travel hundreds of miles to your grocery store losing valuable nutrients every day they have been picked.  I would encourage you to shop at farm’s markets and subscribe to CSA’s to get the freshest produce possible ensuring the most nutritional value.  As the weather gets cooler and farmer’s market are closing, you have some tough decisions to make.  I choose organic vs. conventional based on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen.  Frozen is a great choice because the produce is frozen shortly after being picked and it hasn’t lost valuable nutrition in transport.  Many producers are now putting the picked date on their produce and that is very helpful in your decision-making.  Remember that buying produce that is in season will help to make sure that it is the freshest possible and at the best price.

Eating large amounts of vegetables is more important to me than organic vs. conventional.  Just eat your vegetables – they are good for you!