The Power of Veggies

Vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and lots of other great stuff our bodies need. In fact, Dr. John Potter, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Cancer Prevention Research Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center says "When it comes to preventing cancer, eating more vegetables is second only to quitting smoking in its importance as a protective measure." With all that great publicity... it's hard to believe that not all Americans eat the minimum number of daily servings that health experts recommend.

"We should eat at least four servings a day, and six is ideal to maximize the health benefits vegetables offer," says Potter referring to the range of daily servings recommended in AICR's landmark report on the prevention of cancer. "Four servings a day may seem a great deal to those who don't realize how small a serving can be. A standard serving of cooked or raw vegetables, for example, is just one-half cup, a very modest amount."

While this 4-6 serving per day recommendation is in line with the USDA's current "five-a-day" campaign, newer research has shown that we may need more... as much as 9 servings per day! What's the big deal, including more vegetables in your diet isn't such a bad idea. Besides all the great health benefits, vegetables are inexpensive, readily available and low in fat and calories. Eating more could help you maintain your daily calorie needs and increase the health benefits mentioned above.

But you don't like vegetables and choose to get your "five-a-day" by eating fruits? While fruits may have some of the benefits of their less-sweet veggie cousins... they usually aren't as chock-full of vitamins, minerals and other healthful chemicals. The recommendations are to eat more vegetables than fruits and to choose a variety for the most health benefits. Obviously five servings of french fried potatoes doesn't offer the same benefits as 2 servings of broccoli, 1 serving of carrots, 1/2 tomato and 1 serving french fries.

You can boost your veggie intake by...

1. Add skewered veggies to the outdoor grill. Grilling and broiling intensifies and sweetens their flavors.
2. Increase the proportion of veggies in one-pot meals like stir-fry, soups, etc.
3. Eat vegetable-based meals a couple times per week. See our Healthy Recipe section using the keyword "vegetarian" for ideas.
4. Make veggies the main topping on pizza. Order "half the cheese" and you'll reduce the amount of calories and fat.
5. Add veggies to pasta, rice and pilaf dishes.
6. Eat them raw for snacks, with or without a dip.
7. Make healthy dips with puried vegetables.
8. Hide shredded, puried or diced veggies in prepared foods like pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc.
9. Drink vegetable juice or make your own at home with an inexpensive juicer. Combine different veggies, fruit or juices to create different flavors.
10. Add veggies like dark green leafy veggies (raw spinach, etc.), tomato, sliced cucumbers to sandwiches

Other tips...

• Don't overcook veggies. They loose some of their valuable vitamin and minerals when overcooked. Veggies should be cooked crisp-tender to retain their healthy qualities, texture and fiber.
• Don't cook vegetables in large amounts of water (boiling) unless you're planning to eat the cooking liquid (that would be soups, stews, etc.)
• Raw is best... fresh, raw vegetables have more nutrients. When fresh veggies aren't available choose frozen. Frozen vegetables retain more healthful nutrients than canned veggies, which are heated and stored in liquid.