Boost Your Health with More Veggies : Add More Veggies Easily

Boost Your Health with More Veggies : Add More Veggies Easily

Boost Your Health with More Veggies : Add More Veggies Easily

Simple Ways to Add Greens to Your Diet:

Introduction: The Importance of Including Vegetables in Your Diet :

We all know that vegetables are essential for our health. The age-old advice to eat your greens remains relevant, and it's a consistent message across different nutrition perspectives. The World Cancer Research Fund suggests that consuming a minimum of 600 grams of non-starchy vegetables and fruits daily is crucial for maintaining our overall well-being. But what exactly does 600 grams mean? It translates to around 7 to 8 servings per day. Ideally, aim for 2-3 servings of fruit and allocate the remaining servings to non-starchy vegetables.

Are You Getting Enough Veggies? :

Take a moment to reflect: How many servings of vegetables do you actually have in a day? Including weekends and even Friday nights, are you meeting the recommended intake? While most of us strive for at least 5 servings a day, the reality is different. Shockingly, about 34 percent of people don't even manage three servings of vegetables daily. This figure, which includes starchy veggies, overestimates our intake of non-starchy veggies. Clearly, there's room for improvement.

The Benefits of Increasing Your Veggie Intake :

Increasing your vegetable consumption yields numerous benefits. It lowers your risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Moreover, it promotes a healthy digestive system and prevents constipation. If safeguarding your health isn't incentive enough, consider that consuming plenty of veggies enhances your skin's appearance and boosts your energy. Plus, it contributes to weight management, which is an added bonus.

Discover the Different Vegetable Types :

Not all vegetables are created equal. A potato doesn't offer the same nutritional value as a spinach leaf, and celery and pumpkin belong to different categories too. Vegetables can be categorized in various ways—by color, growth location, or their starch content. While the color and growth classifications are straightforward, understanding starchy versus non-starchy vegetables requires some clarity.

Deciphering Starchy vs. Non-Starchy Vegetables :

The starchy and non-starchy vegetable classification hinges on their starch content. Most vegetables contain carbohydrates (starch) and water, with small amounts of fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. A potato is clearly starchy, while a cucumber, packed with water, is not. However, certain vegetables like pumpkin, corn, peas, and carrots blur the lines.

Though there's no official definition, vegetables like potato, kumara, yam, taro, green banana, and corn—comprising 15-30 percent starch—fall into the starchy category. Those with lower starch content, such as peas (7%), pumpkin (6%), carrots (4%), and broccoli (2%), are considered less starchy or 'non-starchy'. Spinach, lettuce, mushrooms, and similar vegetables are clearly 'non-starchy'.

The Significance of Starchy Content :

The starchier vegetables are more energy-dense, containing more kilojoules per serving than those with less starch and more water. For example, a cup of cooked potato is 566 kilojoules (142 calories), while a cup of cooked broccoli is only 162 kilojoules (41 calories).

Choosing the Right Veggies for a Healthier You :

With the goal of enhancing your well-being, focus on increasing the intake of non-starchy vegetables rather than doubling up on starchy options. While including starchy vegetables in a balanced diet is fine, consider them similar to rice, pasta, and bread. To shift your intake gradually, start by adding an extra serving or two of vegetables per day until you're consuming much more than before.

Conclusion: A Greener Path to Wellness :

Elevating your vegetable consumption might seem challenging, especially if you're starting from a modest intake. However, the journey doesn't have to be immediate. By gradually incorporating more veggies into your meals, along with other nutrient-rich foods, ample sleep, and proper hydration, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling your best every day.

Content Source Courtesy : https://missionnutrition.co.nz/blog/posts/easy-ways-to-add-more-veggies/