Tips for Increasing Your Vegetable Intake

Why the aversion to vegetables?

Why do some people love vegetables while others hate them? Genetics may play a role. Research has shown that people who dislike cruciferous vegetables (ie broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage) have a sensitivity to taste a substance called PROP (a bitter-tasting component). It is also possible that you did not grow up eating vegetables and therefore never acquired a taste for them. Some of us don’t like the texture of vegetables. Whatever the case, most people do not consume adequate amounts of vegetables for good health.

Nutritional benefits of vegetables.

Vegetables are loaded with nutrients like vitamins, minerals (including calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium), fiber, and disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals. They aid in gastrointestinal health and may help lower cholesterol and lower the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Also, vegetables help with weight loss, as they can help you feel full, without the calories.

What is the size of a serving of vegetables?

One serving equals one-half cup of raw, cooked, or pureed vegetables (including tomato sauce and vegetable soup), one cup of raw, leafy greens, or four to six ounces of juice.

Tips to increase your vegetable intake

1. Be open-minded! It is possible to learn to enjoy vegetables.

2. Try sneaking them into your favorite dishes. Add shredded carrots to meatloaf or zucchini slices to lasagna. Add vegetables to your slice of pizza. Add some chopped carrots and onions to your soup. If those little bits of veggies repel you, try mashing them to further hide them.

3. Change your cooking method. If you usually steam vegetables, try roasting or grilling them. These cooking methods can change the texture and tend to impart more flavor. For example, I’m not a huge steamed asparagus eater, but I do love grilled asparagus that is brushed with a little olive oil. The same goes for the eggplant.

4. If you don’t like cooked vegetables, try raw ones. This can change the texture. Sometimes the dislike of vegetables is more of a texture issue.

5. Add different vegetables to salads (red bell pepper, grated carrots, grape tomatoes, chopped steamed broccoli, etc.). Try using a darker green lettuce or spinach as a base to increase the nutritional content.

6. Add interesting sauces to vegetables to help disguise them. Here are a few to try:

Teriyaki sauce, a little olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, ketchup, butter spray, low-fat salad dressing, sauté with garlic, ginger, a dash of soy sauce and a little rice wine vinegar or sprinkle on a handful of shredded low-fat cheese. If you like spicy and spicy foods, try adding some hot sauce to your vegetables. If you like sweeter foods, look for a marinade or sauce that tastes sweeter. Of course, if you are watching your weight, check the caloric intake of these sauces.

7. If you prefer sweet foods, try mashed sweet potatoes or winter squash with a little brown sugar and cinnamon.

8. If the whole texture thing bothers you, try drinking your vegetables. Juice them (try adding an apple or beetroot to the vegetables for added sweetness). You can also buy commercial vegetable juices (ieV8 juice). However, you may want to get the low sodium version, since the regular ones are loaded with sodium.

9. Make sure you eat several servings of fruit a day. While fruit does not contain the same nutrients found in vegetables, it does provide some of them (i.e. vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, etc.)