Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce your risk for:
· stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
· coronary heart disease.
· type 2 diabetes.
· certain cancers, such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum.
· kidney stones.
· bone loss.
To keep meals and snacks interesting, vary your veggie choices. Favor the dark or vividly colored vegetables, especially the deep green and orange ones, but continue to eat and enjoy the lighter colored vegetables to add variety to your diet.
Deeply colored vegetables and fruits contain the most vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This includes all dark green, deep red, purple, and bright orange or yellow plant foods. Eat more dark-green veggies like broccoli, spinach, and other dark leafy greens. Include more orange vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes in your diet, as well as legumes (dry beans and peas).
Choose a Variety of Vegetables Every Day From the Five Subgroups:
Dark Green: bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, dark green leafy lettuce, kale, mesclun (a mixture of young tender greens such as lettuces, arugula, and chicory), mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, and watercress.
Orange Vegetables: acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, hubbard squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.
Dry Beans and Peas: black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, lima beans (mature), navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, tofu (bean curd made from soybeans), and white beans.
Starchy Vegetables: corn, green peas, lima beans (green), and potatoes.
Other: artichokes, asparagus, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, green or red peppers, iceberg (head) lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, tomatoes, tomato juice, vegetable juice, turnips, wax beans, and zucchini.
What Counts as a Cup?
1 cup = 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables,
1 cup of vegetable juice, or
2 cups raw leafy greens
For example, 1 cup of cooked spinach counts as 1 cup of vegetables, while 2 cups of raw spinach is equivalent to 1 cup of vegetables.
Other Amounts That Count as 1 Cup:
Broccoli: 3 spears 5" long raw or cooked
Carrots: 2 medium or about 12 baby carrots
Sweet potato: 1 large baked (2¼"+ diameter)
Tofu: 1 cup ½" cubes (about 8 oz.)
Corn: 1 large ear (8" to 9" long)
White potatoes: 1 medium boiled or baked (2½"-3" diameter); French fried*: 20 strips (2½" to 4" long)
(*Contains discretionary calories.)
Celery: 2 large stalks (11" to 12" long)
Green or red peppers: 1 large pepper (3" diameter, 3¾" long)
Tomatoes: 1 large raw whole (3")
For additional 1-cup equivalents, visit www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetables_counts.html
Debbie Wilburn is County Agent/Family and Consumer Science Agent with the Hall (770)535-8290 and the Forsyth (770)887-2418 County Extension Service.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/1/97897