No more excuses - Eat your Vegetables! Part 1

Article written by Germaine Guzman.

Were you that kid that had the lucky waiting dog who received the unwanted vegetables from your dinner plate or did you sit at the dinner table playing with your vegetables until the coast was clear (parents not looking) and they could be secretly transferred to the bin, plant pot or mum’s plate? Well you probably won’t be surprised to learn that you were not alone! Many children hate vegetables and in some cases this trend goes on into adulthood. But can this all be changed and why should it be?

When I was a child I used to hate Brussels sprouts and I bet 90 per cent of you can say the same thing (and probably still dislike them!). There was nothing more repugnant than a plate full of moist steamed Brussels sprouts planted in front of me by my parents with that distinctive stench that made me want to gag. But now, I absolutely love them! Why may you ask? It’s because I’ve found a way to enjoy eating them. Simply sauté garlic and diced bacon in some olive oil, chuck in the chopped Brussels sprouts and the aroma is heavenly. Because it smells great, and looks appetizing, I can proudly admit that I am a reformed Brussels sprouts hater. For tips on ways to increase your vegetable intake, read our article titled 'Invasion of the Vegetable'.

But what’s so good about vegetables?

Many people struggle to eat the recommended amounts of vegetables each day. There are a variety of reasons for this. However, there is convincing evidence that a diet rich in vegetables can be protective against a number of health conditions including:

Type 2 Diabetes^{1, 4}
Coronary Heart Disease^{1, 4}
Stroke^{1, 4}
High Blood Pressure^{1, 4}
Eye diseases – Cataracts and Macular degeneration¹

There is also increasing scientific evidence pointing to the role vegetables may play in cancer protection and bone health. A new study reveals that vegetables with the highest anti-cancer potential make up only a ‘miniscule’ part of the average diet, and measures should be taken to boost consumption³. Other studies have proposed that a certain compound naturally found in cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower and broccoli, could potentially have preventative activity against hormone-responsive tumors, such as breast, ovarian and prostate cancer³. Another new study has found that increasing the alkali content of the diet by eating food such as fruits and vegetables may reduce calcium excretion and boost bone health².

We should all know that vegetables are beneficial and can improve our health in a powerful way but why can’t we meet these recommendations? The next article in this two part series will look at some of the excuses commonly used to get out of eating vegetables and ways to overcome these.

References

Linus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Research for Optimum Health, March 2009. Fruits & Vegetables [Online]. Available at http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/fruitveg/index.html [Accessed 4th May 2009].
Nutra Ingredients, December 2008. Fruit & veg may boost bone health: Study [Online]. Available at http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Fruit-and-veg-may-boost-bone-health-study [Accessed 4th May 2009].
Nutra Ingredients, October 2008. Unpopular veggies vital for cancer protection: Study [Online]. Available at http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Unpopular-veggies-vital-for-cancer-protection-Study [Accessed 4th May 2009].
Royal Children’s Hospital: Nutrition & Food Services and Better Health Channel, April 2008. Fruits & Vegetables - benefits [Online]. Available at http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Fruit_and_vegetables_benefits?OpenDocument [Accessed 4th May 2009].

Last updated 17 June 2009