A Wonderful Vegetarian Diet - Part 2
Fruit and vegetables
Many of us don’t eat enough from this food group, but whether you’re a vegetarian or not, the health benefits gained from eating fruit and vegetables have been extremely well documented.
It is often true however, that a well-planned vegetarian diet, tends to be higher in fiber and phytonutrients, and lower in saturated fat, than the typical meat-eater’s diet.
Top tips for making the best choices
Vegetables
- Buy fresh vegetables in season. They cost less and are likely to be at their peak nutritional value and flavour.
- Experiment with vegetables which you haven’t tried before. Include some raw veggies each day to increase variety. Try fresh, frozen or canned (choose low salt version).
- Your plate should include a wide variety of vegetable colours. Each colour contains different nutrients and beneficial properties.
- Buy vegetables that have been pre-washed and chopped for convenience, such as bags of salad greens, baby carrots or celery sticks.
- Eat a fresh salad every day. Use a dark green lettuce such as romaine, red leaf, green leaf, escarole, oak leaf, and batavia varieties, since these are higher in fibre and contain more beta carotene, compared to varieties such as iceberg.
- Keep a supply of frozen vegetables for quick and easy cooking.
- Add a mixture of cooked vegetables to your meals each day. Remember to cook in a little water, and as quickly as possible, to preserve most of the vitamin and mineral content. They can be steamed, microwaved, stir fried, and roasted.
How many servings of vegetables should you be having?
You should aim to have around 3-5 servings each day.
The USDA MyPyramid provide a helpful chart for estimating your daily requirements, according to age and sex.
What does a serving of vegetables look like?
- 1/2 cup cooked, chopped or raw vegetables, or 2 heaped tablespoons
- 1 bowl of salad
- 1 small glass of 100% vegetable juice (150mls)
Fruit
- Buy fresh fruit in season, when they may be less expensive and at their peak nutritional content and flavour.
- Don’t just concentrate on your favourite fruits, experiment with varieties you haven’t tasted before. Eat fresh, frozen and canned (natural juices).
- Try to include different colours of fruit. Just like vegetables, each colour contains different nutrients and beneficial properties.
- Don’t forget to eat the skin as well; this part of the fruit is highly nutritious.
- If time is a problem, buy pre-cut packages of fruit, for a healthy snack.
How many servings of fruit should you be having?
You should aim for around 2-4 servings each day.
Again the USDA MyPyramid provide a handy chart for estimating your daily requirements.
What does a serving of fruit look like?
- 1 whole medium fruit (apple, orange, banana)
- 2 small fruits, or a cup of very small fruits (2 kiwis, cup of grapes)
- 1 piece of a larger fruit (wedge of melon, half an avocado)
- 1/2 tablespoon of dried fruit (dates, sultanas)
- 1 small glass of 100% fruit juice (150mls)
If possible buy fruit and vegetables from locally grown suppliers, as much as possible, as these will contain the highest amount of nutrients. If you have access to a farmers’ market, their products are normally picked on the day prior to sale, and therefore these are the best option.
You may also want to check out my previous articles on this topic:
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