Let’s Add Some Greens to Your Plate!

Vegetables provide a plethora of health benefits, packed with important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. By incorporating more veggies into our daily diet, we can reduce our risk of various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

According to researchers, we should consume a minimum of six servings of vegetables each day. One serving consists of one cup raw, or half a cup of cooked, veggies. Unfortunately, we usually stick to the same two or three types of vegetables and fruits. However, adding more variety can be a simple way to keep your meals exciting while reaping the health benefits of an abundance of micronutrients.

Incorporating more vegetables into our diets is a simple way to improve our overall health and reduce our risk of common diseases. By trying a new vegetable every week, we can add variety to our diets, keeping our meals interesting and nutritious. Consider the list below a starting point for exploring new, healthy vegetable options.

This list consists of three categories which include vegetables (mostly green but not always), a “technically” fruit category but often thought of as vegetables, and sweet fruits that also contain green colored phytochemical. The vegetable list contains stems, flowers, or leaves of the plant which are commonly considered vegetables. On the other hand, “technically fruit” refers to those plant fruits that contain the seeds and are more savory than sweet. Savory fruits are perfect for mixing with other vegetables in soups or salads. Sweet fruits, however, are ideal for making fruit salads. If you aim to manage your blood sugar levels, it’s best to consume sweet fruits during breakfast while the other ones can be taken later in the day.

If you are looking to add some veggies to your plate, go ahead and try one of my favorite recipes: Cabbage Cashew Stir Fry.