Health Benefits of Veggies

When you were a kid, did your mom always tell you to eat your veggies? Did you listen? Hopefully you did as research today shows there are many health benefits to eating them. Let’s list a few: 

1. Vegetables are rich in fibre, that may help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Results of a study in this article from Produce For Better Health show women who ate lots of fruits and veggies had healthier arteries later in life. Therefore, reducing their risk of heart attack or stroke.

2. Vegetables are a great source of antioxidants, which may help reduce your risk of developing some types of cancer.

This Harvard Health article tells us ‘a healthy diet should go heavy on vegetables….’

3. Vegetables are low in calories and fat. That means you can really fill yourself up by eating lots of them, without consuming too many calories. This may reduce your risk of obesity and help with managing your weight.

For example, a cup of red peppers has approximately 60 calories and less than one gram of fat while two chocolate chip cookies is about 160 calories with approximately 9 grams of fat. 

To keep the calorie count down on veggies, be mindful of how you prepare and cook them. That dollop of butter or cheese will bring the calories and fat content up. Cook veggies in broth instead of water and add herbs to complement the flavor.   

4. Vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals that contribute to overall health and well-being - they are a gold mine of nutrients and should be eaten with every meal.

• Peppers are excellent sources of Vitamins A and C and potassium.
• Tomatoes are rich sources of folate, Vitamin C, and potassium.
• Cucumbers are also a source of Vitamin C and potassium.

Some tips on how to up the ante on your vegetable intake:

• Eat a variety of veggies in terms of type and colour so you consume a breadth of nutrients.
• Wash and cut them up and then leave for hungry eyes to see.
• Broaden your palate by trying vegetables you have never eaten before.
• Create a meal around veggies at least once a week instead of making them a side dish.

For some tips on Growing Healthy Kids, click here. Or read more here about How To Get Your Kids To Eat More Produce.  Click here for recipes loaded with fruits and veggies.

To find Red Sun Farms near you click here.