Eat Your Vegetables

Vegetables are important for good health. They contain essential vitamins, minerals and fiber than may help to protect against chronic disease. “Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To get the recommended number of servings, many people need to increase the amount of vegetables they eat each day. To get a healthy variety of vegetables, think color. Eating vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients like fiber, potassium and vitamin A. Some examples include spinach, sweet potatoes, and yellow corn.

Here are some suggestions for incorporating more vegetables into your diet.

Roast vegetables. They are easy to make and taste great.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2. Chose hard, solid vegetables like peppers, squash, zucchini and root vegetables like carrots and onions.

Step 3. Cut vegetables into uniform pieces.

Step 4. Put vegetables in bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Step 5. Line roasting pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Step 6. Arrange vegetables in single layer in pan.

Step 7. Roast 10 minutes and then remove pan from oven and stir.

Step 8. Roast for additional 10 minutes.

Step 9. Remove from oven and serve.

Plan to plant a garden this spring. This is a great way to teach children how to garden and they are more likely to eat vegetables they have helped grow.

Buy pre-washed salad greens and carrots for quick salads.

Plan meals around vegetables. Stir-fry and soups are great ways to incorporate vegetables into entrees.

Add shredded carrots to muffins and quick breads.

For more information, go to www.fruitsandvegetablesmatter.gov