Why do we need to eat vegetables?
- Vegetables are an important source of nutrients including potassium, folate (folic acid), dietary fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C.
- Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables may protect against certain types of cancers.
- Eating a diet of filled with fruits and vegetables can decrease your risk of heart disease including heart attack and stroke.
- Diets rich in fiber can decrease your risk of Type 2 Diabetes and stroke.
- Eating vegetables high in potassium can decrease your blood pressure, reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help decrease bone loss.
- Eating vegetables that are low in calories per cup can help lower calorie intake (instead of eating higher calorie foods).
How much vegetables do my children and I need to eat?
| Daily Vegetable Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| Daily Recommendation* | ||
| Children | 2-3 years old | 1 cup |
| 4-8 years old | 1 ½ cups | |
| Girls | 9-13 years old | 2 cups |
| 14-18 years old | 2 ½ cups | |
| Boys | 9-13 years old | 2 ½ cups |
| 14-18 years old | 3 cups | |
| Women | 19-30 years old | 2 ½ cups |
| 31-50 years old | 2 ½ cups | |
| 51+ years old | 2 cups | |
| Men | 19-30 years old | 3 cups |
| 31-50 years old | 3 cups | |
| 51+ years old | 2 ½ cups |
So what counts as a serving of vegetables? 1 cup of raw/cooked vegetables, 1 cup of vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens.
| Amount that counts as 1 cup of vegetable | Amount that counts as 1/2 cup of vegetables | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Green Vegetables | Broccoli | 1 cup, chopped or florets3 spears 5″ long raw or cooked | |
| Greens (collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale) | 1 cup, cooked | ||
| Spinach | 1 cup, cooked2 cups, raw | 1 cup, raw | |
| Raw leafy greens: Spinach, romaine, watercress, dark green leafy lettuce, endive, escarole | 2 cups, raw | 1 cup, raw | |
| Red and Orange Vegetables | Carrots | 1 cup, strips, slices, or chopped, raw or cooked 2 medium 1 cup baby carrots (about 12) | 1 medium carrot About 6 baby carrots |
| Pumpkin | 1 cup, mashed, cooked | ||
| Red peppers | 1 cup, chopped, raw, or cooked 1 large pepper (3″ diameter, 3 3/4″ long) | 1 small pepper | |
| Tomatoes | 1 large raw whole (3″) 1 cup, chopped or sliced, raw, canned, or cooked | 1 small raw whole (2 1/4″ diameter) 1 medium canned | |
| Tomato juice | 1 cup | ½ cup | |
| Sweet potato | 1 large baked (2 ¼” or more diameter) 1 cup, sliced or mashed, cooked | ||
| Winter squash (acorn, butternut, hubbard) | 1 cup, cubed, cooked | ½ acorn squash, baked = ¾ cup | |
| Beans and Peas | Dry beans and peas (such as black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, or soy beans, or black-eyed peas or split peas) | 1 cup, whole or mashed, cooked | |
| Starchy Vegetables | Corn, yellow or white | 1 cup 1 large ear (8″ to 9″ long) | 1 small ear (about 6″ long) |
| Green peas | 1 cup | ||
| White potatoes | 1 cup, diced, mashed 1 medium boiled or baked potato (2 ½” to 3″ diameter) | ||
| Other Vegetables | Bean sprouts | 1 cup, cooked | |
| Cabbage, green | 1 cup, chopped or shredded raw or cooked | ||
| Cauliflower | 1 cup, pieces or florets raw or cooked | ||
| Celery | 1 cup, diced or sliced, raw or cooked 2 large stalks (11″ to 12″ long) | 1 large stalk (11″ to 12″ long) | |
| Cucumbers | 1 cup, raw, sliced or chopped | ||
| Green or wax beans | 1 cup, cooked | ||
| Green peppers | 1 cup, chopped, raw or cooked 1 large pepper (3″ diameter, 3 ¾” long) | 1 small pepper | |
| Lettuce, iceberg or head | 2 cups, raw, shredded or chopped | 1 cup, raw, shredded or chopped | |
| Mushrooms | 1 cup, raw or cooked | ||
| Onions | 1 cup, chopped, raw or cooked | ||
| Summer squash or zucchini | 1 cup, cooked, sliced or diced |
How do I get my kids to eat their veggies?
- Set a good example by eating vegetables for meals and snacks
- Let children decide which vegetables to have for dinner or which ones go into the salad
- Depending on age, children can shop, cook, chop, or peel vegetables
- Allow children to pick out a new vegetable while grocery shopping to try
- Use cut up vegetables as an after school snack
- Serve vegetables individually as rather than (2+) mixed vegetables
All information from https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month and https://www.choosemyplate.gov/