We all understand eating vegetables daily is important. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and hundreds of phytonutrients. Most vegetables are low in energy compared to other foods and help us ‘feel fuller’ more quickly which can be very helpful in managing our weight.
Diets meeting the recommended five serves a day can help protect us against chronic diseases such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and some types of cancers. There is strong evidence for the relationship between high vegetable consumption and good health which has been reported for decades and continues to strengthen.
It is still important to eat vegetables that you enjoy versus vegetables that you don’t enjoy however; it is extremely beneficial to challenge yourself to aim for different coloured vegetables. Consuming a wide variety of colours ensures you have a greater chance of consuming many different types of nutrients because most of the goodness are usually found within the pigmentation of the skin in the vegetables.
Shockingly roughly 90% of Australians struggle to consume adequate number of vegetables daily and yet vegetable consumption is linked to better lifestyle management and reducing the risk of attaining chronic diseases. The research suggests that people living with a SCI struggle to meet the recommended vegetable serves and vitamins and minerals daily and should be encouraged to follow a healthy dietary pattern to correct any nutrient deficiencies.
Here are some tips to increase your vegetable consumption:
- Buy and cook frozen vegetables if its more convenient. There is not a lot of nutritional difference between fresh vs frozen veg
- Aim for half of your plate at main meals to be veg or free salad
- Use vegetables as a snack option like carrots and dip, chickpeas, baked beans
- Place leafy veg into smoothies. It may turn green, but the taste won’t change!
- Chop your vegetables up extra fine
- Fill up your sandwiches/wraps with more salad over meat, cheese or spreads
- Trial cooking a lot of stir fry’s. This gives you a variety of colours and flavours
This weeks recipe: I thought it would be a really great idea to share a recipe to increase vegetable intake during snacking opportunities. A different take on a traditional quiche recipe will provide a tasty little snack and a hit of vegetable in each little quiche boat. They can also be frozen and easily grabbed on the go if you have time constraints that day. Be sure to give this recipe a try and incorporate your favourite OR try different vegetables with this recipe. Enjoy!
Jump over to this week’s recipe.
If you have any questions about your diet or would like one-on-one dietary advice from your Able Dietician, send us a message letting us know what you’re after and we’ll be in touch to help you achieve your goals!
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