JessieMcfarland asked:


We all know that vegetables are greatly beneficial for the body, but yet we do not like to eat them much. The excuse is always in the taste. Eating raw vegetables are difficult for a start. They are hard to chew and taste blank. As the health benefits in eating more vegetables has far outweighed the taste part of it, it is good reason to find ways to make them more palatable and appealing to our taste buds.

# 1. Time the serving

Offer vegetables such as broccoli at the beginning of the meal when you and your family are feeling the hungriest. This way the tendency to eat the vegetables are most likeliest. Have them served in a variety of combinations and color such as boiled peas, potatoes, carrots, beans and corn.

# 2. Vegetables in sauces

Lightly steamed vegetables mixed with some sauces and herbs such as garlic do make a difference. My children do not like to eat them you may say. But with the lightly steamed vegetables mixed with oyster sauces and flaxseed oil, eating them is much more pleasant now. Even if your husband hates

vegetables, do not despair. Think of adding vegetables in some meat or seafood dishes cooked with some sauces in a casserole, he will tend to eat more vegetables than he realizes. Add the vegetables last after the meat is cooked so that the green color of the vegetables is preserved to

make them looked yummy.

# 3. Spaghetti sauce with vegetables

When serving your family favorite food such as spaghetti, remember to add in some vegetables into the sauce. Cook your minced meat first before adding chopped tomatoes, zucchini and broccoli into the sauce along with some garlic and herb.

Mix well the ingredients and your spaghetti dish is ready for serving. Your family will love the nutritious spaghetti dinner which is actually good for them.
# 4. Tasty vegetable soups

Bring to boil a small pot of soup cooked with some chicken bones or pork ribs. Throw in the green vegetables such as spinach and add in a pinch of salt and serve hot when the soup starts to boil again. The vegetable soup is nutritious as the vitamins are contained in the soup. It will make you feel full much faster and you tend to eat less of the other food portions.

# 5. Vegetable noodle snacks

If you are into eating ramen or instant noodles, adding in some cut carrots, cabbage and any green vegetables makes it a nice dish. It is fast to prepare and putting an egg or some meat to it makes this high carb food away from considering it a junk. Some may prefer to have it with raw

sliced cucumbers. You should refrain from adding too much of the unnatural soup based flavors as the sodium content is

high.

# 6. Mixed vegetables

Prepare vegetables in new ways such as stir frying very lightly with some salt or herbs. You can have plate of mixed vegetable fried together along with your favorite food, such as peas in macaroni and cheese or blend soft cooked carrots into mashed potatoes. Steam some sweet potatoes or bake this

high-fiber, vitamin-A rich food with a touch of sugar, cinnamon and cloves.

Eating more vegetables is an integral part of a weight loss program as it will help you to burn more calories and stay trim.

Georgina Cundall asked:

Eating fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to maintain good health. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals that can protect your body from diseases like diabetes, cancers, and heart diseases. Ideally, you should consume five kinds of vegetables and two kinds of fruits each day.

Fruits and vegetables are essential components of your daily diet. Some contain natural antioxidants that can help to keep you healthy and fit, providing nutrients which are valuable resources of energy and sustaining the quality of your life.

The common vitamins present in fruits and vegetables include vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and potassium. Almost all fruits and vegetables are low in fat and calories. Many are excellent sources of natural fiber.

Some health professionals recommend from five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables. The serving depends on your daily caloric intake. If you need around 2000 calories each day, you might need up to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

You should get best results if you consume a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating a single type or color of fruit and vegetable may not offer the required nutrition. Each type and color of fruit or vegetable that is generally available has some benefit.

To get the best nutrients from your fruits and vegetables, eat those which are in season in your region. Fresh produce has the best levels of the nutrients we may need during the season.

If you eat out-of-season fruits and vegetables, their nutrient value might be less, they will probably cost more and their production and transportation may have a greater financial and environmental cost.

Your diet has a critical role in defining your health and energy levels which affects every other part of your life. The fruits and vegetables you consume regularly are a powerful storehouse of beneficial, even vital, vitamins and nutrients which help out body to protect itself against many diseases and other negative factors in our environment.

Different fruits and vegetables offer varied benefits for your health.

Vegetables that are said to be high in antioxidants and nutrients include broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, onions, cauliflower, red peppers, squash, tomatoes, and garlic.

Fruits that some say are high in antioxidants and nutrients include apples, blueberries, apricots, bananas, cherries, cantaloupe, oranges, kiwifruits, peaches, and pink grapefruits.

Nutrients of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain many different varieties of nutrients. Some fruits and vegetables are a virtual storehouse of beneficial minerals like anthocyanins, resveratrol, lycopene, and more phytochemicals are being found as research into the fruits and vegetables is conducted.

Phytochemicals

These plant nutrients help sustain your body against the worst ravages of the aging process and may help to reduce health risks like heart ailments, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Some of the phytochemicals include:

Anthocyanins, available in blackberries, blueberries, cherries, eggplant, plums, and kiwi fruit are claimed by some to have important properties that may help reduce the occurrence of severity of some urinary tract infections.

Lycopene, available in watermelon, tomatoes, and pink grapefruit.

Resveratrol is available in red grapes and peanuts. CAUTION: more people are finding they may have an allergic reaction to peanuts every year

Suggested Servings of Fruit and Vegetables

People are often confused about the quantity indicated by a single serving or a cup.

Ideally, one cup refers to:

Vegetables

2 cups raw leafy vegetables

1 cup raw or cooked vegetables

1 cup baby carrots or approximately twelve carrots

1 cup cooked or canned dried beans or peas

1 medium potato

1 cup vegetable juice

Fruits

1 cup cut-up or cooked fruit

1 medium piece of fruit

1 large banana

1/2 cup dried fruit

1/4 small cantaloupe

1 cup berries or grapes

1 cup 100% fruit juice

A great e-book is focused on showing you the benefits which are claimed for adding more vegetables and fruit to your diet and broadening the choices which you know about. It will also give you a variety of tasty and nutritious recipes toward the end of the book.

To find out more fabulous information about how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle with more fruits and vegetables order your copy of Fabulous Fruit and Vegetables today.