And the Answer Is…..
Vegetables!
There is no substitute for the power of vegetables as part of your nutrition plan. Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.
Your mom is not the only one who knew the scoop on how great vegetables are for you. Here’s what Dr. John Berardi over at Precision Nutrition has to say:
“Eating higher levels of veggies and fruits are associated with a lower incidence of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Colon, prostate, cervical, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, thyroid, and breast cancer
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Stroke
- Osteoporosis
- and a lot more that aren’t on this list…”
Here’s a pretty cool graphic (also from PN) that illustrates another great thing about vegetables – they fill you up, literally!
You want to aim for 5 "fists" of vegetables per day. Ideally, the majority of those "fists" would come from non-starchy vegetables. Strive for 3-5 fists of non-starchy vegetables and 0-2 fists of starchy vegetables. (This is VERY important for Fat Loss)
Getting in 5 servings a day is much simpler than you might think, so no worries – ok?
The great thing about using your own fist as a guideline for portion control is that you always have it with you anywhere you go!
This means you should still keep your veggies in mind at restaurants, when eating on the go, or anywhere else.
It is almost impossible to over consume most non-starchy vegetables, so fill up on these foods without worry. If anything, put your effort towards making sure you eat enough of them, as opposed to too much.
"Every question you have about your health, chances are vegetables are the answer."- Coach Nancy
Here is one of my family's favorite recipe. It's for Vegetable Fettuccine. My kids love to help me make this but they devour it up as well. I serve it with our fantastic Spaghetti Sauce and Voila 5 servings of veggies easy peasy.
To Your Best Health,
Nancy
