Eight ways to eat Eight
carolSIMONTACCHI csimontacchi@earthlink.net
Most of us have heard government recommendations to eat eight servings of vegetables per day. Actually, eight is a conservative number, because they recommend that men eat twelve (yes, 12) servings of vegetables per day, believing that vegetables are that important to health.

I agree. No dietary or lifestyle change does more for health than daily generous servings of fresh vegetables. Off the top of my head, I can think of eight reasons why they are so important:

1. Vegetables alkalinize the body.

2. Vegetables are a good source of minerals, and more so if they are organically grown.

3. Vegetables are high in fiber.

4. Vegetables decrease inflammation.

5. Vegetables nourish the heart, eyes, immune system, and bones and, come to think of it, every other organ system.

6. Vegetables are low in calories, helping us maintain a healthy weight.

7. Vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which helps protect against heart disease.

8. Vegetables contain thousands of phytochemicals not found in other foods, which helps protect against virtually every other disease, especially cancer.

In other words, vegetables increase your chances for a long, healthy life.

But the question I get is, "How can I possibly eat eight servings of vegetables a day? Impossible!"

Here are eight simple suggestions for increasing your vegetable consumption:

1. Enjoy hummus as a midday snack.

2. Make bean soup your lunch meal.

3. Roast, steam, or stir-fry vegetables for your dinner meal.

4. Use fresh vegetables to dip into your favorite dressing as an afternoon snack.

5. Stuff celery with peanut or almond butter as a bedtime snack.

6. Make a different type of vegetable soup each day and start dinner with a bowl.

7. Take a large salad to lunch every day

8. Put vegetables into your breakfast meal with breakfast burritos (refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, avocadoes and salsa) or salmon hash (potatoes, red and green bell peppers, lots of onions and garlic

See how simple it is?

Oh, one more thing: what is a serving size? About the size of your fist, or ½ cup. And eight servings of vegetables per day does not equal 4 cups of mashed potatoes… Variety (and brightly colored vegetables) is the key.

Carol Simontacchi is the owner of the Island

Nutrition Center on Sanibel. She can be reached

at 472-4499 or on the Web at www.islandnutritioncenter.

meta-ehealth.com.