Eating the Rainbow, One Vegetable at a Time

By Eleanor Baker, MS, RD, LDN

How many servings of vegetables did you eat yesterday?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, “while Americans are consuming more vegetables and fruit than in 1970, the average U.S. diet still falls short of the recommendations in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines.”¹

The current 2015-2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming 2 ½ servings of vegetables per day on a 2000 calorie diet. One serving of vegetables is equivalent to:

·       1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables

·       1 cup of vegetable juice

·       2 cups leafy salad greens

·       ½ cup of dried vegetables²

Don’t have a measuring cup on you? No worries! Did you know that your fist (or a baseball) is roughly the size of one cup and therefore half of your fist is equal to ½ cup. Vegetables are great sources of “dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, copper, magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folate, iron, manganese, thiamin, niacin, and choline.”²

Want to take your nutrition to the next level?

Overall weekly goals are broken down further into vegetable subgroups. For the 2000 calorie diet you should consume:

·       Dark-green: 1 ½ servings

o   Provide the most vitamin K

·       Red and orange: 5 ½ servings

o   Provide the most vitamin A

·       Legumes (beans & peas): 1 ½ servings

o   Great sources of dietary fiber

·       Starchy: 5 servings

o   Potassium power houses

·       Other: 4 servings²

When you hear the slogan “eat the rainbow”, you should think about all those vibrant and delicious vegetables out there! Every meal should include a variety of colors from either vegetables, herbs, and or fruit. A beautiful, colorful plate is essential to a healthful diet.

Follow these simple tips to help you easily reach your daily recommendations for vegetables while aiding in weight management, disease prevention, and increased energy!

1. Make half of your plate at lunch and dinner vegetables

2. Blend in frozen spinach into your morning smoothie

3. Snack on sugar snap peas, roasted cauliflower with red pepper flakes, or tomatoes. Whip up Greek yogurt dip (= 1 packet favorite dry dressing mix + 17.6 oz Plain Greek Yogurt) spice things up.

4. Add sprouts to breakfast sandwiches, hoagies, or tacos

5. Try spriulized vegetables (available at the grocery store now!) in place of pasta in your favorite pasta dish. Yellow zucchini squash have a mild flavor and are a great place to start!

References:

1. Food Availability and Consumption. USDA: Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-availability-and-consumption/. Updated Oct 18^th, 2016. Accessed Sept 6^th, 2017.

2. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, HHS, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.) & USDA , Center for Nutrition Policy Promotion (U.S.). “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dietary-guidelines-for-americans-2015-2020/id1169811308?mt=11