THE SECRET TO ENJOYING VEGETABLES MORE

Photo by Joyce Young

“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.” —Tom Robbins

NEW YEAR, OLD CUSTOMS

Perhaps it’s charm or maybe habit, but have you ever noticed that new beginnings are frequently linked with old customs? For example, new movies debut at historic theaters; new friends dine at storied restaurants. And—maybe more out of habit than charm—the new year prompts more focus on foods to eat for better health.

I’m sure there are additional explanations for the better-foods focus. Still, our interest in enhancing health may be heightened by the holiday’s welcomed break, media coverage, and feelings of starting fresh. While this focus may be short-lived, it may also be long enough for a new idea to take hold. When it comes to eating for superior health, there is hardly a better option than consuming more colorful and delicious vegetables.

VARIETY IS KEY

Consuming more colorful and delicious vegetables may be easier said than done. Just like our early human ancestors, we tend to prefer sweet-tasting vegetables over less-sweet tasting ones, although both kinds can be delicious. But our early ancestors also consumed abundant varieties of less-sweet, yet nutrient-rich plant foods regularly. Their diversified approach to eating played a key role in enabling humans to evolve.

A QUESTION SPURS A QUEST

“What are the health benefits of nopal cactus?” a friend asked me last year. Nopal cactus, also known as prickly pear, can be found in the produce department of many groceries. Although I had seen them for years, I hadn’t paid attention and couldn’t answer without further investigation. According to Dianne Onstad, author of Whole Foods Companion, the nopal cactus is rich in minerals and vitamins, helps fight infections, and may prevent chronic diseases.

In another discussion, Onstad highlights the fact that although there are hundreds of different types of vegetables and thousands of varieties of each, many of us consume fewer than a dozen regularly. While I’m a regular vegetable eater, I had to admit that I mostly consumed the same types of vegetables and would benefit from eating a larger variety. With this in mind I embarked on what has turned out to be a year-long quest to expand my vegetable palette.

I began by considering all the vegetables I don’t typically buy as candidates to try. Ease of preparation was a key selection requirement along with attractive appearance, taste, and cost. In general, I avoided anything that couldn’t be eaten raw or prepared using easy methods such as roasting, blanching, or braising. The new vegetables that I added included: asparagus, beets, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, romaine lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, pumpkin, daikon radish, rutabaga, and turnip.

I enjoyed a happy surprise when I realized that incorporating these vegetables doubled my vegetable repertoire. Although I like most of them, three of my favorites are pictured below.

I also could see that with a little attention and effort enlarging a vegetable palette doesn’t have to be burdensome.

Easy to Prepare and Enjoy

Photos by Joyce Young

RECONNECTING WITH EARTH’S BOUNTY

The process of increasing the variety of vegetables we eat can be as simple as adding a new vegetable each month. Lettuce is probably one of the easiest to adopt. All varieties of fresh lettuce are hydrating, and most are packed with nutrients. In addition, colorful, ready-to-eat lettuces can be found in most groceries and restaurants.

Purchasing ready-to-use vegetables is also an excellent strategy. Recipes can help. Allrecipes.com has many reliable and easy recipes. For in-depth information, my go-to is Food Lab author and Serious Eats contributor, J. Kenji López-Alt.

After a little experimentation, we may notice that our preference for vegetables has grown as has our enjoyment of more complex flavors. We may also note increased energy, better mood, and resistance to common illnesses—benefits that research on the effect of increased vegetable consumption has confirmed.

Ultimately we begin to realize that eating a larger variety of vegetables may be the secret to enjoying vegetables more.

If our intention or unstated new year’s resolution is to eat for better health, increasing vegetable consumption is surely the way to go. If you or your company want other extraordinary health-building approaches, contact us to find out more. 

Joyce M. Young, MD, MPH 
Managing Director, Advanced Wellness Systems
Lead Expert for the High Health Network

Photo by Korala G from Pexels

“The beginning of existence is nourishment. . . . The first condition of putting anything into your head and heart is to put something into your stomach.” —Ludwig Feuerbach