Why Aren’t we Eating our Veggies?

Do you get enough veggies in your diet? The sad reality is probably not. Last week, in celebration of National Eat your Vegetables Day, Subway publicized their study findings (among 2,019 Americans) that an astounding 84 percent aren’t meeting daily requirements. In Canada, when it comes to meeting the 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables, men eat around 3.5 servings and women eat 4.5 per day. Needless to say, we have room for improvement!

Let’s explore why it’s so challenging to get enough veggies (and fruits) in our diets? Then in part two of this series, I’ll provide my top 7 veggie boosting tips to help you meet your daily requirements with ease!

Why do we Need Veggies?

1. Prevents widespread health problems (heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity etc.)
2. Helps to prevent some types of cancers
3. Low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals (potassium, vitamin K, folic acid, vitamin A, carotenoids, etc.)

What is a Fruit or Vegetable Serving?

• ½ cup of cooked or fresh (zucchini, peppers, tomato, cucumber etc.)
• 1 cup leafy greens (salad, spinach, kale)
• Medium sized apple, orange, pear etc.
• ½ banana or ½ grapefruit
• ½ cup berries (blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries)

DYK: that 1 medium sized apple, orange, pear etc. is 1 serving of fruit? Click To Tweet

What’s Your Excuse?

-Nothing is preventing me (47 percent of Subway research participants)

-“Too expensive” (14 percent)

-“Dislike the way they taste” (11 percent)

“Preparing them takes too long” (10 percent)

Bottom Line:

The best way to improve our diet is to eat more of these obviously wholesome foods– vegetables and fruits! There is always room for improvement! On a positive note, nearly all Canadians have done something to improve their eating and drinking habits over the past year (Tracking Nutrition Trends, 2014), which includes 68% stating they are eating more fruits and vegetables.  We are on the right track! Stay tuned to next blog with tips to get your there!