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I am more than familiar with the “five a day” concept of vegetables, but is there such a thing as an ideal intake of vegetables?
For example, are there guidelines for specific types of vegetables we should be eating?
– Maria Purken
(Location withheld)
There most certainly are guidelines.
Let’s first clarify the concept of “five a day” when it comes to vegetable intake.
At recent lectures and talks, some people have expressed confusion with the notion of “vegetable servings”.
“Five a day” refers to eating 5 half-cup servings of vegetables every day.
FYI: while most vegetable servings are set at a half-cup, it takes a whole cup of raw leafy green vegetables (like lettuce, spinach, and arugula) to make a serving.
In any case, of those recommended two-and-a-half cups of vegetables a day, here is how it should ideally break down, per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans:
- One half cup of dark, leafy green vegetables
- One half cup of orange vegetables
The remaining one-and-a-half cups can come from starchy vegetables (i.e.: potatoes, corn) or other non-starchy vegetables (i.e.: red peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, onions, etc.)
That said, I don’t like the nutritional tunnel-vision that can happen when one only considers daily intake.
I find it much more helpful to take a “bigger picture” approach and consider weekly consumption patterns.
I know from experience that there are days when I eat three servings of vegetables, and others where I might get as many as eight or nine.
In fact, the actual guidelines are expressed as weekly — rather than daily — amounts.
Bottom line, though, you want to make sure to get orange and dark, leafy green vegetables regularly!
Remember, too, that two-and-a-half-cups is simply a goal. It’s perfectly okay to have three or three-and-a-half-cups in one day.
PS: Vegetable servings aren’t as daunting as some people think. Consider, for example, that one of these servings is equal to ten baby carrots!
