It is common knowledge that vegetables are really good for you. Well, at least to your mother, since she always told you to eat them (‘or no dessert for you miss / mister’). Yet, when it comes to healthy habits, there is little that we find more challenging than eating enough of them. Even as (somewhat) sensible and responsible adults… And that’s a pity, since eating more vegetables is one of the best things we can do for not only improving our general health, but also losing weight.
Technically, vegetables are a source of carbohydrates – one of the three main macronutrients (the other two being protein and fats). However, not all carbohydrates are created equal. Vegetables are in a league of their own when it comes to nutrition value, And just like proteins, carbohydrates and fats, they deserve their own place in a balanced and healthy diet.
All fine and dandy… But how can we actually start eating more vegetables? Before we dive into that, let’s start with the mandatory but still important ‘why’. How can eating more veggies help us with reaching our physical goals?
According to recent research, eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can lower the chances of an early death by 42 percent. Which is great, because after you achieve your dream body, you probably want to show it for years to come, right? The positive health effects that vegetables give us are mostly the result of vitamins and minerals that aren’t found in other food sources.
Vegetables also contain a lot of fiber, which is essential for maintaining proper digestive health. Digestive health is a BIG part of our immune function and general well-being; that’s why it’s important to eat a variety of foods that support it. Those include foods containing probiotics, such as yogurt, but also vegetables, with their fiber content.
While it is no more than logical to focus on how we look, how we feel is probably more important. Your fit, athletic body probably won’t feel like much if your energy levels are low or you’re sick at home. With that said: eating more vegetables is one of the best ways to actually feel better.
But don’t worry, my six-pack / slim waist focused friend… It will help you to look better too!
The value of volume
One of the main reasons why vegetables are an essential part of a weight loss focused diet, is their volume compared to the amount of calories that they provide. Let’s say you want to consume 500 calories. In that case, you could pick a Quarter Pounder from McDonalds. But with that choice, you get little (quality) food, for a fairly large amount of calories. Good chance that you’ll probably feel hungry again an hour after your ‘fast food fix’.
You could also pick spinach. If you do, make sure you bring a big enough plate. Because 500 calories worth of spinach, translates to 2 (!) kilograms of this vegetable. That’s a whole lot of food to fit into your stomach. And then we still have the fiber content, which also has a big effect on satiety.
When it comes to vegetables, you can get a huge amount of food – and health benefits! – while keeping calories at a minimum. Eating plenty of veggies with your meals can help to fill you up, so you will desire and eat less of the foods that do contain more calories. Who knew your mother was such a weight loss guru?
Now that you know why you should eat your vegetables, let’s look at the tricky part: the how.
Getting those veggies
Throughout the years, different government organs and agencies suggested different guidelines regarding the amount of vegetables that we need to consume. Based on current research, the optimal amount would be 300 to 375 grams of veggies per day. If you are into measurement scales: get it out and go wild! But if weighing your food isn’t exactly your hobby, you’ll be happy to know that there is another very ‘handy’ measurement tool.
300-375 grams of veggies translates to 5-7 portions. One portion of vegetables is the size of your fist. In the case of leafy vegetables or salad greens, like kale or lettuce, a portion is closer to one and a half or two fists. So, to meet the guideline of 300 to 375 grams of veggies per day, we’ll have to eat 5-7 fists, spread out over the day.
Vegetables come in different shapes, forms, and colors. And they are all healthy – not one of them is off limits (except pizza, even if it contains tomato (sauce)). This means that you have a lot to choose from. Even if you’re not a big fan of veggies, you can always find a few kinds that you are willing to eat.
However, if possible, try to eat a variety of veggies throughout the week. A good reminder is to ‘eat the rainbow’. Choose vegetables of different colors. Green, red and white veggies all have their own characteristics with regards to taste, texture, and nutritional value.
Again: you don’t need to go from eating no vegetables, to 7 portions per day, overnight. If you currently eat very little of them, increase your vegetable consumption slowly over the course of the coming two weeks. Vegetables contain more fiber than other food sources, and increasing your veggie consumption too much too quickly, may lead to some uncomfortable gastric problems.
So, are you currently eating 3 portions of vegetables per day? Then over the course of the coming week, work up to eating 4 portions. The week after, work up to 5. Ease into it, and give yourself some time to try and experiment with different strategies. Here, I’ll highlight one of them.
The half plate rule
According to the ‘balanced meal’ template that I often use with my clients, one half of your plate should be reserved for vegetables. We can turn this guideline into a fun and useful rule, simply called the half plate rule.
The rule is that regardless of what you eat, half of your plate should always be filled with vegetables. Do you plan on eating pizza or burgers? That’s fine, as long as you fill half of your plate with vegetables. Did you finish your plate, but could you go for seconds? Go for it (yes, even for that extra slice of pizza), but again: fill half of your plate with vegetables.
The idea behind the half plate rule, is that you always have a simple reference point for your vegetable consumption. The less you have to think about a guideline the easier it should be to follow it. Even the ‘hand measurement’ hack that I described earlier, can be tricky at times. But once you’ve managed to put some vegetables on your plate, you’ll probably eat some of it. And it doesn’t get much simpler than filling half of your plate with them.
And should you decide to indulge in ‘less healthy’ food, then the vegetables that you use to fill up one half of your plate will keep you from eating too much of what’s on the other half. It’s a way to still eat your pizza, while naturally limiting the amount by using the satiating effect of the vegetables. But don’t keep this strategy for when you are only eating pizza or burgers. The half plate rule can be applied to every meal. And it’s probably one of the best ways to help you form and maintain a balanced diet.
So there you have it: a quick start for eating more vegetables. And in English, for a change! The reason for this is that at Best in You, there will always be English instructions available. Walk into my studio and you’ll find trainees coming from Hong Kong, Sweden, Ukraine and Estonia – to name a few. So even if you cannot speak Dutch, you are very welcome to join the fun! If you want to know more, use the contact form.
