I love vegetables. They are a wonderful component in a traditional, nutrient-dense diet.
Many mainstream “health-conscious” folks swear on their holy China Study that a plant-based diet is ideal for their health and the future of our earth. Based on so much that I have read and studied*, this doesn't seem quite right to me.
The rest of the modern world is still stuffing themselves sick with toxic, industrial food substitutes – fast food, processed foods, conventionally raised meat and dairy, chemicals, additives, etc. – eternally overfed and undernourished. Not good.
Despite the mixed messages out there, I do agree that most folks should be eating more veggies.
Here are five reasons you may not have considered for why you should eat your greens
#1 – You want to lose weight
Perhaps you are happily plump, and that's wonderful. But the majority of Americans are alarmingly overweight and on the road to serious obesity-related health issues.
Many are desperately seeking the next fad diet instead of opting for a simple, long-term solution for their health.
Vegetables are not calorically dense, so if you are carrying around extra pounds and are not currently eating veggies in an 80/20 proportion to other foods, try filling up at mealtime on a plate of greens or spaghetti squash topped with a generous pat of butter (and perhaps some grass fed meat or cheese).
A meal like this will leave you satiated while gradually trimming off excess weight over time. (An extra tip: Include starchy veggies like potatoes and yams and bread, grains, and pasta in the 20% for best results.)
#2 – You eat too many processed foods
Processed, packaged, and fast foods which are a mainstay of the Standard American Diet are both replete of unusable nutrition and packed with harmful additives.
Eliminating or reducing these processed foods and adding a big handful of veggies to each of your meals will help detoxify your body from toxic chemicals from food, environment, and stress. For those with health conditions caused or exacerbated by poor diet, drinking juiced greens may be a beneficial therapy to explore with a qualified health practitioner on your road to healing.
#3 – You need or want to save money
Buying produce in season is cheaper than buying grass fed meats, so balance out your budget by filling your plate with local seasonal veggies! ou can save money for high-quality
This means you can save money for high-quality grass fed beef and dairy, pastured chicken and eggs, forage fed pork, and wild caught seafood from a local, trusted source.
#4 – Vegetables are easy to grow yourself
Increasingly, more and more produce is being grown abroad or at least very, very far away from the store in which it is finally sold to you. This results in fruits and veggies that are expensive, tasteless, and nutritionally void.
Luckily, there's a whole array of garden delights you can grow with the tiniest amount of space, giving you the satisfaction of delicious homegrown food.
#5 – You eat grass fed meat and dairy
Seasonal vegetables are full of wonderful nutrients and flavors that can be unlocked with proper preparation and a dollop of good fat to maximize the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
So, steam your garden kale and toss it with a scoop of butter from grass fed cows. Chop up some broccoli and fold it into the dark yellow liquid of eggs from pasture raised hens for a simple breakfast omelet. Puree some flavorful seasonal veggies and herbs into bone broth for a nutritious cup of comfort food. And serve up your spring greens with a homemade dressing aside a juicy grass fed cheeseburger.
Do you eat lots of veggies (or think you should) for a reason not listed here?
*The Vegetarian Myth, Folks, This Ain't Normal, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Real Food, Food Inc., The China Study: Fact or Fallacy, and more.
Photo credit: nate steiner
Get your kids eating veggies when they are young, so that they are exposed to healthy foods at an early age and don’t become “picky” eaters.
Man, that first one made me laugh. I eat a ton of vegetables. They fill half my plate at every meal. My breakfasts and lunches are vegetable-based and with dinner I usually have two or three vegetables plus salad. I have veered from raw vegan to high-fat animal foods and through it all I have loved and eaten so, so many vegetables. But through it all my weight has stayed the same, give or take ten pounds. And that weight qualifies as “over-” according to the BMI. I’m not trying to lose weight so I’m not going to make vegetables a chore. I think it would be unfortunate if that’s how someone approached it.
Just the incredible variety of vegetables makes them appealing! I try to eat them with some fat for fullness (and happiness!).
what’s wrong with eating vegetables if you are skinny?
lol! Absolutely nothing wrong with eating veggies if you’re skinny, Julia. 😉
seasonal detox even for people who routinely eat nutritious/grass-based/healthy food – the bitter greens, spicy young sprouts, spring onions, etc. boost our immune systems that may have been beat down by winter illnesses
Well Fed Family – Great idea! I find that I instinctively crave those bitter greens in the spring – often going out of my way to get fresh juiced greens or eating a salad with dandelion greens.
Eating lots of fruits and veggies is the perfect way to keep your insides clean, which in turn, makes me feel more energetic. I have been eating all fruits and veggies today and I have gone to the bathroom about 4 times. Sorry, probably TMI, but it is the best and cheapest colon cleanse. 😉
I have a coworker who is strictly vegetarian and refers to The China Study every time the discussion of nutrition comes up. My family and I eat very clean: no refined sugars, no additives/preservatives, no processed foods. I buy grass fed beef and healthy pork and chicken (antibiotic and hormone free, pasture raised). I incorporate a lot of healthy saturated fats and bone broth into our diet with tons of fresh greens, other vegetables and fruit. She looks at me like I’m crazy and makes others in the group feel like I am wrong in my assessment that healthy meats and saturated fats are essential (based on my research and reading regarding absorption of nutrients and essential amino acids and cholesterol). How do I respond when she brings up The China Study? I’ve honestly haven’t read it but would like to know who sponsored it and what the weight of findings were behind their “recommendations”. Thanks so much!
@ Laura: You should look at Denise Minger’s research regarding The China Study and it’s flaws. Chris Masterjohn also has good info on it. Here’s an article from Chris Kresser with links to guide you. And you should tell your co-worker what Stephen Hawking said, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” And then just smile. Everyone has to make their own choice.
Ooops! Here’s the site: http://chriskresser.com/rest-in-peace-china-study