Eat your vegetables every day, all nine servings of them

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Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Eat your vegetables every day, all nine servings of them

By HSIAO-CHING CHOU
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER FOOD WRITER

Eat your fruits and vegetables because it's good for you. So what else is new? Our mothers have been telling us that for as far back as we can remember. Now, however, with the new dietary guidelines set by the government, we're supposed to incorporate nine servings of fruits and vegetables into each day.

On Food: Don't fret -- they're just guidelines

Nine servings.

It sounds outrageous, just like it is having to drink eight glasses of water a day or conceding that a pint of ice cream indeed contains four portions. But, it's not as bad as you think.

The nine servings break down to 2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, or roughly 1/2 cup of diced fruit or 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables per serving. (No, canned fruit cocktail does not count; the syrup negates any good that comes from the fruit. Yes, frozen or canned vegetables are acceptable.)

Still daunting? Consider it this way: If you eat a banana with your breakfast (1 serving); an entree salad for lunch (which may be at least 3 cups of greens, or 3 servings); an orange for an afternoon snack (1 serving); a bean salad to accompany dinner (1 cup, or 2 servings); and a mixed berry compote with a dollop of plain yogurt for dessert (1 cup, or 2 servings).

Perhaps you have a homemade fruit salad of 1 1/2 cups of melon chunks, grapes, pears and such for breakfast (3 servings); a small grilled chicken breast with a large side of, say, pea pods and carrots sauteed in a little olive oil for lunch (1 cup, 2 servings); and a dinner salad containing mixed greens, red onions, yellow bell peppers, with some sectioned citrus fruit tossed in (a total of 4 servings).

Another way to think about it, says Lola O'Rourke, local spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, is to fill half your plate with vegetables and split the other half between a lean protein and a whole grain product.

"If you try to include a fruit or vegetable with every meal, it won't be as hard as people think," O'Rourke says. "You can use a little bit of fat to enhance the flavoring, but choose vegetable fats, such as olive oil."

The bottom-line message from the government, she adds, is that "there really is a place for all foods," though potatoes and iceberg lettuce, which are the most consumed vegetables by Americans, shouldn't be the only ones.

VARIETY

While a salad of iceberg lettuce is perfectly acceptable, don’t limit yourself. Mixed field greens – which might include arugula, baby romaine, radicchio, spinach and such – offer the most benefits. Be sure to incorporate vegetables and fruits of different colors, which indicate sources of different nutrients. Orange vegetables and fruits, for example, offer vitamin A. Cooked dry beans and bananas or plantains are good sources of potassium.

SEASONS

Eat according to the seasons, too. Winter is not the best time for fresh berries, but it’s great for citrus fruits. Peas come in spring, tomatoes at the end of summer. Fruits and vegetables in season don’t cost as much as when they’re out of season and shipped from the other side of the world.

SIDE DISH NO MORE

The size of a vegetable serving is not so daunting in half-cup increments. But, to make it easier to fall within the guidelines, think of the vegetable as the center of the plate and the lean protein as the side dish. (Meat eaters, don’t fear. Shifting the focus does not make you a vegetarian.)

ONE PIECE

The general rule of thumb when it comes to self-contained fruit, such as apples, oranges or bananas, is that one piece equals a serving. But, if you want to get technical, the guidelines suggest that a half-cup of diced fruit is one serving. To that, a baseball-size apple, when diced, fills more than 1 cup, which comes to two servings.

SHORTCUTS

A fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and frozen fresh mixed fruit can satisfy several servings. Just avoid adding ingredients that are loaded with sugar or have too much fat, such as ice cream. A minestrone soup, chock-full of diced vegetables and beans, can take care of a few of your veggie needs.

ROASTED GARLIC AND BASIL DRESSING
MAKES 1 1/4 CUPS

3 to 4 large cloves garlic, unpeeled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 green onions (white part only), chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped and excess liquid drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the garlic in a small baking pan and brush with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Roast until golden and soft, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Peel the garlic and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the remaining olive oil, green onions, tomatoes, basil, lemon juice and vinegar and process until well blended. Use right away or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Note: This dressing is great over blanched fresh vegetables or pasta served at room temperature.

From "The Big Book of Vegetarian"

FRESH FRUIT SALAD WITH LIME-GINGER DRESSING
SERVES 6-8

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cups diced cantaloupe

2 cups diced honeydew melon

2 cups seedless red or green grapes

2 cups diced pineapple

1 1/2 cups diced papaya

1 cup halved hulled strawberries

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, honey, lime juice, lime zest and ginger. In a large bowl, combine all of the fruit with the dressing and toss to mix. Let stand for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

If not serving right away, cover the dressing and fruit separately and chill for up to 6 hours. When ready to serve, add the dressing to the fruit and mix gently.

From "The Big Book of Vegetarian"

KIDNEY BEAN SALAD IN MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
SERVES 6

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup sherry or balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup coarse-grain mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 or 4 ribs from celery heart, sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the beans and toss well to combine. Marinate the beans for at least 2 hours at room temperature, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Stir the celery and shallots into the bean mixture and serve.

From "Beans"

WARM BROCCOLI DI RAPE AND YUKON GOLD POTATO SALAD
SERVES 6

1 1/2-2 pounds broccoli di rape

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, any size

1/4 teaspoon or more salt

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

A pinch of dried red pepper flakes, or to taste

Rinse and trim the broccoli di rape. Separate any long stems that are joined together, and slice off the thick bottom end of each with a paring knife. Peel off the tough outer layer of the stems and remove the large outer leaves attached to the lower parts of the stems. (Broccoli di rape is mostly stem, not just florets. So don't throw the stem away, just the lower tough part.)

Cut the peeled stems into 4- or 5-inch lengths. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Put the cubes in a pot with cold water to cover by several inches, and heat to a boil. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes, then lay the greens and peeled stems on top of the potatoes, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Lift out the broccoli di rape and potatoes with a spider or other strainer, and lay them in a colander. Sprinkle about half the salt over the hot vegetables, let them drain and cool 1-2 minutes, then turn them into a mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil all over the pieces, and toss gently. Sprinkle on more salt and the pepper flakes to taste. Toss and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve on a warm platter, or put portions on warm salad plates.

From "Lidia's Family Table"

RESOURCES

Getting nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day is hardly the extent of the government's new dietary guidelines (exercise is part of the equation as well). For the full explanation, visit www.healthierus.gov Also visit www.5aday.gov for a produce color and nutrient guide, and other eating tips.

P-I food writer Hsiao-Ching Chou can be reached at 206-448-8117 or hsiaochingchou@seattlepi.com.

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