Why Vegetables
Did you know that only 8% of Australian adults eat enough vegetables on a daily basis?
Most of us have been taught from a young age that vegetables are important. Although we may have pushed our Brussels sprouts off our plates as kids, the humble vegetable is an essential component of a healthy diet, and the variety of nutrients in different vegetable types can have a positive influence on overall health, and directly on our mood and mental health.
If you aren’t a big fan of vegetables, stick with us! We will provide you with delicious recipes and tips to help anyone fall in love with vegetables!
Vegetables are high fibre and are a satiating food (keeps you feeling full for longer). The fibre in vegetables is a key component of a healthy gut diet, as it acts as fuel for the gut microbes that have an influence on our health and many functions within the body.
Vegetables have a low energy content making them a great food to add volume into your diet without contributing to excess energy intake, so are essential for healthy weight maintenance.
We also know that vegetables are packed full of important vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, B vitamins, folate, beta-carotene, and even calcium. Eating the recommended amount vegetables has been associated with reduced risk of chronic disease, however most Australian adults are not consuming the recommended 5 serves of vegetables each day.
What's a serve? One serve of vegetables = 75g
1 cup of raw salad vegetables
½ cup cooked vegetables