Answer:
A vitamin supplement, or even a chocolate vitamin shake, usually contains 25 percent or more of some vitamins or minerals that our bodies need. However, most lack the natural beneficial ingredients from the plants themselves, called "phytonutrients." These are the nutrients that you receive by eating vegetables versus taking a pill.
For example, beta-carotene is just 1 of the 400 different carotenoids, so when we eat vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, or sweet potatoes, we are likely to receive the benefit from many of these 400 phytonutrients found in the food itself versus only the beta-carotene found in the vitamin supplement. What's more, vegetables also contain beneficial fiber our bodies need.
Now the trick is how to get people to eat vegetables when they really don't like the taste of them! Here are some tips:
The Smooth Operator: Soups & stews are a good way to begin eating vegetables, because the vegetable flavors blend with other ingredients and therefore they are not so overwhelming. For smoothies, try adding a small amount of different vegetables to your fruit smoothie.
The Hide & Don't Seek Method: You can even go further by adding shredded/ pureed vegetables to soups, spaghetti sauces, lasagnas, dips.
The Slam Dunk: Serve a variety of colorful cut-up veggies (instead of chips) with a zippy flavorful low-fat dip or a low-fat ranch dressing.
On the Run: Six ounces of a low-sodium vegetable juice cocktail provides a quick serving of vegetables. Vegetable juice can also be added to many soups or main entrees instead of broth.
When all else fails, think cheese/seasonings: Cheese, preferably a reduced-fat cheese, always seems to make food taste better and it works for vegetables as well. Or, if you have to, try seasoning your vegetables with a little salt and low-fat spread to improve the taste of vegetables. As vegetables become part of your mainstay, try to lessen your use of the salt, cheese, and fat spread.
For example, beta-carotene is just 1 of the 400 different carotenoids, so when we eat vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, or sweet potatoes, we are likely to receive the benefit from many of these 400 phytonutrients found in the food itself versus only the beta-carotene found in the vitamin supplement. What's more, vegetables also contain beneficial fiber our bodies need.
Now the trick is how to get people to eat vegetables when they really don't like the taste of them! Here are some tips:
The Smooth Operator: Soups & stews are a good way to begin eating vegetables, because the vegetable flavors blend with other ingredients and therefore they are not so overwhelming. For smoothies, try adding a small amount of different vegetables to your fruit smoothie.
The Hide & Don't Seek Method: You can even go further by adding shredded/ pureed vegetables to soups, spaghetti sauces, lasagnas, dips.
The Slam Dunk: Serve a variety of colorful cut-up veggies (instead of chips) with a zippy flavorful low-fat dip or a low-fat ranch dressing.
On the Run: Six ounces of a low-sodium vegetable juice cocktail provides a quick serving of vegetables. Vegetable juice can also be added to many soups or main entrees instead of broth.
When all else fails, think cheese/seasonings: Cheese, preferably a reduced-fat cheese, always seems to make food taste better and it works for vegetables as well. Or, if you have to, try seasoning your vegetables with a little salt and low-fat spread to improve the taste of vegetables. As vegetables become part of your mainstay, try to lessen your use of the salt, cheese, and fat spread.