Significance  of  vegetable and fruits in our diet

Vegetables a rich source of micronutrients and macronutrients

Fresh Vegetables and fruits are rich sources of micronutrients and macronutrients .The micronutrients present are minerals (like iron and calcium) and vitamins (like vitamin C, folic acid, B complex vitamins and carotenoids) whereas, the macronutrients present are complex carbohydrates/ fibre.

They contain abundant amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C, folic acid, carotenoids (precursors of vitamin A) and phytochemicals.

 

Vegetables –  A Source of Phytonutrients

Beyond simply being a mechanism for conveying calories, food from vegetables is a source of special ingredients than can prevent and treat disease and transform your health. These are called phytonutrients — special plant chemicals that are not calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, but special molecules that interact with your biology, special molecules that act like switches on your DNA to heal your body. Plants use colors as their protective mechanisms. Those colors are the sources of the phytonutrient that act like medicine in our bodies. We use their defense mechanisms to help our bodies function better — these are the anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, antioxidant and hormone-balancing compounds that we should eat every day to prevent disease.

 

Remember to eat the rainbow!

Color Vegetables and Fruits How it helps us

Red Group

Tomatoes
Pink grapefruit
Watermelon

These contain the carotenoid lycopene, which helps rid the body of free radicals that damage genes.
Lycopene seems to protect against prostate cancer as well as heart and lung disease
One glass of tomato juice gives you 50 percent of the recommended lycopene.

Yellow/Green Group

spinach greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, yellow corn, green peas, avocado

These are sources of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
These are believed to reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Lutein is a yellow-green substance that concentrates in the back of your eye. It may also reduce atherosclerosis.

Orange Group

carrots, mangos,  pumpkin,  squash, squash, sweet potatoes

These contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer.
They also contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
It protects the skin against free-radical damage and helps repair damaged DNA.
Beta-carotene is also good for night vision.

 

Orange/Yellow Group

pineapple, orange juice, oranges, papayas

These contain beta cryptothanxin, which helps cells in the body communicate and may help prevent heart disease.
In addition, a single orange contains 170 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C.
It’s interesting to note that the skin of an orange is high in a protective fat that has been found to kill cancer cells in humans and animals, which highlights the fact that two-thirds of all drugs come from the plant world.

Red/Purple Group

beets, eggplant, purple grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples

These are loaded with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins believed to protect against heart disease by preventing blood clots.
They may also delay the aging of cells in the body.
There is some evidence they may help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease

Green Group

broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kale

These contain the chemicals sulforaphane and isocyanate, and they also contain indoles, all of which help ward off cancer by inhibiting carcinogens.

White/Green Group

leeks, garlic, onions, celery, pears, white wine

The onion family contains allicin, which has anti-tumor properties.

 

Low  Calories and beauty

Many of the vegetables and fruits have low calories Large intake of low calorie vegetables and fruits can help in reducing calories in diet and help in obesity management. On the other hand vegetables like colocasia, potato, tapioca, yam, sweet potato and fruits like banana, avocado pear (215 Kcal) and mahua (111 Kcal) have more than 100 kcal per 100gram .

Its proven that eating vegetables make you look better too.

 

How much of vegetables should I consume?

The Expert Committee of the Indian Council of Medical Research, taking into consideration the nutrient requirements, has recommended that every individual should consume at least 300 g of vegetables (Green Leafy Vegetables : 50 g; Other vegetables : 200 g; Roots & Tubers : 50 g) in a day.

In addition, fresh fruits (100 g), should be consumed regularly. Since requirements of iron and folic acid are higher for pregnant women they should consume 100g of leafy vegetables daily.

High calorie vegetables and fruits to be restricted for overweight/ obese subjects.