You Can Drink Your Veggies

on October 31, 2008 at 4:06 PM

Kiwiana's kid is super healthy.

I'm constantly trying to eat more veggies. Most importantly, I'm trying to get my kids and DH to eat up, too. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend five servings a day, after all. And as much as I love my healthy foods, five servings always seems like a lot of carrots, bok choy and broccoli. Here's a tip that might make it easier: People who drink their veggie juice are more likely to eat it, too.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis gave some people V8 100% Vegetable Juice every day, and after six weeks, those were the ones who ate more veggies and reported that it was easier to get their recommended daily allowances.

I asked a dietician friend if this would be true if you made your own juice at home too. She said absolutely! Check out the private group The Natural Healing Garden for a thread on home juicing.

Now here's the big question: Do you get enough veggies?

Filed Under: diets, healthy habits, in the news, nutrition

Comments (3)

Kiwiana

on Nov 2, 2008 at 3:56 PM

Sean is not only "stealing" leek out of the shopping basket. Carrots and cucumber are not save either wink mini

One thing I realised with my two boys is that when you start veggies (and fruit) early they accept it as the right diet. The good thing about Kyle (5) being diabetic is that we are "forced" to eat healthy. Last weekend was Halloween. Yes, my two boys had some sweets too, but Sean (in the pic) went straight for the Frankfurters and bread rolls first. big smile mini

I can't wait to get out of the rental and back in our own house. I am dying to have my own little fruit and veggie patch again! At the moment, I got a few strawberries and beans which grow relatively easy in pots. But I want to grow silverbeet, truss tomatoes, rhubarb, gooseberries, apples and lemons too.

I should try veggie juice with the kids. I can't give Kyle too much fruit juice because of the fructose in it. But veggies are "neutrals" and veggie juice could be a good alternative to water if he wants something different. I have to check that next time I go to the supermarket ...

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AndreaRUJuiced

on Nov 10, 2008 at 2:58 PM

I get the nutrients from fruit instead - I do love fresh veggies, however, I am very sensitive to the pesticides and herbicides that our produce are treated with. Fruits and veggies carry the same nutrient and anti-oxidant value based on color... So dark fruits todark veggies same nutrients / light colored fruits to light colored veggies - and the longer ripened on the vine the better - once produce is picked it no longer is receiving the organic nutrients/vitamins/minerals from the ground - that is if it is not over processed with growth chemicals

LavenderRose10

on Jul 11, 2010 at 5:23 AM

We don't eat enough veggies so I try to juice vegetable every week and make fresh fruit shakes often. Having a balanced diet from natural foods is very important to me. I get organic produce for juicing so that it is pesticide free. There are vitamins and minerals that are in the fresh vegetables that so far have not been turned into a pill. So far, the health benefits have been amazing.