|
Sorry
to disappoint you. Delicious as fruit are, they are no match to
the nutritional pwer of veggies. Fruits provided plenty of
vitamin A and C, but for B, E, K and most of the minerals,
veggies are better bets. The same
is true for phytochemicals and
fibre.
You would have to eat huge portions of a variety of fruits to
make up for what you’re missing by skipping veggies.
If you absolutely cannot stomach vegetables, eating extra fruit
will compensate to some degree, but fruits and vegetables ate
not nutritionally identical. For instance, while both vegetables
and fruits have nutrients like vitamins C and A (in the form of
beta chemicals) are present in vegetables alone. Cruciferous
vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, and nolkhol, for example,
contain a compound called sulforaphane that appears to increase
the body’s production of enzymes that ward off cancer-promoting
agents. |
|
Eating
the same breakfast, lunch and dinner every day isn’t just
boring, it’s also nutritionally shortsighted. Dietary variety
ensures that you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs,
especially if you’re dieting. Depending on what your three
squares contain (or don’t), you could be missing out on your
daily requirements for any number of nutrients, including
calcium, iron, folic acid and antioxidants. Worse, the potential
for overloading on some harmful substances, like preservatives
or environmental pollutants such us mercury, is higher.

To find out if your diet could use more variety, tally how many
different foods you eat in a three day period. According to the
USDA, 16 or higher means you’ve got ample variety, but a score
of 6 or less means you’re probably shortchanging yourself. In
fact, a study examining the diets of nearly 10,000 men and women
found that consuming increased dietary variety within each food
group can boost nutrient adequacy by up to 73 per cent. |