Friday, February 4, 2011

Eating to Survive - Vegetables Food Group


"Vegetables provide our bodies with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber and can be really tasty and fun."

Vegetable stand with tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, eggplant and onions



Vegetables are the edible parts of plants consumed as food, for example, flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, roots, and seeds. Vegetables provide our bodies with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber and can be really tasty and fun. Here in the Caribbean, this group encompasses all foods that are dark green leafy, yellow, and other non-starchy vegetables.


As a tropical island, the Jamaican diet is filled with a variety of fresh vegetables as we have easy access to crops from home gardening and commercial farming. However, although we have access to vegetables we are still not consuming the recommended five servings per day of vegetables even though we are encouraged to do so. We do have access to mainly organic produce due to the size of the country and our current farming practices and we do tend to take this for granted. 

Glass of green juice with orange, and kiwi in the background

An easy way to introduce more vegetables into the diet is through juicing. Natural juices are very common in Jamaica and also very accessible. These juices are normally freshly made and bottled and sold to a ready market, they are consumed almost immediately and therefore I do endorse this form of vegetable consumption. These products are consumed by men who would like 'build their stamina.  My favorite juice combination is the Carrot and Cucumber with Lime which is very refreshing.

Here is a list of the vegetables we consume in the Caribbean and the measurement we use to determine a serving. well as the amount we refer to as servings.


DARK GREEN LEAFY, YELLOW, AND OTHER STARCHY VEGETABLES

MEASURE/EXCHANGE

GREEN LEAFY AND OTHER LOW-CALORIE VEGETABLES

Baghi

Vegetables such as those listed in this group may be used as desired if raw, as they do not have much energy. When cooked use only 1 cup. You may use these vegetables at each meal in addition to your other vegetable allowance.

Bamboo shoots

Cabbage

Callaloo bush (Dasheen leaves, Aramanthus)

Carailli

Cauliflower

Celery

Chives/green seasoning

Christophene/Chocho

Cress/Criches/Cressles

Cucumber

Kale

Lettuce

Melongene/Eggplant/Aubergine/Baigan

Mustard greens

Okra

Pak Choy/Bok Choi/Chinese Cabbage

Pawpaw, green

Spinach

Squash (Cucumber type)

Tomato

YELLOW AND OTHER VEGETABLES

Beetroot

½cup

Bodi

¾cup

Carrot

½cup

Chow Mein (Chinese vegetables)

½ cup

Mixed vegetables, canned

½ cup

Onions

1 medium or 2 small or ½ cup

Pumpkin

½cup

String beans, salad beans (immature pod)

¾ cup

Turnip

½cup


The next post will be a breakdown of the Fats and Oils food groups. As promised, we will then put all this information together to get a better understanding of meal planning and what it means to truly eat to survive.


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