instance, a serving of lettuce might be a cup and a half; a serving of
carrots might be one medium carrot; a serving of broccoli is one medi-
um stalk, and a serving of asparagus is five spears. Using guidelines
like these will help you to eat more vegetables than using the tradi-
tional half-cup serving.
Vegetables: The Main Course
Many people think of vegetables as a tedious side dish. But it’s best
to consider vegetables part of a main dish. This may require adjusting
the way you think about your meals. Think first what your main-
course vegetable will be, and then make your other foods the side
dishes — usually some sort of protein or an unrefined carbohydrate.
In this way you can make vegetables the bulk of your diet.
Experiment in creating other types of meals around vegetables. For
instance a vegetable omelet with onions, red and yellow peppers and
zucchini makes a meal out of eggs at breakfast. A vegetable-based
organic-chicken soup with garlic, leeks, carrots, celery, and even
green beans and yellow squash, is a bowl full of nutrition for lunch.
Even Mom’s meat loaf can be adjusted to include half vegetables —
start with chopped onions, red or yellow bell peppers, zucchini, fresh
parsley and garlic, and then add freshly chopped meat and at least
two whole eggs, and season with sea salt and spices of your choice.
In choosing your vegetables don’t overlook cooked greens. Some
of the most neglected vegetables, such as kale, mustard greens, rapi-
ni, Swiss chard, collards and the common spinach, are also some of
the most nutritious. These bitter leafy vegetables are full of valuable
phytonutrients, as well as a host of vitamins and minerals. Once you
get used to the idea of cooking greens, some meals just won’t seem
complete without them — truly, cooked greens can be served as a
delicious bed for just about any protein food, from beef to fish. Greens
can simply be steamed and served with a little butter or extra-virgin
olive oil and sea salt. Or, add other vegetables to the mix, such as
leeks, chopped white onions, mushrooms or red and yellow peppers.
Cook your greens until they are slightly tender, but be careful not to
overcook, lest you lose the vital nutrients. Just when they turn bright
green is about right.
VITAL VEGETABLES AND FRUITS • 99