As the student body of Elizabethtown College slowly makes its way towards gaining their diplomas and taking their first steps into the real world, understanding how to take care of oneself becomes critical. Self-care comes in various forms, like budgeting, developing hobbies and cleanliness. However, a crucial form of self-care is maintaining physical health with proper dieting and exercising. However, people may avoid eating healthy foods like vegetables–whether this arises from a picky palate or disliking their taste–and miss out on the plethora of benefits gained from the regular consumption of these foods. As such, this article intends to review reasons why one should include more vegetables in their diet. 

However, we must first consider what makes vegetables the superfoods people regard them as. Everyone hears about the health benefits of vegetables at one point or another, and this knowledge came about due to the plethora of nutrients present in their composition. Specifically, according to Aguilera and Benitez, they feature compounds known as “Phytochemicals” that can lessen the odds of “[…] several chronic diseases, [such as]… diabetes, and cancer…” These substances provide us with a rationale as to why vegetables are healthy; they elongate one’s lifespan by lowering the odds of developing diseases! 

Additionally, vegetables also deliver a variety of compounds needed for our bodies to function properly. Harvard Health says vitamins are critical to several functions, like bone health and eyesight, required to keep your body running optimally, and minerals are used throughout the body to help with processes involving blood cells. One will typically come across these compounds in commonplace foods, but nutrients like vitamins and minerals can be found in significant quantities throughout vegetables like celery, carrots and spinach, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The nutrients that persevere throughout vegetables do more than prove their status as healthy foods!  

Of course, it’s important to note that everything one can do for their health is best done in moderation. One cannot consume nothing but vegetables and expect to become the world’s healthiest person alive because the human body needs time to process the nutrients. The research from Harvard Health also tells us that when one consumes more vitamins than they need in a day, the excess either gets stored away in the body for a later date or can become toxic. While the former is rather innocuous, the latter could develop into serious health problems. For example, an excess of sodium can cause high blood pressure.

Another factor that should be considered when it comes to incorporating vegetables into one’s diet comes from how exactly one physically adds them to their meals. One could try eating a stick of celery raw, but vegetables are not exactly known to be the most flavorful thing to those who haven’t grown up regularly consuming them. Thankfully, a variety of preparation and cooking methods that can either enhance or disguise the flavor of vegetables! Broccoli can become crisp and tender when cooked for just the right amount of time, stir-fries allow for various combinations of vegetables and sauces, and a little salt and pepper can enhance even the blandest of dishes. The ways one can increase the palatability of vegetables is like the health benefits one can receive from the increased consumption of veggies: near infinite! 

References: 

Aguilera, Y., & Benitez, V. (Eds.). (2022). Phytochemicals: Dietary sources, innovative extraction, and health benefits. MDPI. https://klnpa-etown.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01SSHELCO_ETOWN/1tu30fv/cdi_oapen_doabooks_78845  

Harvard Health. (2023, February). Vitamins and Minerals. HelpGuide. https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/vitamins-and-minerals.htm  

Harvard T.H. Chan – School of Public Health. (2023, March). Salt and Sodium. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/  

U.S Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service. (2019, April). Carrots, Raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170393/nutrients  

U.S Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service. (2022, October). Celery, Raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2346405/nutrients

U.S Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service. (2021, October). Spinach, Baby. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1999632/nutrients