We have all heard that we should eat at least five vegetables and fruit a day, but did you know that you should try to eat at least 30 different types of vegetables and fruit a week? And did you know it would be beneficial to you to eat 1kg of plant products a day? Vegetables and fruit are definitely not on the top of many people’s favourite food lists. The excuses for not eating them range from not liking the taste, not having access to fresh and quality products, not having time to prepare them and not being able to afford them and even being allergic to them. This year in National Nutrition Week we want to make people aware of the different types of vegetables and fruit, the importance of them and how to overcome the excuses.
Why should you eat vegetables and fruit every day? Vegetables and fruit have many advantages as they contain a lot of fibre, as well as many vitamins and minerals. If you eat enough of them, it is not necessary for you to have to take as many nutritional supplements. Below are some advantages:
Who should eat vegetables and fruit? Everyone! Vegetables and fruit should be introduced to a child as soon as they start eating solids. It is very important to note that vegetables should be introduced before fruit. This is because fruit is sweet and children will not want to eat vegetables if they get used to the sweetness first. From there on all people should eat fruits and vegetables daily. In very rare cases (of which my mother is one), people may be allergic to certain vegetables or fruit. In this case, it is still important for people to eat plant products such as grains, legumes and nuts to provide them with fibre and nutrients.
How many different vegetables and fruit are there? It is estimated that there are 20000 different edible plant species, howeer, only 20 of these are commonly eaten in households. Below are 30 different types of vegetables and fruit.
| TYPES OF VEGTEABLES | TYPES OF FRUIT | ||
| Carrots Lettuce Spinach Rocket Broccoli Leeks Shallots Asparagus Green beans Celery Kale Cucumber Peas Eggplant Cauliflower | White potatoes Corn Avocado Onions Red cabbage Artichoke Mushrooms Zucchini/ Courgette Squash Tomatoes Garlic Ginger Sweet potato Pumpkin Capscum/peppers | Blueberries blackberies pomegranate figs plums grapes cranberries raspberries passionfruit cherries grapefruit litchi dragon fruit pawpaw apples banana | mango guava rhubarb pineapple lemon lime orange naartjie watermelon cantaloupe pear peach nectarine apricot strawberries kiwifruit |
Overcoming common obstacles to eating vegetables and fruit