Eat Your Kale! Part One

Ok, it is officially time for us all to be getting in the 2-and-a-half cups of vegetables each day recommended by the Dietary Guidlelines.  C'mon people!  These many-hued, many-textured gems are what should make up a sizeable bulk of your nutritional intake for each day, and they will maximize your weight loss potential. 

I don't really want to go on and on about how awesome vegetables are, but they are!  And we Americans aren't eating enough of them, particularly leafy green and orange varieties.  (We are eating pleeenty of starchy veggies like white potatoes and corn - the latter of which is actually a grain.  Sad.)  So, in this post, though I am tempted to go on a tangent about anthocyanins and plant hemicellulose, I will instead divert my energies first toward providing handy veggie-purchasing tips that will save you money and super-fuel your body right.

What I often hear as a big no-veggies excuse is the taste.  I'll take care of that in veggie post number two, with some awesome recipes from my repetoire that I use often.  Another excuse I hear is regarding the price of fresh veggies.  I understand that one, but there are some rules of thumb to aide you, and you're in the right place to learn about that.

1.  First of all, let's consider the option of frozen veggies.  Frozen veggies are parboiled (quick-cooked at high temps to kill microorganisms) and then flash frozen at the peak of freshness, and thus are awesome.  They won't retain the texture of the crisp veggie from the produce section, but they tend to be cheaper, last longer, and provide about the same nutrient profile as the fresh variety.  Sometimes they are even more nutritious because they haven't sat around on transport trucks, still respiring (breathing) and ripening on display shelves, losing nutrients all the while. 

2.  Secondly, consider point of origin.  If you are lucky enough to have a local farmer's market and you can purchase produce that is grown locally, it likely not only has more nutrients, but will be loads cheaper.  (More and more farmer's markets and Co-Ops are popping up all the time! Check out the USDA's listing of Farmer 's Markets or LocalHarvest.Org.)  Remember to always check produce for signs of hygienic handling and typical signs of freshness and proper storage.  Locally-grown does not always equal fresher.  Extra packaging and care is necessary when produce is shipped from far away, and that costs more.  So, when choosing something exotic, be choosy. (but yes, stay adventurous!)

3.  Check out seasonal produce.  Fruits & veggies in season are usually cheaper because they are more plentiful and more apt to be grown locally.  If you don't know in which month lots of asparagus or ugli fruit or brussels sprouts would be handy, some grocery stores will post signs with which varieties are in season.  Or, you can have a peek at these lists of seasonal produce at AmericanFood.

4.  Consider price per nutrient.  If you're really going for a nutrient per dollar ratio, it's tough to get it exactly right.  For example, consider eggplants versus carrots.  Eggplant flesh (purple rind aside, because most people cut that part away), in general, doesn't offer much in terms of vitamins and minerals, but does have some fiber and lots of water.  Carrots, on the other hand, provide fiber, betacarotene (which our bodies can use to make Vitamin A), and plenty of other nutrients.  Yet, eggplants tend to be pricier than a bag of (partially-processed) baby carrots.  Hmm.  Also, fruit and vegeatble juices - keep an eye on those ingreient lists.  Not only are you missing out on fiber from whole foods, but are they adding in synthetic nutrients?  Is your cranberry-blueberry drink made of 50% apple juice?  I found a good French article about the p-p-n topic here, but basically, choose nutrient-heavy hitters for the mainstays of your shopping cart, like dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, orange peppers, and tomatoes.

(Sidenote: Check out this cool article I found: What Does 200 Calories Cost? Wish they had a picture of diabetes medicine next to all those foods too!) 

5.  Similarly, consider price per edible portion versus refuse waste.  Typically, for produce, we pay price per pound.  Some veggies that have a nice low percent EP:RW (meaning, you eat most of it) ratio are tomatoes, cucumbers, onions.  Items (though tasty and nutritious) that don't have such a great ratio are garlic, beets, kale bunches, cauliflower.  So, is it worth it to buy the pre-packed bag of shredded kale?  It might be.  It's up to you.  I usually throw away so much of the tough stalks of kale and inedible end pieces that I look sadly into my garbage can at the end of the meal, so I like those bags.  If I had a backyard, my mulch would be glorious.

6.  Learn how to store produce.  Too much nutritious food goes into the garbage due to storage loss.   Take a few minutes and review how to store your favorite (and new favorite) veggies to get the best bang for your buck.
 
7.  Lastly, for goodness' sake, buy what you will use.  I understand you're all pumped up to eat healthy and load up on the phytochemicals, and that is awesome, but will you be home this week?  Will you have time to try that homemade veggie pizza recipe you found?  If yes, then awesome!  Go for it and enjoy.  But is it an iffy week with deadlines and yoga classes and carpooling?  Maybe you should opt for a few Steamfresh bags this week instead of that fresh bunch of kohlrabi.  Save yourself from literally throwing money away.  It's ok.  Just get em in somehow.

Ok, thus endeth my veggie-buying rant for the day.  Keep an eye out for some yummy recipes coming your way soon.  Til, then, eat a carrot, and enjoy your Friday!