Vegetables supply you with vitamins, including vitamin A and C, and folate, minerals, such as iron and magnesium, and fiber. Plus they are low in fat. You should have 2 to 4 servings of vegetables each day.
Update - Read about the new Food Pyramid, which has recently been updated.
Selection tips:
- You should eat a variety of vegetables to provide you with all of the different nutrients that they supply, including dark green leafy vegetables, deep yellow vegetables, starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn peas), legumes (navy, pinto and kidney beans), and other vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green beans).
- Do not add a lot of fat to the vegetables you eat, by avoiding added toppings, such as butter, mayonnaise, and salad dressings.
examples:
| Food |
Servings
|
Grams of Fat
|
| Vegs, cooked, 1/2 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| Vegs, leafy, raw 1 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| Vegs, nonleafy, raw, 1/2 cup |
1 |
Trace |
| Potatoes, scalloped, 1/2 cup |
1 |
4 |
| Potato salad, 1/2 cup |
1 |
8 |
| French fries, 10 |
1 |
8 |
|