Vegetable consumption

[creekland]

We live in a farming community ranking 18/65 in vegetable production in our state.  The next county over is also a farming community ranking 6/65 for vegetable production in our state.

 

Yet I'm reading a local article this morning that says only 4% of the population in each of our counties eats the recommended daily amount of 3 servings of vegetables per day.   :svengo:

 

Apparently the average is 25% for our state (25% getting the recommended 3 servings daily).  To me, that's also incredibly low.

 

The article points out the obvious...

 

it is an “interesting dynamic†that an agricultural community has this problem.

 

Then it tries to figure out why...

 

Finances?  11% live in poverty, so those have $$ issues affording healthier food.  

 

What about the 89% though?

 

I thought about "tradition," but doesn't tradition have mom/grandma telling youngsters to eat their vegetables?

 

The article doesn't really come to a "this is why" conclusion.  Any thoughts from the Hive?

 

Anyone have stats for what would be "normal" in the US?

[Pawz4me]

Because foods other than vegetables often taste better to people (those with food sensitivities, super tasters, etc.)?

 

Because unless you buy them pre-prepared veggies require more work than many other foods prior to consumption?

 

I don't really know, those are just guesses.

 

I eat a reasonably wide variety of veggies, and I generally eat more than three servings a day. But I eat them because I know they're good for me, not because they're the foods I'd choose if health and weight weren't the driving factors. Weirdly enough, a health issue (hypothyroidism) has forced me to drastically limit consumption of my favorite veggies (collard greens and turnip greens). Even though research says they shouldn't bother me when cooked, even a very small amount of those (or broccoli) leave me with a choking feeling for 48 hours or so. Not pleasant. Youngest DS has sensory issues and doesn't consume many veggies due to those.

 

So I guess all that to say -- there are probably many valid reasons.

[Laura Corin]

In the UK it's apparently 31% of adults and 37% of older adults (wartime generation, dig for victory, meat as expensive condiment...) get five fruit/veg

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/apr/02/how-many-portions-of-fruit-and-vegetables-are-we-eating

 

We are averaging over four fruit/veg a day though, which is better than I thought.

 

L

 

ETA: fruit and veg clarification

Edited July 9, 2016 by Laura Corin

[hornblower]

I'd put forward:

 

Ruined palates. I think many people can't taste much unless it's greasy or sweet.

 

Advertising budgets for meat and dairy but very little for veg. There are big marketing boards for some sectors but the plant based folks are not marketing much to the consumer - mostly because most plants grown are fed to animals, not people.

 

Backlash against healthy messages, analogous to anti-intellectualism

Edited July 9, 2016 by hornblower

[Arctic Bunny]

I'm stuck on three being the recommended number of servings. Just veggies, or three fruits and veggies? We're always aiming for the elusive 5 to 10 here.

[Greta]

I think many Americans have become "addicted" (this word is too strong, but I'm not sure what else to use) to both the convenience and the taste of packaged foods.  I've noticed that if I eat junk food, I just want more junk food.  But when I eat a wholesome, nutritious diet, my taste buds "readjust" and I crave even more fruits and veggies.  

 

There could be many other dynamics at work here, that's just the one that I've noticed in my own life.

[momee]

"Ruined palates. I think many people can't taste much unless it's greasy or sweet."

 

What an interesting concept.  I've never heard of this before but it makes perfect sense.  My relatives in their 90s that live with us now had one heck of a time when they first moved up.  They found it easier to go out to eat (and actually still do almost every day for lunch)  As a result, they found my food (healthy, veggies, very little salt, hardly no oils compared to fast food fried foods...) very unappetizing. 

 

I would watch them shake, shake, shake the salt.  They actually crave eating out, I think.  Anyway, just random thoughts but it surely does make cooking for them a challenge.  We go out and feel it for two/three days after.  Especially something like Chic Fil A - brings tummy ache comments but oh so good going down, lol.  They just habituallly go out - one has diabetes, the other overweight when they came.  Now they're both healthier (one off meds, the other lost alot of weight just by eating a stable dinner most nights).

 

I have also found they like alot of the dishes I make now much more after trying them over a period of time.  Familiarity could be an issue too.

Edited July 9, 2016 by momee

[momee]

Greta, we were on the same page with the food "addiction".

 

I totally remember living in a city.  I ate McDs, Hardees for breakfast every morning with a Dr. Pepper.

Those mornings I missed it because I packed breakfast I had a terrible craving for what I'd missed.

 

My stomach would hurt every single day but I don't think I put it together that it was the fat/sugar.  Food was different back then for me.  A must do.  Now, I have more money and time and see food as a get to.  Socio-economics must surely play a factor as well.  I've found cooking with vegetables to be much more expensive than making a pizza or baking some chicken nuggets and fries.  I can't believe I stayed alive with the diet I ate in my 20s.  ACTually my childhood.  Spaghetti, fast food, meatloaf and all canned veggies if it matched our main course.  

 

A funny...I remember the first time I tasted a fresh green bean.  I mean one NOT out of a can.  It honestly tasted like a different food!  There are still veggies (brussel sprouts? -a fresh spinach salad) that I am amazed taste like they do...because I remember them to be mushy nastiness.

[Greta]

I'd put forward:

 

Ruined palates. I think many people can't taste much unless it's greasy or sweet.

 

Advertising budgets for meat and dairy but very little for veg. There are big marketing boards for some sectors but the plant based folks are not marketing much to the consumer - mostly because most plants grown are fed to animals, not people.

 

Backlash against healthy messages, analogous to anti-intellectualism

 

 

I like that - that's a better way to express it than what I said!

[momee]

I'm sorry but what does this mean, lol...

"Backlash against healthy messages, analogous to anti-intellectualism"

[EKS]

I have this book in my pile of stuff to read which I think explores the question you are asking.

[Jane in NC]

I for one would be miserable without lots of veg in my life. 

 

The traditional Southern diet of the rural poor consisted of sweet potatoes, collards, turnips (roots and greens), cornbread, some pork (often a flavoring in the pot of greens), butter beans (known elsewhere as lima beans), tomatoes and okra in season.  I am a firm believer that eating locally need not be expensive (unless one lives in a high cost of living area). 

[Greta]

Greta, we were on the same page with the food "addiction".

 

I totally remember living in a city.  I ate McDs, Hardees for breakfast every morning with a Dr. Pepper.

Those mornings I missed it because I packed breakfast I had a terrible craving for what I'd missed.

 

My stomach would hurt every single day but I don't think I put it together that it was the fat/sugar.  Food was different back then for me.  A must do.  Now, I have more money and time and see food as a get to.  Socio-economics must surely play a factor as well.  I've found cooking with vegetables to be much more expensive than making a pizza or baking some chicken nuggets and fries.  I can't believe I stayed alive with the diet I ate in my 20s.  ACTually my childhood.  Spaghetti, fast food, meatloaf and all canned veggies if it matched our main course.  

 

A funny...I remember the first time I tasted a fresh green bean.  I mean one NOT out of a can.  It honestly tasted like a different food!  There are still veggies (brussel sprouts? -a fresh spinach salad) that I am amazed taste like they do...because I remember them to be mushy nastiness.

 

 

Yes, I've had the same basic experience!  

[momee]

"The traditional Southern diet of the rural poor consisted of sweet potatoes, collards, turnips (roots and greens), cornbread, some pork (often a flavoring in the pot of greens), butter beans (known elsewhere as lima beans), tomatoes and okra in season.  I am a firm believer that eating locally need not be expensive (unless one lives in a high cost of living area). "

 

I was raised on the following when at my grandmother's...ground ham, canned greens with pork, never sweet potatoes, always white and you've forgotten the southern staple - macaroni and cheese and its cousin macaroni salad, lol.  Occasionally we would have lima beans but they were canned as were the green beans.  Okra was present once in a while but always fried.

 

The 90 year old laughs when we talk about food saying he's done fairly well so far.  It is important to note however, he does have diabetes, had a heart attack resulting in 6 bypasses and deals with kidney issues.  He jokes it's the nutrasweet (and Cremora - blech!!!!!!)  that's preserved him ;)

 

I go back and forth.  They ate alot of things from their garden and worked very very hard physically compared to my husband and I today.  They were working up a sweat in their garden every day all summer on that garden.  Yes, they made fried chicken with those beautiful heirloom tomatoes and snap beans but alot of days a can of tuna and a tomato was dinner.  And nutrasweet or no -90 is 90!!!  Still pretty impressive.

Edited July 9, 2016 by momee

[Jane in NC]

 

I was raised on the following when at my grandmother's...ground ham, canned greens with pork, never sweet potatoes, always white and you've forgotten the southern staple - macaroni and cheese and its cousin macaroni salad, lol.  Occasionally we would have lima beans but they were canned as were the green beans.  Okra was present once in a while but always fried.

 

I live in the land of sweet potatoes so that may account for it. 

 

When I first moved to this Southern rural community, major roads and intersections featured pick up trucks from which sweets, turnips, pecans, corn, tomatoes, etc. would be sold in season. I still see them on occasion.  Several of the large farms have stores from which they sell their goodness.  So in my area, fresh veg as opposed to canned was and is the rule.

 

I have never figured out the macaroni and cheese thing.  Traditional Southern restaurants serving meat and three veg plates always classify mac and cheese as a vegetable.  (Scratching head.) My Southern sister in law did not grow up with it though so she is baffled by her daughter in law who insists that mac and cheese be present on the Thanksgiving table.

 

Maybe Southern cuisine has as many variations as American cuisine!

 

More that is totally off topic:  I recently made roasted okra.  Wow!

 

[regentrude]

I would suspect it is cultural. Traditional cooking does not make vegetables appetizing. At least not in this area of the country - whenever you go eat out "homestyle" meals, veggies are soggy, overcooked, bland. Also, many people have grown up with convenience food and veggies from cans.

 

A small portion may be supertasters who do have problems with the taste; I have a son like this.

 

I do not buy the argument that it is because vegetables require a lot of prep time. Many veggies you can simply wash and eat raw without any prep- cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers...

I also do not buy into the expense argument; in my experience, the people whose diets are very low on vegetables tend to consume a lot of meat, which is expensive.

 

ETA: When I grew up, vegetables were the most important component of cooked meals. We did not have meat daily, but big heaps of deliciously prepared vegetables. I find myself still cooking similarly (even though I cook more meat to accommodate DS). The cold sandwich meal always had a bowl of vegetables to eat on the side or on bread, or a salad. I  am fairly sure that the way you eat and see food prepared as a child forms your eating habits to a very large degree.

Edited July 9, 2016 by regentrude

[creekland]

I'm stuck on three being the recommended number of servings. Just veggies, or three fruits and veggies? We're always aiming for the elusive 5 to 10 here.

 

I noted that too - and reread the article (before posting the OP) to see how fruit fit in.  They never once mentioned it except at the end - to try to encourage folks to eat more fruit and vegetables.  The article itself dealt with just vegetables.

 

I sense that my upbringing and current life is far outside of normal.  Sure we have our "bad" or "cheatin'" days, but in general, if we're home veggies (and fruit) are a big part of what we're eating - pretty much every day.  Veggies were a big part when I was growing up too - fruit not so much.

 

I have no stomach problems with fast food or "weird" foods even when our "regular" diet has quite a few veggies.  Breakfast alone in the summer will have fried eggs, summer squash and/or zucchini, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms with the veggies being a larger portion than the eggs.  When squash aren't in season I'll sometimes add potatoes, but other times will just do the others.

 

The vast majority of teachers (meaning all but one) at my lunch table at school eat veggies most days too.  I guess I've been sheltered.

[maize]

I don't eat three servings of vegetables on most days.

 

Yes I feel a bit guilty about that. Vegetables tend to require prep and at this point in my life I'm surviving largely on stuff I can grab and eat. 

 

We do all eat a lot of fruit. (I'm eagerly watching the apriocots on my tree turn orange)

Edited July 9, 2016 by maize

[maize]

I am a bitter taster (genetically), which I think makes some veggies that work fine for others unappealing to me.

[regentrude]

 Vegetables tend to require prep and at this point in my life I'm surviving largely on stuff I can grab and eat. 

 

If you want to include veggies in your diet, there are many veggies that require no prep beyond washing.

Cucumber, carrot, pepper, tomato, sweet peas can be eaten as is.

Cauliflower and broccoli, you need a knife and cut off a piece, that takes 2 seconds.

 

If you don't have time to cook veggies, you can grab some that do not require any preparation.

[Junie]

Creekland,

 

I call the area where you live (my former home!) "The Junkfood Capital of the World".  Potato chips, pretzels, Hershey, and on and on and on.

 

I'm not sure which counties, specifically, that you're talking about, but a lot of the agriculture in that area is (still, wonderfully) large family farms.  But for all of these acres and acres of produce, there is only one family eating the produce.

[regentrude]

I'm sorry but what does this mean, lol...

"Backlash against healthy messages, analogous to anti-intellectualism"

 

"Those darned city liberals with their high falutin education looking down their noses and telling me what to eat! What was good for my mom and pop is good enough for me. Let them have their fancy Whole Foods and raw grains - ridiculous!"

[momee]

I live with that attitude.  E'ry day.  Lol.

Thanks for the explanation.  Now I have a fancy term for it.

Edited July 9, 2016 by momee

[StephanieZ]

I think that "normal" is so low because few families actually cook real meals anymore. Packaged foods (hamburger helper, noodles and sauce, etc.) rarely require/use substantial amounts of veggies.

 

The other day, I was making home made egg rolls. I made 50 rolls, and I used at least 6-8 quarts of raw vegetables to make them! Homemade egg rolls (good size ones, with maybe 1/3c of filling each) require a huge amount of raw veggies. It was an entire large head of Napa cabbage, two bunches of green onions, an entire head of Bok Choi, a 16oz bag of shredded broccoli slaw (broccoli, red cabbage, carrots), another 20 oz of grated carrots . . . All that cooked down (with a pork chop or two and some ginger and garlic), just to fill those rolls. Well, actually, about 1/5 of it was used raw to make Japanese pancakes. Still at least 6 quarts of the veggies went into the egg rolls. My family of 5 ate 20 that night! I was *amazed* at how much veggies went in there. I had maybe 10% of the filling left over (in the freezer for next time we make fried rice) . . . So, anyway, I was amazed at the huge quantity of veggies consumed in a simple meal of Japanese pancakes and egg rolls. I'd say each of us ate at least a quart of the veggies. When I make soups, I similarly include HUGE quantities of veggies. And, we usually eat (2-3 c each serving) fresh veggie salads with 80% of our dinners . . .

 

Anyway, I'm sure me and my family average MANY more than 3 servings of veggies a day. Probably 6+. The days we don't get many veggies are if we use processed convenience meals, fast food, etc. Breakfast foods and convenience foods (hot pockets anyone? frozen pizza?) rarely require substantial amounts of veggies but do contain large quantities of filling fats and carbs. 

 

And, personally, I don't believe that fresh veggies are generally super expensive. I can fix 80% of our meals from scratch with large quantities of veggies, expensive free range meats ($5-6/lb local beef, etc.) and all sorts of healthy foods for under $4/adult FOR SURE, and that's cheaper than most fast food, convenience meals, etc. Most of our meals end up much cheaper. 

[maize]

If you want to include veggies in your diet, there are many veggies that require no prep beyond washing.

Cucumber, carrot, pepper, tomato, sweet peas can be eaten as is.

Cauliflower and broccoli, you need a knife and cut off a piece, that takes 2 seconds.

 

If you don't have time to cook veggies, you can grab some that do not require any preparation.

 

Yes, and we do eat a lot of these.

 

Just not three servings a day.

 

It's easier for me in the summer when I have stuff in my garden and can just grab and eat, sweet peas are my toddler's favorite and she is always begging me to go out and pick them with her. Actually, she loves anything she can just pick and eat. Right now we have cherry tomatoes, raspberries, mulberries, and peas.

 

We should have enough this year to do some preserving, at least freezing. I want to learn to can stuff (home canned peaches and pears and apricots are heavenly), I haven't had time or energy in the past so we'll see how things go.

 

Really want a home freeze dryer but they're too expensive for now.

[whitestavern]

I'm currently reading a fascinating book, The End of Overeating, which speaks about how restaurants and food manufacturers create recipes based on a very specific combination of fat, sugar, and salt to make people crave it. It's crazy scary. We eat healthy at home and very rarely eat out, unless it's a restaurant where they're actually "cooking" the food. Most family restaurants, Chiles, Applebee's and the like, are just heating food that comes prepared and frozen.

 

Completely agree with PPs who are basically saying we've lost our taste for fruits and veggies.

 

And I though it was 5-10 servings a day, not 3.

 

ETA: I love veggies; I also know they're good for me. I try to add them to every meal. I'll add spinach or kale to a smoothie, saute some bells, onions, mushrooms, and spinach or arugula to eggs. For lunch, I chop a ton of veggies, including all kinds of greens, when I get home from a shopping trip. Carrots, red or green cabbage, peppers, red onions, cukes, tomatoes, broccoli, whatever. I'll put them into baggies and make a batch or two of different dressings and use that for salads all week. At night, we eat a protein and two veggies. So it's not really hard to get them in.

Edited July 9, 2016 by whitestavern

[kiana]

I do find eating veggies more expensive than eating just meat and grains, but I think this is because the meat I get tends to be cheap cuts of chicken, which in my area are half the price per pound of the cheapest veggies, and a lot more calories. If I were eating beef it definitely wouldn't be. I end up eating 1-2 lbs a day most days (the lower days are usually a lentil day for protein) and it's seriously at least 1/4 of my food budget. 

 

For anyone who's looking to increase their vegetable consumption, you might consider frozen vegetables. They are frequently among the cheapest, they are already chopped and washed, they store well, and unless your vegetables are very fresh and local they are quite often more nutritious than vegetables that have been shipped across the country and stored. You can roast them with a little olive oil and salt/spice to taste by just dumping the bag into a baking pan, and they are quite good that way. 

[RoughCollie]

A lot of people don't eat many vegetables, IMO, because they aren't used to it. I was amazed when I reluctantly started eating a lot of vegetable, that after a few weeks I developed a desire to eat them. I now want vegetables the same way I used to want sweets and bread. I think it's a habit now, as well as a mindset. I do not suffer through having to use willpower to maintain a healthy eating plan.

 

But if I lived next door to Dairy Queen, that habit would bite the dust.

 

[Guest]

The people I know that skip veggies emigrated in a time of famine. The children were raised in cities and dont know how to garden. They did not consume veggies other than potato and onion except on holidays, when they add in the swet corn, the turnips, and so forth that were in season- far too expensive to purchase greens for daily consumption.

 

The people that were raised here are farmers children. They have veggie gardens or they get a discount from the farmers market. The regular price for the farmers market is so high that only double income professionals shop there. Same for roadside trucks...where the entrpreneur has bought a truckload from a jersey farmer and set up shop. When I moved here 20 years ago, I had to travel to Harrisburg PA before the metronyc roadstand stand pricing stopped. Like everyone else, I garden as much as possible. Its getting harder as the water rates rise, but that forces me to use my water wisely.

[Guest]

I live in the land of sweet potatoes so that may account for it.

 

When I first moved to this Southern rural community, major roads and intersections featured pick up trucks from which sweets, turnips, pecans, corn, tomatoes, etc. would be sold in season. I still see them on occasion. Several of the large farms have stores from which they sell their goodness. So in my area, fresh veg as opposed to canned was and is the rule.

 

I have never figured out the macaroni and cheese thing. Traditional Southern restaurants serving meat and three veg plates always classify mac and cheese as a vegetable. (Scratching head.) My Southern sister in law did not grow up with it though so she is baffled by her daughter in law who insists that mac and cheese be present on the Thanksgiving table.

 

Maybe Southern cuisine has as many variations as American cuisine!

 

More that is totally off topic: I recently made roasted okra. Wow!

 

It might be timing too. My folks were too rural, and carless, so if it wasnt grown on the homestead it wasnt milled locally and eaten. Storebought and getting to that kind of store was just too expensive. So lots of Cornbread, but wheat no. My parents gen had easy access if they found a job and moved to a town, but they didnt give up their habits. Many of my cousins did.

[FaithManor]

I agree with ruined palettes. Well, amd sugar. Sugar and carbs are addictive to the brain which is something the food industry notes and is why high fructose corn shrup, brown sugar,molasses, you name it is added to everything. Veggies taste bland in comparison

 

We get three serings of veggies a day sometimes more plus two of fruit except for me. My mom and brothrr are type two so I eat almost no fruit except some citrus and granny smith apples since I am trying to avoid ever going on meds.

 

I do it by sauting veggies and adding to scrambled eggs and egg burritos, having fresh veggies and salads at lunch, and making either two cooked veggies for supper, or a veggie dense soup or stew.

[AmandaVT]

We eat tons of veggies, but we don't eat meat, eggs and just a bit of dairy from time to time, so veggies are a staple in our house. :-) 

 

I think how you're raised can either help or hurt your food preferences. My grandmother would boil the heck out of vegetables until they were gray. My mom hated the tasted of canned, boiled veggies, so developed a big distaste unless in a salad. She, in in turn, put no thought or energy into preparing vegetables for our family growing up and would throw frozen mixed veggies in the microwave most nights as the "veggie" for dinner. My brother and I won't touch mixed veggies now, but both love cooking, grilling, roasting, raw, etc all forms of vegetable. 

[lllll]

nm

Edited July 9, 2016 by ~ d9n

[creekland]

And I though it was 5-10 servings a day, not 3.

 

 

I believe that number is fruits and vegetables, not just vegetables.  The article focused solely on veggies (kitchen veggies, not botany veggies).

 

My mind is still stunned that it took this long for me to see what "average" really is.  I'm guessing it's because we grew up with a garden and used it heavily - freezing veggies for winter use.  We (humans) tend to all default our "normal" belief based upon how we grew up.

 

As an adult I've been dutifully adding more (like lima beans & sweet potatoes - plus oodles of fruits and nuts) to keep with what I thought was "typical modern" since there are oodles of health articles related to benefits of such a diet.  I had no idea so many disregard those.

 

So... for me... eating veggies goes back to my grandparents, passed on to my parents, reinforced in school and the media, and common among my peers.

 

Now I find I've been living in a bubble in my own community!

 

It does, however, explain why any healthier restaurant that tries to open locally can't make a go of it while there are always lines at KFC.

 

It also explains why my kids have been surprised at typical meals many others choose at their college dining halls.  We'd been blaming that on no "parent" factor there, but probably not.  It's probably what they are used to.  (To be fair, there are also vegetarians at all of their schools, but many opt for typical comfort foods daily rather than as "cheatin'" days.)

 

Then my mind also now comprehends those who talk about how much healthier our population would be if only... (since the 25% figure for my state or the 31/37% from the UK also seem awfully low to me).

 

Having read The Blue Zones recently (a book looking at populations where people regularly live into their 90s and 100s and remain healthy and active), diet is always a factor (one of a handful).  It's not always the same foods, but the foods tend to be very plant based.  It has made me consider more of what we eat TBH.  I can only imagine the change it would be for those who eat 1 per day as "normal."  

 

I honestly have a tough time imagining how folks can only get 1 in per day on average.  That's definitely a totally different typical diet than ours.  But to each our own.  I'm just surprised - not condemning.  We all make our own choices based upon our preferences.

[Laura Corin]

 

I honestly have a tough time imagining how folks can only get 1 in per day on average.  That's definitely a totally different typical diet than ours.  But to each our own.  I'm just surprised - not condemning.  We all make our own choices based upon our preferences.

 

What I see around here is something like breakfast cereal for breakfast; a sandwich for lunch (perhaps with crisps/chips); breaded chicken with chips/French fries and frozen peas for supper.  It's not how I eat but it's pretty common.

 

There used to be a lunch van next to my office.  I saw what people bought.  Women were more likely to buy soup and a roll, sometimes a soup that had some veg in it but the most popular was spicy chicken, which was chicken in a tomato base.  Most men ordered something like chicken curry over rice or chips, or nachos, or baked potato with cheese.

[regentrude]

I honestly have a tough time imagining how folks can only get 1 in per day on average.  That's definitely a totally different typical diet than ours. 

 

My DS averages at maximum one seventh - the only thing he tolerates is tomato in pasta sauce, which we have no more than once a week. In his 17 years, he has eaten one slice of cucumber and one baby tomato; we were at friends' home, their 4 y/o put them on DS' plate, and I still recall how his face distorted in the effort not to gag as he silently and politely swallowed them. He is a super taster and can taste when meat has touched the veggie. He could not handle tomato sauce until he was 14. It has taken until he was 16 for him to be able to eat a meal where veggies are touching other components and move the veggies to the side of the plate to eat the rest, or eat a stew that had veggies in it (he eats all the other parts and leaves the veggies on the plate). At 17, I managed to get him to eat some spinach in a stew.

We did all the things: model by example - the three others of us love veggies and consume copious amounts of varied veggies in different preparations, include him in preparation (as a kid, he loved to help cut veggies, but would not eat any). Nope, not working.

 

He compensates by eating tons of fruit, has fantastic blood values (got checked repeatedly when he was under doctor's supervision for acne meds), is healthy and an athlete. 

Edited July 9, 2016 by regentrude

[kiana]

Sample diet for some people I've visited who eat low veg (for the "how do they not?" people)

 

Breakfast: grilled cheese sandwich, fried egg.

Lunch: bologna and cheese sandwich

Supper: burgers, pasta with cheese, vegetable

[Guest]

It does, however, explain why any healthier restaurant that tries to open locally can't make a go of it while there are always lines at KFC.

 

It also explains why my kids have been surprised at typical meals many others choose at their college dining halls. We'd been blaming that on no "parent" factor there, but probably not. It's probably what they are used to. (To be fair, there are also vegetarians at all of their schools, but many opt for typical comfort foods daily rather than as "cheatin'" days.)

 

Then my mind also now comprehends those who talk about how much healthier our population would be if only... (since the 25% figure for my state or the 31/37% from the UK also seem awfully low to me).

 

Having read The Blue Zones recently (a book looking at populations where people regularly live into their 90s and 100s and remain healthy and active), diet is always a factor (one of a handful). It's not always the same foods, but the foods tend to be very plant based. It has made me consider more of what we eat TBH. I can only imagine the change it would be for those who eat 1 per day as "normal."

 

I honestly have a tough time imagining how folks can only get 1 in per day on average. That's definitely a totally different typical diet than ours. But to each our own. I'm just surprised - not condemning. We all make our own choices based upon our preferences.

Try observing at 5 guys, Moe's southwest, a chinese buffet, or cracker barrel. It borders on stereotypical to see who takes the veggies.

 

College has been interesting. Both of my sons have the same vendor, but its insanely difficult to get anything but salad at the smaller college...there is literally no choice on the lunch menu except at the all you can eat option. I think its regional...around here your pasta comes with salad.

 

You couldnt pay my inlaws to eat greens. 20 Thanksgivings, not one had a green veg. Usual diet...grain or eggs and bacon for breakfast, meat sandwich with potato salad for lunch, meat and pasta for dinner with tomato sauce.

 

School districts...here they still rotate the spaghetti, the chicken nuggets, and the pizza. Nothing is cooked at the school, its all reheated frozen. When we we visited the PNW, my sons were middle schoolers and thought it was great that the school district menus were full of fresh produce and real food.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Heigh Ho

[regentrude]

It also explains why my kids have been surprised at typical meals many others choose at their college dining halls.  We'd been blaming that on no "parent" factor there, but probably not.  It's probably what they are used to.  (To be fair, there are also vegetarians at all of their schools, but many opt for typical comfort foods daily rather than as "cheatin'" days.)

 

They would have seen my food loving, vegetable eating DD opting for French fries most of the time - because they come frozen and are fried in hot oil, and thus will not have any insects or other gross additives in them as the salads do. According to her, the food at her college is abysmal. She has friends who are vegetarian and vegan, and there is almost nothing for them to eat. 

They end up opting for junk because the junk is at least edible.

[maize]

They would have seen my food loving, vegetable eating DD opting for French fries most of the time - because they come frozen and are fried in hot oil, and thus will not have any insects or other gross additives in them as the salads do. According to her, the food at her college is abysmal. She has friends who are vegetarian and vegan, and there is almost nothing for them to eat.

They end up opting for junk because the junk is at least edible.

We call insects "extra protein"--natural, organic protein at that ;)

[regentrude]

We call insects "extra protein"--natural, organic protein at that ;)

 

I am actually quite certain she would *try* insects if they were offered as a separate dish, specifically prepared. She's an adventurous eater. But not in salads presumed to consist of vegetables.

They also had feathers in food. And metal objects.

[Arcadia]

I think it is partially an acquired taste, what kids are used to when young. My DS11 is a super taster. He rarely eats meat. For vegetables he goes for cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, peppers, crunchy part of leafy vegetables. He is also picky about fruits. He gets a serving a day, more if mushrooms count as a "food vegetables". He eats lots of cheese. He is 5'3" despite how little he eats.

 

I don't eat beef, so at fast food with school mates I used to order ice cream sundae or fries or onion rings.

 

. I am a firm believer that eating locally need not be expensive (unless one lives in a high cost of living area).

I live in a high cost of living area but farm fresh food other than organic is cheap. Silicon Valley is surrounded by farming communities less than an hour away. We only pay premium for organic vegetables, fruits and meat.

[The Girls' Mom]

So, here's how it went with my mother's family and my in-laws family:

Prior to 1950-60, all the food was obtained by the sweat of your brow, literally.  Back breaking work in the fields and in the home.  The food was pretty healthy, but labor intensive.  These families were poor, but made out ok.  

 

Then suddenly things shifted.  Work became available in factories, etc.  Food preservation became mass produced.  Electricity came through the area enabling refrigeration and freezers for the average joe.  Canned food, TV dinners, food in boxes, etc. were all advertised as being WAY better for you, safer, and allowed mom to get out of the fields/kitchen.  The food on the tables changed DRAMATICALLY.  Even for those that lived in high agricultural areas.  If you farmed, it shifted to mono-culture and food was shipped elsewhere.  A farm didn't really mean a beautiful garden full of veggies for the table.  

By the time dh and I were growing up, our parents LOVED all things boxed and easy and had no clue about how unhealthy they were.  I grew up on Chef Boy R Dee, sodas, and frozen dinners.  When we did have fresh veggies, they were thrown in a pot and boiled to death.  Now, many in my generation wouldn't know what roasted asparagus was if someone slapped them with it.  Their kids are even worse off.  There are people in my extended family that pretty much live off of pizza rolls and soda.  And we live in a very rural area with produce available.  

There is also the attitude that if I am trying to eat better, then I think I am too good for my roots.  I'm a food snob.  I have really WEIRD taste.  I'm torturing my kids by making them eat things like spinach and lentils.  It is akin to abuse to not have soda and pop-tarts in the house.  

 

[ScoutTN]

A complex issue with many causes and influences. 

 

Another vote for "ruined palettes". Fake food is addictive and easy.

 

Unsurprisingly, I find that food from my garden, my CSA farmer or the farmer's market all tastes SO much better than conventionally farmed veggies. Agribusiness is depleting the land and causing the food to be less tasty and nutritious. 

 

Many people simply never learn to prepare and cook veggies well. The training of childhood is hard to get around. 

 

 

 

 

 

[wendyroo]

Protein and calcium.

 

"Protein builds strong muscles"

"Calcium builds strong bones"

The pediatrician at every visit: "Make sure you are giving them enough calcium every day"

The hive as soon as you mention a whiny toddler or teen: "Make sure you are giving them plenty of protein every few hours"

 

So, sure, I give them carrots and peanut butter...and they lick up the peanut butter and leave the carrots.  They like carrots, they will eat carrots, but if I just give them carrots then they only eat a couple and are whiny and hungry again in half an hour.  It is much more efficient to give them a handful of nuts or a spoonful of hummus or a few cubes of cold, cooked chicken.

 

The message I'm being sent is that getting kids to eat veggies is important in the long term, but making sure they eat enough protein and calcium is vitally important TODAY.  I find myself thinking along the same lines for myself: "Okay, I have 5 minutes to make and eat my lunch before all hell breaks loose.  What is the most important nutrient to consume in that time?  Well, protein will carry me through until dinner, so cottage cheese it is."

 

Wendy

[Kassia]

I'm embarrassed about this, but I hate most vegetables and rarely eat them.  I'm picky and eat like a toddler most of the time.  My kids are great eaters, though.  They all eat very healthy and are very careful about their diets.  

[DragonFaerie]

I'm embarrassed about this, but I hate most vegetables and rarely eat them.  I'm picky and eat like a toddler most of the time.  My kids are great eaters, though.  They all eat very healthy and are very careful about their diets.  

 

This is me, though I don't find it embarrassing at all.  I totally eat like a ten-year-old.  I don't like most vegetables, and I absolutely HATE to cook. My kids hate when I cook, too, and so they have been preparing their own food for ages, which works for all of us. I buy mostly easy-prep, convenience foods, and I do insist that my kids have fruits and milk daily. They're very healthy kids.

 

As for me, I like potatoes, and fresh spinach or green leaf lettuce for salads. I like shredded carrots (yep, prepackaged) and sunflower seeds on my salads, and that's it.  I like blackeyed peas and eat those with yellow rice as a regular meal.  Corn and butter beans are okay, though I rarely cook them (because, you know, cooking). 

[school17777]

I visited my dh's office for lunch the other day. There are 4k people in the company. There was a sign saying 88% of employees did not eat enough fruit and veggies last year. They improved on that number this year, but I didn't see by how much. One thing they do to try to encourage eating more fruits and veggies is to have a farmers market once a week in the complex. I asked dh why he never mentioned that to me before, because I would have him stop by - he didn't really answer.

 

My fridge is packed with fruits and veggies. My oldest and youngest dd eat most of it. I like fruit and veggies, but I don't always pick them as a first choice. For the past couple of months, I have been craving carbs so much. I wish I would crave fruit and veggie the same way. When I had morning sickness, fruit and veggies were the last thing that I could stomach, and I still recall those feelings vividly.

[Arcadia]

One thing they do to try to encourage eating more fruits and veggies is to have a farmers market once a week in the complex.

Hubby's dept. (engineering) has oranges, bananas and apples daily in their pantry for the staff. He doesn't know if other dept. has free fruits too.

[Ali in OR]

I do not eat enough veggies and neither does anyone in my family. It's a taste thing.

 

I grew up with a vegetable and saiad served at every dinner. My dad was very into organic gardening and we had a huge garden. My mom canned. So it wasn't environment--I just don't like very many vegetables. I eat most of mine in the form of salad. I eat various lettuce greens, spinach greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, grated carrot, and green onion in salads. I will eat sautéed or grilled mushrooms, onions, or red pepper. I will eat grilled zucchini or sometimes green beans or snow peas but don't go out of my way to get them. I don't think I like anything in the broccoli family. My kids are worse than me in that they won't even eat salads. We do eat a lot of fruit. It's berry season now; I can pick 10 lbs of blueberries on a Friday just for fresh eating and we're out by Wednesday--and only 3 of us are blueberry eaters. My pickiest dd will at least eat apples, strawberries, and grapes. I'm going to look into this super taster thing (first time I've heard the term). Maybe that's us.