Eat Your Veggies

Iva Young, author of "Healthy Mom," wants folks to get their vegetable nutrition from real vegetables, and to disregard claims that the daily nutritional allotment of vegetables can be found in processed foods.

MyPyramid.gov recommends two to three cups of vegetables a day, depending on your age and gender. MyPyramid also recommends eating fresh vegetables rather than processed vegetables.

Young named five key green vegetables that she says need to be in your diet. All contain vitamin K, which is getting new attention for it's role in aging as well as calcium and fiber as well as an array of other nutrients.

Spinach -- "Popeye was right," Young says. Spinach provides an array of vitamins, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, fiber, copper, protein, phosphorous, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, niacin and anti-oxidants.
Green lettuce such as green leaf, red leaf and romaine -- Lettuce is a low calorie fiber food with vitamins, folic acid, lactucarium, which helps enhance calmness and pain relief, and antioxidants.
Broccoli -- Besides the vitamins, broccoli has beta carotene, calcium, potassium, iron, folate and bioflavonoids, an antioxidant.
Brussels sprouts -- Find lots of potassium, vitamins and beta carotene.
Cabbage -- Cabbage is a low calorie food with fiber, calcium and vitamins and other healthful agents.

Young, a nutrition coach in Toronto, Canada, recommends fresh or frozen vegetables over canned vegetables. Canned vegetables have a lot of salt. She recommends that if you must use canned vegetables, drain the salty water they're packed in. Also, select canned vegetables listed with low sodium.

She suggests steaming or roasting rather than boiling, and for no more than 7 minutes of high heat.

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Eat Your Veggies

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