|
|
How Much Vegetables Do We Need Every Day? | Fion CHOW, accredited Practising Dietitian (DAA, AUS) and Assistant Treasurer of Hong Kong Dietitians Association, said ,“ Research suggests that eating adequate amounts of vegetables can reduce the risk of developing various diseases and health problems like hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, certain cancers and obesity.” For an adult, it is recommended to have at least 3 servings of vegetables, i.e. 1.5 bowl of vegetables, per day. (Table 2) Table 2 The Recommended Daily Intake of Vegetables Age | The Recommended Minimum Daily Intake of Vegetables | Serving | Bowl | 2 – 5 years | 1.5 | 3/4 | 6 – 11 years | 2 | 1 | 12 – 17 years | 3 | 1.5 | 18 – 64 years | 3 | 1.5 | 65 years above | 3 | 1.5 |
Remark : 1 bowl = 250-300 ml Table 3: Comparision on Nutritional Values of Different Types of Vegetables Per 100g Raw | Energy (kcal) | Carbohydrates (g) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Dietary Fibre (g) | Sodium (mg) | Potassium (mg) | Leafy Vegetables | Tientsin Cabbage | 16 | 3.23 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 9 | 238 | Watercress | 11 | 1.29 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 41 | 330 | Gourds | Pumpkin | 26 | 6.50 | 1.00 | 0.10 | 0.5 | 1 | 340 | Chayote | 19 | 4.51 | 0.82 | 0.13 | 1.7 | 2 | 125 | Fruit Vegetables | Tomato | 16 | 3.18 | 1.16 | 0.19 | 0.9 | 42 | 212 | Eggplant | 24 | 5.70 | 1.01 | 0.19 | 3.4 | 2 | 230 | Root Vegetables | Lotus Root | 74 | 17.23 | 2.60 | 0.10 | 4.9 | 40 | 556 | Potato | 77 | 17.47 | 2.02 | 0.09 | 2.2 | 6 | 421 | Beans | Yard-long Bean | 47 | 8.35 | 2.80 | 0.40 | *NA | 4 | 240 | Sugar Snap Pea | 42 | 7.55 | 2.80 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 4 | 200 | Legumes | (Legume) Soybean | 446 | 30.16 | 36.49 | 19.94 | 9.3 | 2 | 1797 | (Legume) Red Bean | 329 | 62.90 | 19.87 | 0.53 | 12.7 | 5 | 1254 | Mushrooms | White Button Mushroom | 22 | 3.26 | 3.09 | 0.34 | 1.0 | 5 | 318 | Enokitake | 37 | 7.81 | 2.66 | 0.29 | 2.7 | 3 | 359 |
| Source of Data: The Nutrient Data Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture. | *NA = Not Available | Extract from CookSmart, Issue 23 |
|
|