10 Reasons Why You Should Eat Your Vegetables

It’s something we tend to hear as children:

“Eat all your vegetables or you won’t grow big and strong!”

Perhaps there’s something about being forced to eat vegetables when we’re young that makes us so averse to them today. The days of having to stuff cabbage in one’s mouth and resisting the urge to gag may be long gone, but as adults, there is a surprising amount of us who don’t eat our vegetables – or at least, as many as we should.

Let’s face it, they’re not the tastiest of food. In a choice between a plate of French fries and a bowl of Brussel sprouts, the fries win the majority of the time.

But there are so many reasons why we should be eating more vegetables! Remember, there are a wide variety of vegetables out there and you’re bound to find something that fits with your tastebuds. More veggies mean a load of benefits – let’s look at ten reasons you should be eating your vegetables.

Why You Should Eat Your Vegetables: The Benefits

1. Trimmer Waistline

The more veggies you eat, the easier it is to stay in shape. The water and fiber in vegetables adds volume to your dishes and helps to fill you up; so you’re consuming few calories but you’re ensuring your tummy gets its fill!

Furthermore, fiber – especially the soluble kind – keeps you full longer which prevents snacking throughout the day. Processed foods, sugar, and junk are the main culprits when it comes to a thicker waistline – veggies have the opposite effect on these things and can help you with your weight loss goals. Several studies show that eating fiber can lower your belly fat and other studies show that eating soluble fiber reduces levels of hunger hormones throughout the day.

2. Better Sleep

Veggies have a positive effect on your sleeping pattern! Micronutrients in vegetables promote better sleep rhythms and can help you tackle insomnia. There are certain vegetables which are very helpful in enabling you to get better sleep.

Lycopene is a mineral that promotes longer and better sleep. It is found in red and orange-colored foods, so bell peppers would be great to snack on before bed. Tomatoes are great too!

3. Makes You Happier

Did you know that veggies can improve your mood levels?

More vegetables means more happiness and improved mental health. A diet that is high in junk, fatty foods, and sugar correlates with low moods and fatigue. This results in a lack of motivation, leading to negative thinking. Veggies can boost your positivity levels! Dopamine promotes feelings of happiness and is particularly found in green, leafy vegetables and eggplant.

4. Boosts Brain Health

Vegetables such as kale, spinach, and avocado are high in antioxidants – and we could all do with more of those! Antioxidants interact with free radicals by terminating the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. This is important as free radical particles are prevalent everywhere, from the air we breathe to the water we drink.

Free radicals have all kinds of negative effects on us, whether it’s hurting our mental health or damaging our skin. Antioxidants tackle free radicals, so when you increase your antioxidant veggies, you are protecting yourself from these nasty atoms.

5. More Energy

Eating your veggies can give you more energy. You’ll notice eating more vegetables leaves you feeling more motivated and boosted. Fatigue and tired slumps may reduce and you’ll likely feel more active and ready to take on the day!

6. Good For Animals And The Environment

Switching to plant-based foods and reducing our intake of processed meat is better for us and the environment. Fast-food restaurants are not only bad for us in general, but much of the meat used in it comes from factory farming which is not good for the animal.

By cutting down our intake of processed meats and putting more veggies on our plate instead, we will be helping the environment.

Read Next: Plant-Based Diets: Save Money, Save the Planet

7. May Reduce Risk Of Disease

Eating your vegetables may reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease high blood pressure. When you eat a diet rich in vegetables, you are also eating a diet rich in nutrients, minerals, and low in saturated fat. This means you are lowering your risk of obesity, which is a major risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.

8. You Can Get Creative!

Eating vegetables does not have to be a dull event! There are so many of them out there, of so many different colors and textures. Vegetables can actually be one of the most exciting types of foods to enjoy if you really put your creative mind to it. There is no need to simply boil carrots – you can do all kinds of things with them!

Check out these garlic roasted carrots or for the more adventurous among you, 5 unexpected ways to cook with carrots which includes carrot gnocchi and carrot pickle. The same goes for all the other vegetables – besides, with so many different colors, you can make them look attractive when putting them all together. The more attractive the dish looks, the more we want to eat it!

9. They Are Convenient

Veggies can be eaten raw, dried, juiced, canned – they can make a very quick on-the-go snack and are great for replacing all those unhealthy snacks with!

10. They Are Good For Your Overall Health

At the end of the day, Nature provided us with veggies and whenever Nature provides us with something, it tends to be good for us. Veggies come from the soil, the trees, the world around us – it is natural for us to consume them and they work very well with our bodies.

Vegetables are good for us on a number of levels!

Conclusion

Remember, veggies don’t have to be dull, boring, or remind you of those awful days when you had to scrape every carrot and bean off the plate. There’s a wealth of benefits attached to them. The more you learn to love your veggies, the keener you’ll be to explore the diversity of them!

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