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Essay on Vegetables for Children & Students

December 16, 2017 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

Vegetables constitute a major part of our diet. There are some parts of the plant which are consumed by humans for their daily nutrition. The definition of vegetable is still unclear.

This is because it is defined by the culture and tradition which flows down the generations. When we talk about the vegetables we normally do not include the category of fruits, cereals, nuts, and pulses.   

The origin of vegetable is still a matter of fascination. The primal man hunted animals and gathered fruits to sustain his hunger needs. But by some miracle a vegetable seed was sown due to the forces of nature. And when the humans noticed it they came to know that they could also cultivate the land for production of fruits and vegetables.

According to the evidences, the cultivation of vegetables started from 1000 BC to 7000 BC. And is when agriculture started developing. As time passed trade grew.

vegetables essay

At this point of time, China is the largest producer of vegetables. China exports a large no. of vegetables to other countries. India is the second largest producer in vegetables but it doesn’t export a large no. of vegetables because the vegetables produced are consumed within the country itself.   

Vegetables are a very important constituent of our diet. Without vegetables no meal is complete. Vegetables can be cooked to provide a nutrition full meal. It can be eaten with breads like naan, roti, puri, and bedmi. It can also be eaten with rice.

Some vegetables can be consumed raw, in a salad while some need to be cooked before consumption. Vegetables grow on different parts of trees. For e.g. Onion, reddish and carrot grow in the roots of plants and vegetables like spinach are the leaves of a plant. The cauliflower is obtained from the flower of a tree. Vegetables like gourd, bitter gourd are grown on grapevine like structures.    

Thus we see that we have a lot of variety in vegetables. We should concentrate on the consuming portions of vegetables. This provides the body adequate nutrients for its functioning since different vegetables provide the body with different kinds of vitamins and minerals.

Also consumption is a must especially for children who are in their growing stage. Parents should make sure that the children consume a nutrient rich diet and less of junk food. This will make their body strong and will help in the development of their brains and bodies.

Also vegetables increase the immunity of children towards countering diseases. At an early age, they are especially vulnerable to diseases. But the right amount of nutrition helps to fight diseases.   

The advantages of consuming vegetables are many. First of all, vegetables help in weight management. Vegetables like potato and cauliflower can help you to gain weight. While vegetables like spinach and green vegetables can help immensely in weight reduction.

From time immemorial, our elders have promoted the consumption of green vegetables. This is because of the fact that green vegetables have a lot of iron in it. They help in the development of bones and muscles. It is actually good for us to consume vegetables at regular intervals so as to protect our body from any diseases.

Vegetables can help your body to fight against some particular type of cancers. Also a healthy intake of vegetables helps to burn the layers of fat in our body this ultimately improves the blood flow and helps in managing the blood pressure of a person. Consumption of vegetables also keeps cholesterol in check.   

vegetables essay

Also eating vegetables increases your life span by keeping you healthy, in general. Also their frequent intake ensures that we stay rejuvenated throughout the day and we don’t experience any drowsiness or nausea. Vegetables are the fuel to your well-being just like petrol is a fuel to a car.

Vegetables also contains a lot of fibers. Fiber is not a nutrient itself but it helps in the digestive system in our body. To lead a healthy life, one needs to make sure to intake the correct amount of iron or else, the consequences afterwards will be worse. Iron helps the body immensely in carrying out the daily chores.

Also anemia that means lack of hemoglobin in blood can also be cured through the right intake of vegetables. Nevertheless green vegetables also contain folic acid which works wonders on the health of pregnant women.   

Make sure to consume healthy and nutritious food which keeps you fit as a fiddle and satiates your body and soul in every way possible, in every way you have ever wanted. Life is short and every moment of it should be made worth living. What is a life without health? Nothing.

As we say, Health is wealth . You cannot enjoy moments in your life without maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you should consume vegetables. Even in old days of your life, you will have a healthy and disease free life, thanking the temptations of junk food you did not give into.  

No we should also remember one thing. Vegetables are comparatively cheaper to non vegetarian sources of proteins. Although some trainers do recommend non-vegetarian food but doctors and dieticians worldwide have stuck on a unanimous opinion.

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Vegetables and Fruits

Basket of food including grapes apples asparagus onions lettuce carrots melon bananas corn

  • Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.
  • No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Eat plenty every day.

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check. Eating non-starchy vegetables and fruits like apples, pears, and green leafy vegetables may even promote weight loss. [1] Their low glycemic loads prevent blood sugar spikes that can increase hunger.

At least nine different families of fruits and vegetables exist, each with potentially hundreds of different plant compounds that are beneficial to health. Eat a variety of types and colors of produce in order to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. This not only ensures a greater diversity of beneficial plant chemicals but also creates eye-appealing meals.

the vegetables essay

Tips to eat more vegetables and fruits each day

  • Keep fruit where you can see it . Place several ready-to-eat washed whole fruits in a bowl or store chopped colorful fruits in a glass bowl in the refrigerator to tempt a sweet tooth.
  • Explore the produce aisle and choose something new . Variety and color are key to a healthy diet. On most days, try to get at least one serving from each of the following categories: dark green leafy vegetables; yellow or orange fruits and vegetables; red fruits and vegetables; legumes (beans) and peas; and citrus fruits.
  • Skip the potatoes . Choose other vegetables that are packed with different nutrients and more slowly digested  carbohydrates .
  • Make it a meal . Try cooking new  recipes that include more vegetables. Salads, soups, and stir-fries are just a few ideas for increasing the number of tasty vegetables in your meals.

the vegetables essay

5 common questions about fruits and vegetables.

Vegetables, fruits, and disease, cardiovascular disease.

There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

  • A meta-analysis of cohort studies following 469,551 participants found that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, with an average reduction in risk of 4% for each additional serving per day of fruit and vegetables. [2]
  • The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years.
  • The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. [3]
  • Although all fruits and vegetables likely contributed to this benefit, green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens, were most strongly associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts , bok choy, and kale ; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) also made important contributions. [3]
  • When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease [4] and stroke, [5] compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.

Blood pressure

  • The  Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study [6] examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.
  • A randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. [7]
  • In 2014 a meta-analysis of clinical trials and observational studies found that consumption of a vegetarian diet was associated with lower blood pressure. [8]

Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer . Unlike case-control studies, cohort studies , which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don’t rely on information from the past. And, in general, data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer.

  • For example, over a 14-year period in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). [3]
  • A meta-analysis of cohort studies found that a higher fruit and vegetable intake did not decrease the risk of deaths from cancer. [2]

A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers.

  • A study by Farvid and colleagues followed a Nurses’ Health Study II cohort of 90,476 premenopausal women for 22 years and found that those who ate the most fruit during adolescence (about 3 servings a day) compared with those who ate the lowest intakes (0.5 servings a day) had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer. There was a significant reduction in breast cancer in women who had eaten higher intakes of apples, bananas , grapes, and corn during adolescence, and oranges and kale during early adulthood. No protection was found from drinking fruit juices at younger ages. [9]
  • Farvid and colleagues followed 90, 534 premenopausal women from the Nurses’ Health Study II over 20 years and found that higher fiber intakes during adolescence and early adulthood were associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer later in life. When comparing the highest and lowest fiber intakes from fruits and vegetables, women with the highest fruit fiber intake had a 12% reduced risk of breast cancer; those with the highest vegetable fiber intake had an 11% reduced risk. [10]
  • After following 182,145 women in the Nurses’ Health Study I and II for 30 years, Farvid’s team also found that women who ate more than 5.5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (especially cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables) had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer than those who ate 2.5 or fewer servings. Vegetable intake was strongly associated with a 15% lower risk of estrogen-receptor-negative tumors for every two additional servings of vegetables eaten daily. A higher intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower risk of other aggressive tumors including HER2-enriched and basal-like tumors. [11]
  • A report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like—and fruits “probably” protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach. Fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. [12]

Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example:

  • A line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. [12] One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue—lycopene—could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals Study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. [14]
  • Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. [12] Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. [12] But more research is needed to understand the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.

Some research looks specifically at whether individual fruits are associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. While there isn’t an abundance of research into this area yet, preliminary results are compelling.

  • A study of over 66,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, 85,104 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 36,173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study—who were free of major chronic diseases—found that greater consumption of whole fruits—especially blueberries, grapes, and apples—was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Another important finding was that greater consumption of fruit juice was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. [15]
  • Additionally a study of over 70,000 female nurses aged 38-63 years, who were free of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, showed that consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruit was associated with a lower risk of diabetes. While not conclusive, research also indicated that consumption of fruit juices may be associated with an increased risk among women. (16)
  • A study of over 2,300 Finnish men showed that vegetables and fruits, especially berries, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. [17]

Data from the Nurses’ Health Studies and the Health Professional’s Follow-up Study show that women and men who increased their intakes of fruits and vegetables over a 24-year period were more likely to have lost weight than those who ate the same amount or those who decreased their intake. Berries, apples, pears, soy, and cauliflower were associated with weight loss while starchier vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas were linked with weight gain. [1] However, keep in mind that adding more produce into the diet won’t necessarily help with weight loss unless it replaces another food, such as refined carbohydrates of white bread and crackers.

Gastrointestinal health

Fruits and vegetables contain indigestible fiber, which absorbs water and expands as it passes through the digestive system. This can calm symptoms of an irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. [18] The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and may help prevent diverticulosis. [19]

Eating fruits and vegetables can also keep your eyes healthy, and may help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases—cataracts and macular degeneration—which afflict millions of Americans over age 65. [20-23] Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem to reduce risk of cataracts. [24]

  • Bertoia ML, Mukamal KJ, Cahill LE, Hou T, Ludwig DS, Mozaffarian D, Willett WC, Hu FB, Rimm EB. Changes in intake of fruits and vegetables and weight change in United States men and women followed for up to 24 years: analysis from three prospective cohort studies. PLoS medicine . 2015 Sep 22;12(9):e1001878.
  • Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, Zhu M, Zhao G, Bao W, Hu FB. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ . 2014 Jul 29;349:g4490.
  • Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, Hu FB, Hunter D, Smith-Warner SA, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Spiegelman D, Willett WC. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. Journal of the National Cancer Institute . 2004 Nov 3;96(21):1577-84.
  • He FJ, Nowson CA, Lucas M, MacGregor GA. Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies. Journal of human hypertension . 2007 Sep;21(9):717.
  • He FJ, Nowson CA, MacGregor GA. Fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke: meta-analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet . 2006 Jan 28;367(9507):320-6.
  • Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Sacks FM, Bray GA, Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. New England Journal of Medicine . 1997 Apr 17;336(16):1117-24.
  • Appel LJ, Sacks FM, Carey VJ, Obarzanek E, Swain JF, Miller ER, Conlin PR, Erlinger TP, Rosner BA, Laranjo NM, Charleston J. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA . 2005 Nov 16;294(19):2455-64.
  • Yokoyama Y, Nishimura K, Barnard ND, Takegami M, Watanabe M, Sekikawa A, Okamura T, Miyamoto Y. Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: a meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine. 2014 Apr 1;174(4):577-87.
  • Farvid MS, Chen WY, Michels KB, Cho E, Willett WC, Eliassen AH. Fruit and vegetable consumption in adolescence and early adulthood and risk of breast cancer: population based cohort study. BMJ . 2016 May 11;353:i2343.
  • Farvid MS, Eliassen AH, Cho E, Liao X, Chen WY, Willett WC. Dietary fiber intake in young adults and breast cancer risk. Pediatrics . 2016 Mar 1;137(3):e20151226.
  • Farvid MS, Chen WY, Rosner BA, Tamimi RM, Willett WC, Eliassen AH. Fruit and vegetable consumption and breast cancer incidence: Repeated measures over 30 years of follow‐up. International journal of cancer . 2018 Jul 6.
  • Wiseman M. The Second World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Expert Report. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective: Nutrition Society and BAPEN Medical Symposium on ‘Nutrition support in cancer therapy’. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society . 2008 Aug;67(3):253-6.
  • Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Platz EA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Risk factors for prostate cancer incidence and progression in the health professionals follow‐up study. International journal of cancer . 2007 Oct 1;121(7):1571-8.
  • Kavanaugh CJ, Trumbo PR, Ellwood KC. The US Food and Drug Administration’s evidence-based review for qualified health claims: tomatoes, lycopene, and cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute . 2007 Jul 18;99(14):1074-85.
  • Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, Hu FB, Willett WC, van Dam RM, Sun Q. Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies. BMJ . 2013 Aug 29;347:f5001.
  • Bazzano LA, Li TY, Joshipura KJ, Hu FB. Intake of fruit, vegetables, and fruit juices and risk of diabetes in women. Diabetes Care . 2008 Apr 3.
  • Mursu J, Virtanen JK, Tuomainen TP, Nurmi T, Voutilainen S. Intake of fruit, berries, and vegetables and risk of type 2 diabetes in Finnish men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study–. The American journal of clinical nutrition . 2013 Nov 20;99(2):328-33.
  • Lembo A, Camilleri M. Chronic constipation. New England Journal of Medicine . 2003 Oct 2;349(14):1360-8.
  • Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL, Rockett HR, Sampson L, Rimm EB, Willett AW. A prospective study of dietary fiber types and symptomatic diverticular disease in men. The Journal of nutrition . 1998 Oct 1;128(4):714-9.
  • Brown L, Rimm EB, Seddon JM, Giovannucci EL, Chasan-Taber L, Spiegelman D, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men–. The American journal of clinical nutrition . 1999 Oct 1;70(4):517-24.
  • Christen WG, Liu S, Schaumberg DA, Buring JE. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract in women–. The American journal of clinical nutrition . 2005 Jun 1;81(6):1417-22.
  • Moeller SM, Taylor A, Tucker KL, McCullough ML, Chylack Jr LT, Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Jacques PF. Overall adherence to the dietary guidelines for Americans is associated with reduced prevalence of early age-related nuclear lens opacities in women. The Journal of nutrition . 2004 Jul 1;134(7):1812-9.
  • Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoidsand risk of age-related maculopathy. Archives of Ophthalmology . 2004 Jun 1;122(6):883-92.
  • Christen WG, Liu S, Glynn RJ, Gaziano JM, Buring JE. Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and risk of cataract in women: a prospective study. Archives of Ophthalmology . 2008 Jan 1;126(1):102-9.

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10 Health Benefits of Eating Vegetables, According to a Dietitian

There are a lot of reasons why nutrition experts are always telling people to eat more veggies. Find out why this food group is so good for you.

Lisa Valente is a registered dietitian and former senior digital nutrition editor for EatingWell . She studied at the University of Vermont, where she completed her undergraduate studies in nutrition, food science and dietetics, and attended the dietetic internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital to become a registered dietitian.

the vegetables essay

Elizabeth Ward is a registered dietitian and award-winning nutrition communicator and writer. She has authored or co-authored 10 books for consumers about nutrition at all stages of life.

the vegetables essay

1. Inflammation

2. blood pressure, 7. blood sugar, 10. immune system, the bottom line.

When it comes to eating vegetables, your mom was right. They're good for you! That probably doesn't come as a surprise. Most of us know that eating vegetables (and fruits) is a healthy habit. But still, most Americans are not eating the recommended 2 to 4 cups daily .

The good news is all veggies count toward your daily quota. That includes starchy ones (like potatoes and legumes), leafy greens, canned tomatoes and frozen spinach. To help nudge you toward upping your intake, here are 10 reasons why vegetables are so good for your health.

Sometimes inflammation is good—like when you get injured, acute inflammation is necessary for the healing process—but too much chronic inflammation isn't great for our bodies. Veggies are one of the best foods to eat to help you fend off inflammation . They are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals to help your body reduce chronic inflammation .

Nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . When it comes to your diet and blood pressure, eating too much salt isn't great. But, eating more potassium-rich foods can help reduce the damage of a high-sodium diet. Vegetables, like beets and spinach, deliver potassium (and other nutrients) and the fiber from vegetables also helps your heart.

Most of us don't hit our recommended fiber intake, which is 28 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie eating plan, per the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines . Eating high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, legumes, nuts and, yes, vegetables can help you get enough of this key nutrient.

Fiber is great for your heart and gut and can also keep you full and reduce your risk of developing diabetes. All vegetables have fiber, so choose a variety to get your fill. Artichokes, sweet potatoes and peas all make our list of foods with more fiber than an apple .

Eye health may be top of mind if you stare at a computer and phone all day, which can strain your eyes, according to the American Optometric Association . If you want to protect your eyes , eat more vegetables. You'll also want to take some screen breaks and see your eye doctor.

According to a 2022 review in Nutrients , lutein and zeaxanthin are two carotenoids that help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). You'll find them and other eye-protecting carotenoids in basil, carrots, corn, red peppers, spinach and broccoli.

You can help take care of your skin by staying hydrated and getting quality sleep, but what you eat can help too. Tomatoes deliver lycopene, which can help protect your skin from sunburn (reminder: sunscreen is important too). Kale and avocados can help keep your skin more elastic . Many vegetables, like cucumbers and celery, also have a high water content to help you meet your hydration goals for glowing skin.

According to the CDC , heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in America, and diet plays a big role in helping keep your heart healthy. Vegetables give you potassium and fiber, two nutrients that are good for your heart. Eating lots of veggies can also help you keep your weight in a healthy range, which takes some pressure off your heart. Leafy greens, avocados and tomatoes make our list of top heart-healthy foods , but all veggies have benefits for your heart.

Whether you have diabetes or not, vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients. This means they can help fill you up and minimize blood sugar spikes during meals. Some ideas include adding arugula to your pasta to help bulk up your plate and keep you satisfied. Or try adding peppers to tacos or cauliflower to stir-fries. Some vegetables are higher in starches and carbs—think potatoes, corn, squash, peas—but they can still be included in your diet.

No diet choice is guaranteed to keep you cancer-free, but vegetables are full of cancer-fighting nutrients and antioxidants that may reduce your risk of certain types of cancers.

Cruciferous vegetables , like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, have been studied for their cancer-fighting power. They deliver potassium, folate, vitamin C and phytochemicals, as well as sulforaphane (highest in broccoli) all of which may protect your cells from damaging carcinogens. Variety is key here, as all veggies have different nutrients and protective effects.

If you want to keep your brain sharp , including vegetables in your diet is the way to go. Vegetables, especially leafy greens, are part of the MIND Diet , which was designed by researchers to help reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The antioxidants and folate they deliver are key nutrients for your brain.

It's no secret that what you eat impacts your immune system . Vitamin C is a key nutrient that's found in lots of vegetables that helps keep your immune system strong. People are always surprised to learn that broccoli and bell peppers have more vitamin C than an orange . Eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods is also important for your immune system, so include lots of different veggies as well as fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and protein.

You've always known vegetables were good for you, and now you know more about why. Try to mix it up. Eating a variety of vegetables —and other foods—will give you the nutrients your body needs for good health. We love a great salad, as well as getting creative with our veggie cooking methods, from steaming and stir-frying to roasting and grilling. There are as many different ways to eat vegetables as there are varieties of them.

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Explain Why We Should We Grow Our Own Vegetables Essay

We should all grow our own vegetables. Have you ever ask yourself what is the goal of all visionaries? Somehow they all do the same thing. They develop the theory that helps people to do things faster and easier. Somehow they are always the ones that change the world and make it a better place. Thinking as a visionary myself, the idea of growing our own vegetables would be an innovation that would make things easier for people, faster, and cheaper. It will be much safer than buying vegetables from stores that may contain different kind of chemicals. There will be one big step for humanity to help the environment in a massive way. These changes could work successfully as an innovation for our future. Having a plan were we grow our own …show more content…

Vegetables that are grown naturally aren`t just healthier, but they are indeed much tastier as well. This way we can see a future with the upcoming generations starting off eating healthy, which leads to being healthy mentally and physically leading to a better state off mind, including psychological problems which will help with the education level in the world. Works Cited Carson, Rachel. "Legacy of Rachel Carsons Silent Spring National Historic Chemical Landmark." American Chemical Society. Rachel Carson, 26 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. Choices, NHS. "Tips for Growing Your Own Fruit and Vegetables." Grow Your Own Veg. Unknown, 23 May 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. Di Pierro, Francisco. "Antioxidants and Cancer: A Debate on Prevention, Progression, Hormesis, and Cruciferous Vegetables." Antioxidants and Cancer. Nutrafoods, 11 Dec. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. James And Laurentine. "Reasons to Grow Your Own Garden." Nutrition . James and Laurentine, 5 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Feb.

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Paul Stamets

On the off chance that there's anything you read – or offer – let this be it. The substance of this article can possibly drastically move the world in an assortment of positive ways. Furthermore, as Monsanto would love for this article to not become famous online, whatever we can ask is that you share, offer, share the data being exhibited so it can reach however many individuals as could be expected under the circumstances.

Patricia Gadsby

Main Argument and Thesis The main point of the article is that diets can often be dependent upon geographic surroundings. Diets can provide essential nutrients and minerals in various ways. Supporting Evidence The authors, Patricia Gadsby and Leon Steele, support their main point through using nutritional evidence, referencing scientific studies, and providing dialogue from multiple individuals.

Fetal Pig Observation

I should have listened to my parents when they scolded me to “Finish your plate, I can still see three pieces of broccoli.” What can I say? I was a stubborn child who, to this day will not touch anything with a hint of potato. I never realized how vital vegetables were to a diet until that’s all I could, or would, eat. My epiphany began in my sophomore biology class, as my favorite teacher excitedly stood in front of the classroom labs to declare “We are starting dissections!”

Monsanto's Harvest Of Fear Summary

The three essays assigned this week had several common threads running through them. The strongest core theme is the rapid change in the food cycle in America and the vast changes that have taken place in the way by which we grow, produce, and process the food that average Americans eat. The food we eat now is drastically different from what our grandparents grew up eating and the three essays each examine that in a different way. Another theme is the loss of knowledge by the average consumer about where their food comes from, what it is composed of, and what, if any, danger it might pose to them. “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear” by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele is a harsh look at the realities of food production in a country where large corporations, like Monsanto, have been allowed to exploit laws and loopholes to bend farmers and consumers to their

Why Bother By Michael Pollan Analysis

In Michael Pollan’s article “Why Bother,” takes a different approach and talks about how gardening can not only help save our planet but can also benefit the population. For example, gardening can help lead a healthier lifestyle by

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Persuasive Techniques Used By Mckay Jenkins And Anna Lappe

Both essays share common themes, in mainly advocating for sustainability in the food and agriculture industry. However, the authors suggest different methods to obtain this. Can GMOs Be Sustainable, written by McKay Jenkins mainly discusses the usage of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the agriculture industry, and the controversy that surrounds them. The article is mainly through the point of view of farmer Jenny Schmidt, who discusses the positive effects of GMOs, and how they can help farmers. However, there are also perspectives given by different professionals, which all support the conversation of sustainability in the food industry.

When A Crop Is King Michael Pollan Analysis

The problem of industrial farming is dangerous to the land to our health because there are children who are getting sick from the food they eat. America should be concerned about food production because they don't know what’s in it and that could be dangerous for the children and everyone else. In the article “When A Crop Is King” by “Michael Pollan” argues that how our food is made out of corn and it’s unhealthy for us.

Documentary Summary: A Place At The Table

One of which being Community gardens, the other being food pantries and the final solution being solving the issue of inequality. A mixture of all three solutions would be ideal to helping solve hunger in the United States. Food pantries should still be a resource to those in need and gardening and cooking should be a skill everyone has. As a community people can come together and give to each other in their time of need, while we work to solve the issue of inequality in the United

The Pleasures Of Eating By Wendell Berry Analysis

Wendell Berry is obviously passionate on the subject and makes strong points about animal cruelty, processed food, chemicals, and buying locally grown food. As true as most of the information is in the article most people in our society don’t care about how they get the food as long as they get the food. Overall, this article stated facts and backed them up with sound knowledge but it does leave some to be desired. Although he has made valid points there was no solution to feeding a world with approximately 7 billion people. Everyone cannot grow their own food and someone has to provide all those people with food so we can

Summary Of Michael Pollan's Unhappy Meals

The rise of nutritionism is because replacing foods with nutrients makes consumers’ life easier when they no longer need to take vitamin pills. For example, in an essay “The Seeds of Gold” the author Peter Pringle introduces a GMO, the golden rice, that is invented from the modification of regular rice’s gene so it can contain more Vitamin A (Pringle 19). Consuming the nutrients from the golden rice can effectively help with Vitamin A deficiency. Critics argue that Pollan’s argument is flawed for this reason, but they fail to envision the negative effects of the overly emphasizing nutrients in a diet. As this trend continues, “the typical real food has more

Rhetorical Analysis Of Peter Singer's 'Down On The Factory Farm'

Peter Singer’s lead us in these issues throughout the article to point out how complex our choices of food have become. Moreover, he persuades us in many ways on how the farming

Stuffed And Starved Summary

As Patel himself states, we need to get inside the hourglass and make the food system work for all of us, as farmers, producers, distributers, and consumers as a whole. Regardless of the confusion a first time reader may run across, this book does one thing undoubtedly right: it makes you think long and hard about everything you thought you knew about food. It goes far past GMOs and RoundUp, way beyond HFCS and the overproduction of soybeans, over and above those who are stuffed and those who are starved. Throughout the span of the novel, Patel not only helps you realize that there are many issues in our food economy, but also makes you feel how vital it is to take back what we did not even realize had long been

Satire About Poverty

Leah Martin Mrs.McKenna English /5th period 13 May 2016 Final Copy Our family can only eat whatever we grow on a small plot of land located a short way from our house. We have no other form of income so if we are unable to pick anything to eat from the land we go without food on that day. This happens a lot and we regularly go several days without any food at all. When we do pick vegetables from the land it’s very rarely enough for the whole family to be fed so my husband

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Introduction Plants are a major necessity in the balance of nature, people’s lives, and our terrain. We may not realize it, but plants are the ultimate source of food for almost 95% of the world population so says the National Group of Food. It’s a fact that over 7,000 species of plants are being consumed today. Plants are one of the reasons that we get clean water; as they help regulate the water cycle.

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The benefits of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. Not only do these colourful foods add flavour and variety to your meals, but they also pack a powerful nutritional punch, providing vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. In this article, we will explore the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, how much and the best types to eat and answer some commonly asked questions about fruits.

What is the difference between fruits and vegetables?

Fruits and vegetables are classified from both a botanical and culinary standpoint. The botanical classification is based on the plant’s physiological characteristics, like its structure, function and organisation. 1 A botanical fruit has at least one seed and grows from the flower of the plant. Examples of botanical fruits include apples, strawberries, peaches, but also tomatoes , cucumbers and peppers . A botanical vegetable, on the other hand, does not have a set definition but is more of a general term encompassing all other edible aspects of the plant, the roots, the stems and the leaves. Examples include foods such as spinach, broccoli and carrots.

The culinary classification is based on the way the plants are used and their flavour profiles. Culinary fruits have a softer texture, tend to be either sweet or tart and are often enjoyed raw or in desserts or jams. In contrast, a culinary vegetable usually has a tougher texture, blander taste and often requires cooking. The culinary classification may be more useful in our day-to-day lives as foods from the same botanical family may not have the same nutritional composition. For example, cantaloupe melons, watermelons, butternut squash, cucumbers and pumpkins all belong to the same botanical family but have different nutritional values.

the vegetables essay

What are the health benefits of fruits and vegetables?

Most people know that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Both fruits and vegetables are high in dietary fibre as well as vitamins and minerals , and other bioactive plant compounds, including many with antioxidant properties such as polyphenols or beta-carotene. Fruits and vegetables contain, for example, vitamin A , B5 , folate , C , E & K and are a rich source of calcium , iron , magnesium , manganese and potassium . 2 The amounts and types of nutrients vary between different types of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are also high in water, ranging from 75-90% of their weight. This fact explains their low energy content. Fruits and vegetables usually contain traces of fats and protein, with a few exceptions such as avocados, which have a high fat content. There is no evidence that organic fruits and vegetables are more nutritious compared to conventional varieties. 3-5

Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables is strongly associated with a lower risk of premature deaths and non-communicable diseases ; particularly, cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke, and certain cancers i.e., of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and colorectum. 6-8 A meta-analysis looking at 95 prospective studies found that each additional 200 grams of fruits and vegetables per day was associated with an 8% lower risk of coronary heart disease, 16% lower risk of stroke, 8% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, 3% lower risk of cancer and 10% lower risk of premature death. 9 Eating fruits and vegetables was associated with these reduced risks up to intakes of 800 grams per day except cancer, where no further reductions in risk were observed above 600 grams per day.

Eating fruits and vegetables is also linked to a lower risk of other diseases, including dementia, certain eye diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, pancreatic diseases and hip fractures, although with a lower strength of evidence. 6 , 7 Furthermore, diets high in fruits and vegetables may prevent weight gain, the most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

How much fruit and vegetables should I eat per day?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends eating at least 400 g of fruits and vegetables per day. 10 This is often translated to five 80 g portions (also commonly known as “5-a-day”). Almost all fruits and vegetables count towards this recommended daily amount, with a few exceptions: potatoes and other starchy tubers such as cassava; tinned or canned fruits and vegetables with added sugar or salt; more than one portion of dried fruit (30 grams); and more than 150 ml of 100% fruit or vegetable juice or smoothie. In other words, dried fruit and fruit/vegetable juices and smoothies only count for one of your 5-a-day even if you eat or drink more portions. 

Should I avoid eating fruits and vegetables because of ‘anti-nutrients’?

No, fruits and vegetables are healthy choices, despite containing anti-nutrients.

Anti-nutrients are chemicals that are found in plant-based foods that can interfere with how your body absorbs nutrients. 11 Examples of anti-nutrients found in fruits and vegetables include lectins (e.g., in tomatoes and aubergines), oxalates (e.g., in spinach, Swiss chard and beetroot), goitrogens (e.g., in kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and broccoli) and tannins (e.g., in grapes, berries, apples and stone fruits). 12 Other examples of anti-nutrients you may have heard of include phytates (e.g., in legumes, whole grains and nuts and seeds) and phytoestrogens (e.g., in soy and soy products and flaxseeds) but these two groups are not found in significant quantities in fruit and vegetables. Although evidence is limited, some suggested implications of these anti-nutrients include altered gut function and inflammation (lectins), reduced absorption of calcium (oxalates), and iron (tannins) and reduced absorption of iodine, hypothyroidism and/or goitre (goitrogens). 12

Some studies have shown that anti-nutrients may cause negative health effects when eaten in very high amounts, without any form of food processing, or in isolated form (e.g. not as part of a food). However, often the health effects seen in these studies are not easily comparable to potential effects of eating them as part of our every diet. For example, much of the research on anti-nutrients linking them to negative health outcomes is performed in animals, which cannot tell us what happens in humans. 12 Moreover, how our bodies absorb nutrients from our diets likely significantly different that how it reacts to isolated compounds used in some research studies. This is because the diverse and complex interactions of all the chemicals in our foods and food combinations affect how our body digests and absorbs nutrients, and any resulting health effects. 11 , 12  

There is however consistent evidence showing that a eating a lot of fruits and vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of various diseases. So, although fruits and vegetables contain anti-nutrients, the health benefits of eating them outweighs any potential negative nutritional effects. Food processing techniques such as boiling, steaming or peeling the skins (specifically for fruits high in tannins) can also reduce the amount of anti-nutrients present in fruits and vegetables.

In a small number of people who have or are at high risk for certain illnesses, anti-nutrients might cause problems (e.g., oxalates in kidney stone formation and goitrogens in thyroid disease). 12 In this case, it is best to consult with a registered dietitian or GP for individualised and safe advice.

What fruit or vegetable is best for health?

No single fruit or vegetable is best for health. All fruits and vegetables are good for health and provide different nutrients. Eating a variety of types and colours provides us with a range of different nutrients the body needs.

Some studies have found that specific fruits and vegetables may be more strongly related to reducing our disease risk. 9 These include apples and pears, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables (e.g., kale, spinach and pak choi) and salads and cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage) for cardiovascular disease and mortality and green-yellow vegetables and cruciferous vegetables for total cancer risk.

Are fresh fruits and vegetables better than frozen?

Both fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are nutritious choices and count towards the recommended daily intake. Generally, produce picked at peak ripeness offers the highest amount of vitamins and minerals. During sorting, transporting and distribution, fruits and vegetables lose some of their vitamins and minerals. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often frozen within a few hours of harvesting at peak ripeness, and so they retain the most nutrients. However, some vegetables are blanched before freezing, which reduces the levels of less stable water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins B1 and C, as well as antioxidants. 13 Other nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins A and E are less easily lost, and processing may make these even more available to our bodies. 14

Frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient, often cheaper than fresh and allow us greater variety year-round. They can help to reduce food waste. When choosing frozen produce, choose ones that don’t have added salt or sugar.

the vegetables essay

When should you eat fruits? Can you eat fruits at night?

Fruits are a healthy choice at any time of the day. The myth that eating fruits at night is bad for you stems from the idea that eating fruit will raise your blood glucose levels and that if your body does not have time to stabilise those levels before bed, it may lead to weight gain. However, there is no evidence to suggest that eating fruit at night is harmful or leads to weight gain.

Any carbohydrate-containing food, including fruits but also vegetables, bread, pasta and pulses, will temporarily increase your blood sugar while glucose is being absorbed by the body, regardless of the time of day. Some studies indicate that our body’s glucose control is influenced by our internal body clock and that eating carbohydrates earlier in the day is associated with better glucose control. 15 However only a small number of studies have looked at this so far and more studies are needed to understand the mechanisms and whether there is any impact on health.

Importantly, glucose control is also dependent on a person’s overall diet and the amount and type of carbohydrate consumed. For example, pairing fruit with a source of protein or fat can help slow down the absorption of sugar and mitigate any potential spikes in blood sugar levels. It’s also important to consider overall calorie intake, as consuming excessive calories from any source can lead to weight gain over time.

Is sugar in fruit bad for you?

No, sugar in fruit is not bad for you. Foods in which sugars naturally occur, such as fruit, vegetables, grains or pulses, usually also contain fibre and other health-promoting nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. As such they are better for our health than foods containing predominantly free or added sugars and few other nutrients. Indeed, high intake of free and added sugars is a risk factor for many preventable diseases, 16 , 17 whereas overall, high fruit and vegetable intake is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancers and premature death. 9

How to safely handle fruits and vegetables?

Since they are often eaten raw, fresh fruit and vegetables can sometimes be a source of foodborne illness. This is because they can pick up microbes from manure or water used during production, or at other stages of picking, storage and transport. However, basic food hygiene can reduce this risk so we can enjoy a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables:

  • Wash your hands before and after preparing fruits and vegetables;
  • Wash or scrub their skin with water before eating or preparing (products marketed as fruit and vegetable washes are not necessary);
  • ‘prewashed’ fruits and vegetables don’t need to be washed again;
  • Store them properly and throw away produce that looks or smells spoiled

the vegetables essay

Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet. They are rich in nutrients and can lower our risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will help ensure that you are getting a range of nutrients. Whether you choose fresh or frozen or eat them in the morning or at night, fruits and vegetables are a great way to boost your health. Eating 400 g of fruits and vegetables a day may seem ambitious but here are some helpful tips to help you:

  • Keep fruit easy to reach;
  • Take fruits and vegetables with you to have as snacks;
  • (re)discover new or forgotten vegetables;
  • Check what is in season where you are (& try new recipes);
  • Swap your old favourites to increase variety.

the vegetables essay

  • Pennington JAT & Fisher RA (2009). Classification of fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 22S:S23-S31.
  • Public Health England. 2019. McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset.
  • Dangour AD, Dodhia SK, Hayter A, Allen E, Lock K & Uauy R (2009). Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review. American Journal Clinical Nutrition. 90:680-685.
  • Bourn D & Prescott J (2002). A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 42:1-34.
  • Worthington V (1998). Effect of agricultural methods on nutritional quality: A comparison of organic with conventional crops. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine 4:58-69.
  • Angelino, D. et al. (2019). Fruit and vegetable consumption and health outcomes: An umbrella review of observational studies. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 70(6), 652-667
  • Boeing, H., Bechthold, A., Bub, A., Ellinger, S., Haller, D., Kroke, A., ... & Watzl, B. (2012). Critical review: vegetables and fruit in the prevention of chronic diseases. European journal of nutrition, 51, 637-663.
  • World Cancer Research Fund International. (2018). Wholegrains, vegetables and fruit and the risk of cancer. Continuous Update Project Expert Report.
  • Aune, D. et al. (2017). Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality—a systematic review and dose-response meta-ananalysis of prospective studies. International journal of epidemiology, 46(3)
  • World Health Organization. (2020). Healthy diet. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
  • López-Moreno, M., Garcés-Rimón, M., & Miguel, M. (2022). Antinutrients: Lectins, goitrogens, phytates and oxalates, friends or foe?. Journal of Functional Foods, 89, 104938.
  • Petroski, W., & Minich, D. M. (2020). Is there such a thing as “anti-nutrients”? A narrative review of perceived problematic plant compounds. Nutrients, 12(10), 2929.
  • Rickman JC, Barrett DM & Bruhn CM. (2007). Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Part I. Vitamins C and B and phenolic compounds. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 87:930-944.
  • Rickman JC, Barrett DM & Bruhn CM. (2007). Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Part II. Vitamin A and carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals and fiber. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 87:1185-1196.
  • Zhao, L., Hutchison, A. T., & Heilbronn, L. K. (2021). Carbohydrate intake and circadian synchronicity in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 24(4), 342-348.
  • Gakidou E, et al. (2017). Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
  • Mann J (2007). Dietary carbohydrate: relationship to cardiovascular disease and disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. European Journal of Nutrition 61:S100-S111.

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Grow your own vegetables to benefit your health and the environment

women working in garden

There are many reasons to grow your vegetables, including health benefits, better flavor, and environmental protection. The health benefits are exponential with the combination of nutrients, sunshine, and exercise gained through vegetable gardening.

Studies show that those who garden are more likely to eat more vegetables. Vegetables are a good source of essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin A, potassium, and fiber for example. As you work outside in the sunshine, you are aiding your body in the production of vitamin D. 

Walking, bending, lifting, and pulling movements that happen while gardening fit into the moderate excise category that can increase your body's immune system function. See this fact sheet about Training your Immune System for more information.

Certain vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and Brussel's sprouts produce a disease-fighting compound called sulfurane when cut. Colorful vegetables provide antioxidants such as lycopene and beta carotene. Diversity in the types of vegetables ensures balanced nutrition.  

Freshly picked vegetables that you grew in your garden seem to taste better. Several factors determine taste. Different varieties of vegetables have different flavors. You can choose varieties for your garden to suit your tastes.  

The flavor is also based on biochemical changes that happen to the produce once it is harvested. "Sugar stored in sweet corn kernels is being converted to starch as soon as the ear is harvested," says Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle, horticulture educator with the University of Illinois Extension serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties. “Cook sweet corn as soon as you can for the most sweetness.”

Harvest time can also affect the flavor of the vegetable. In your garden, you can harvest your vegetables at their peak to ensure maximum flavor. For more information on the perfect time to harvest different vegetables go to the University of Illinois Extension A Taste of Gardening website . 

Vegetable gardens benefit the environment in many ways. Locally grown vegetables reduce carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. No plastic packaging is required when you harvest vegetables straight from the garden, which also reduces fossil fuel inputs. Pesticide and other chemical inputs can be much less in a small, well-tended garden than even a small farm.

Instead of your kitchen and yard waste going to a landfill, start a compost pile. A bonus is you are creating your own soil amendment to increase your garden's productivity. Visit the University of Illinois Extension site Composting Central for more information on composting for the home garden.

These health and environmental benefits can last even longer when you plant vegetables for fall harvest. Vegetables that grow well in cool weather such as leaf lettuce, radish, spinach, and turnips can be planted throughout August for a fall harvest. Visit the Illinois Extension website “Vegetable Garden Guide” at web.extension.illinois.edu/vegguide for planting dates.

For more information on how to start a vegetable garden, contact your local University of Illinois Extension office or visit the website  extension.illinois.edu/ .  

MEET THE AUTHOR

Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle is a Agriculture and Natural Resources (Horticulture) Educator for Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties.  She completed a bachelors of science degree in crop science at the University of Illinois, and a master’s of science degree in agronomy with an emphasis in weed science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She has also worked at Montana State University as a research associate where she worked on weed control in sugar beets and barley.  She taught high school chemistry and other science classes where she was able to teach students in both the school garden and greenhouse.  She works with both the Extension Master Gardeners and Extension Master Naturalists.

ABOUT THE BLOG

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Persuasive Essay on Eating Healthy

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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the vegetables essay

Healthy Food Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on healthy food.

Healthy food refers to food that contains the right amount of nutrients to keep our body fit. We need healthy food to keep ourselves fit.

Furthermore, healthy food is also very delicious as opposed to popular thinking. Nowadays, kids need to eat healthy food more than ever. We must encourage good eating habits so that our future generations will be healthy and fit.

Most importantly, the harmful effects of junk food and the positive impact of healthy food must be stressed upon. People should teach kids from an early age about the same.

Healthy Food Essay

Benefits of Healthy Food

Healthy food does not have merely one but numerous benefits. It helps us in various spheres of life. Healthy food does not only impact our physical health but mental health too.

When we intake healthy fruits and vegetables that are full of nutrients, we reduce the chances of diseases. For instance, green vegetables help us to maintain strength and vigor. In addition, certain healthy food items keep away long-term illnesses like diabetes and blood pressure.

Similarly, obesity is the biggest problems our country is facing now. People are falling prey to obesity faster than expected. However, this can still be controlled. Obese people usually indulge in a lot of junk food. The junk food contains sugar, salt fats and more which contribute to obesity. Healthy food can help you get rid of all this as it does not contain harmful things.

In addition, healthy food also helps you save money. It is much cheaper in comparison to junk food. Plus all that goes into the preparation of healthy food is also of low cost. Thus, you will be saving a great amount when you only consume healthy food.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Junk food vs Healthy Food

If we look at the scenario today, we see how the fast-food market is increasing at a rapid rate. With the onset of food delivery apps and more, people now like having junk food more. In addition, junk food is also tastier and easier to prepare.

However, just to satisfy our taste buds we are risking our health. You may feel more satisfied after having junk food but that is just the feeling of fullness and nothing else. Consumption of junk food leads to poor concentration. Moreover, you may also get digestive problems as junk food does not have fiber which helps indigestion.

Similarly, irregularity of blood sugar levels happens because of junk food. It is so because it contains fewer carbohydrates and protein . Also, junk food increases levels of cholesterol and triglyceride.

On the other hand, healthy food contains a plethora of nutrients. It not only keeps your body healthy but also your mind and soul. It increases our brain’s functionality. Plus, it enhances our immunity system . Intake of whole foods with minimum or no processing is the finest for one’s health.

In short, we must recognize that though junk food may seem more tempting and appealing, it comes with a great cost. A cost which is very hard to pay. Therefore, we all must have healthy foods and strive for a longer and healthier life.

FAQs on Healthy Food

Q.1 How does healthy food benefit us?

A.1 Healthy Benefit has a lot of benefits. It keeps us healthy and fit. Moreover, it keeps away diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and many more. Healthy food also helps in fighting obesity and heart diseases.

Q.2 Why is junk food harmful?

A.2 Junk food is very harmful to our bodies. It contains high amounts of sugar, salt, fats, oils and more which makes us unhealthy. It also causes a lot of problems like obesity and high blood pressure. Therefore, we must not have junk food more and encourage healthy eating habits.

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Vegetarianism Essay

This is a model  vegetarianism essay .

As I always stress, you should  read the question very carefully  before you answer it to make sure you are writing about the right thing.

Take a look at the question:

Every one of us should become a vegetarian because eating meat can cause serious health problems.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Staying on topic

If you rush to start writing and don't analyse the question and brainstorm some ideas you may include the wrong information.

There are religious or moral arguments for not eating meat, but if you discuss those you will be going off topic .

This question is specifically about the health problems connected to eating meat.

So you must discuss in your answer what some of these problems are and if you think there are real health risks or not.

Knowing about the topic

IELTS Vegetarianism Essay

And don't get worried that you do not know much about diet and health.

As part of your IELTS study it will help if you know the basics of most topics such as some health vocabulary in this case, but you are not expected to be an expert on nutrition.

Remember, you are being judged on your English ability and your ability to construct an argument in a coherent way, not to be an expert in the subject matter. So relax and work with

Organisation

In this vegetarianism essay, the candidate disagrees with the statement, and is thus arguing that everyone does not need to be a vegetarian.

The essay has been organised in the following way:

Body 1: Health issues connected with eating meat (i.e. arguments in support of being a vegetarian Body 2: Advantages of eating meat

Now take a look at the model answer.

Model Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Vegetarianism Essay - Sample Answer

Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular for many people, particularly because of the harm that some people believe meat can cause to the body. However, I strongly believe that it is not necessary for everybody to be a vegetarian.

Vegetarians believe that meat is unhealthy because of the diseases it has been connected with. There has been much research to suggest that red meat is particularly bad, for example, and that consumption should be limited to eating it just a few times a week to avoid such things as cancer. Meats can also be high in saturated fats so they have been linked to health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

However, there are strong arguments for eating meat. The first reason is that as humans we are designed to eat meat, which suggests it is not unhealthy, and we have been eating meat for thousands of years. For example, cavemen made hunting implements so that they could kill animals and eat their meat. Secondly, meat is a rich source of protein which helps to build muscles and bones. Vegetarians often have to take supplements to get all the essential vitamins and minerals. Finally, it may be the case that too much meat is harmful, but we can easily limit the amount we have without having to cut it out of our diet completely.

To sum up, I do not agree that everyone should turn to a vegetarian diet. Although the overconsumption of meat could possibly be unhealthy, a balanced diet of meat and vegetables should result in a healthy body.

(264 words)

You should begin by intoducing the topi c. The introduction in this vegetarianism essay begins by mentioning vegetarians and the possible harm of eating meat .

It then goes on to the thesis statement , which makes it clear what the candidate's opinion is.

The first body paragraph has a topic sentence which makes it clear that the paragraph is going to address the possible health issues of eating meat.

Some reasons and examples are then given to support this.

The second body paragraph then has a topic sentence which makes it clear that the main idea is now about the arguments for eating meat .

The conclusion in this vegetarianism essay then repeats the opinion and gives the candidates final thoughts.

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Essay on Vegetables | Agriculture

the vegetables essay

Here is an essay on ‘Vegetables’ for class 5, 6, 7 and 8. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Vegetables’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on Vegetables

Essay Contents:

  • Essay on the Different Types of Vegetables Farming

Essay # Introduction to Vegetables:

The term ‘Vegetable’ includes all foods of vegetable origin, but it excludes cereal and dried seeds of pulses, it includes grain on the cob, potatoes and other tubers. Vegetables are an integral part of human diet and known as protective foods, which contribute required minerals, vitamins and other nutrients of medicinal and therapeutic values.

Olericulture is derived from two words, i.e., ‘Oleris’ meaning ‘potherb’ and ‘culture’ meaning ‘cultivation’. So, olericulture literally means potherb cultivation. In present day, it is broadly used to indicate the cultivation of vegetables.

It is any part of the herbaceous plant that is generally used after cooking as a principal part of the meal. Vegetables are called protective food as their consumption can preventive several diseases. Vegetable plays an important role in the balanced diet by providing not only energy, but also supplying vital protective nutrients like-minerals and vitamins.

Essay # Characteristics of Vegetable :

Vegetables form an indispensable part of daily diet particularly in India, as a large section of people are vegetarian. So, for fulfilling the dietary requirements they depend on vegetables.

Vegetables are important for our well-being because of the following:

(i) Vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and other essential nutrients.

(ii) Vegetables play an important role in human diet and are essential for balanced diet and maintenance of good health.

(iii) The vegetables are rich sources of protein (moringa and peas), minerals like calcium (tomato, spinach, peas), phosphorus (tomato, cucumber), iron (spinach, peas, tomato, bitter gourd), iodine (okra, summer squash) vitamins like vitamin-A (leafy vegetables, pumpkin), vitamin-B (peas, spinach, tomato), vitamin-C (moringa, chilli, tomato,) and vitamin-K (leafy vegetables).

(iv) Vegetables have lots of protective compounds like cheratin in bitter gourd is effective against diabetes and most of the leafy vegetables and pumpkin are the rich source of beta carotene.

(v) Vegetables gave more yield than other traditional crops like wheat and rice. The yield of wheat is about 50-55 quintal/hec and in vegetables like tomato it is about 250 quintal/hec. Thus, they provide higher quantity of food per unit area.

(vi) Vegetables gave more farm income than other crops.

(v) The cropping intensity in vegetable growing is very high as compared to others.

(viii) Normally, 3-4 vegetable crops can be raised in one year.

(vi) Vegetables have high export potential.

(vii) The aesthetic value of vegetables is quite higher than other field crops.

Essay # Scope of Vegetable :

In a vast country like India there is an immense scope of vegetable cultivation as mentioned below:

(i) Sufficient technical manpower is available in our country and apart from it; there are many unemployed agriculture graduates and postgraduate degree holders.

(ii) There are varying agro-climatic conditions temperate to subtropical, in different regions of the country and variety of vegetables can be grown all over the country.

(iii) There is abundance of rainfall and no scarcity of water for vegetable cultivation. There is large scope for area expansion under vegetable crops.

(v) There is high potential for high value low volume crops as purchasing power of lot of population in India is very high.

(vi) In India, the market for processed vegetables is increasing and thus more vegetable production is needed.

Essay # Varieties and Hybrids of Vegetables :

Many varieties of various vegetables according to size, shape, colour, yield. etc., are grown throughout the country.

The important varieties and hybrids are as follows:

1. Tomato :

Arka Saurabh, Arka Vikas, Pusa Uphar, Hisar Anmol, Hisar Arun, Hisar Lalit, La-Bonita, Pant Bahar, Punjab Chhuhara, Avinash-2, Punjab Kesri, Pusa Early Dwarf, Pusa Ruby, Pusa Sheetal, Roma, Sel 120, Hisar Lalima, Krishna, Matri, Naveen, Pusa 120, Pusa Divya, Pusa Gaurav, Pusa Sadabahar, Rajni, Rashmi, Ratna, S-12, Pant T-3, BT-1, CO-3, KS-2, NTLDR-1, PKM-1, Punjab Tropic, PNR-7, TH-2312 and TH-802.

2. Brinjal :

Pusa Purple Long, Pusa Anupma, Arka Kusumkar, Jamuni Gola, Pusa Purple Cluster, Arka Navneet, Arka Sheetal, Arka Shirish, Manjari Gota, Mysore Green, Annamalai, Pant Samart, Pusa Kranti, Pusa Bhairav, Pusa Anupam, Pusa Upkar, Pusa Bindu, Punjab Barasti, Pant Rituraj, Aruna, Punjab Neelam, Punjab Sadabahar, Punjab Moti, BH-1, BH-2, Azad Kranti, Hisar Jamuni and Pragati Arka.

3. Chilli :

Pusa Jwala, Bhagyalakshmi, Andhra Jyoti, Sindhur, Punjab Lal, Bhaskar, Co-1, Co-2, Arpana Jawahar-218, Pusa Sadabahar, Arka Lohit, Arka Abir, Bhaskar, Masalwadi Selection, CH-1, CH-3, Punjab Gucchedar, Punjab Surkh and Ujjwala.

4. Bell Pepper :

California Wonder, Arka Mohini, Arka Gaurav, Arka Basant, Pusa Green Gold, Indira, Hira, Pusa Sanyog and Kt-I.

Essay # Area and Production of Vegetables :

India is the world’s second largest producer of vegetables next only to China.

Present productions of vegetable not meet the requirement of 300 g vegetable per head per day, so, there are require more production.

Essay # Importance of Vegetable Production :

The importance of vegetables production is discussed below:

1. Importance of Vegetables in Human Nutrition :

Vegetables are very important in our daily diet. Both our diet and the economic position can be improved by growing more vegetables throughout the year. Vegetable is a good source of roughages, which promote digestion and helps to prevent constipation and also they are rich sources of minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins.

(i) Minerals:

At least ten mineral element needs for proper growth and development of our body. Out of these, calcium, phosphorus and iron are required in large quantities, which are lacking in cereals and are available abundantly in vegetables like, e.g., peas, beans, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, lettuce, etc.

(ii) Carbohydrates and Proteins:

Vegetables in general are not considered of great importance in furnishing carbohydrates, proteins and fats. But some of them such as dried seeds of beans, peas and lentils are rich in protein and potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots are important sources of carbohydrates.

(iii) Vitamins:

Vitamin has a key role in the development of the body and requires in small quantity. All the vitamins are found in small or large quantities in most of the green vegetables.

(iv) Bases for Neutralisation:

Calcium, magnesium and potassium are the most important bases needed for neutralising the acid produced in the body during the digestion of meat, cheese and other fatty acids and they are available from vegetable food.

2. Economic Importance :

Because of their high yielding and short duration characteristics, vegetables form a chief source of income to the farmers.

(i) Important Source of Farm Income:

Vegetables are sold at a higher rate than other crops. It provides regular as well as good source of income in addition to the income from the agronomical crops. It provides regular work throughout the year to the farmers and his family laborers. It supplies food stuff to his family and fodder in the form of refuse to his cattle. It provides better utilisation of land, labour and capital.

(ii) High Yielding:

Vegetables give very high quantity of food per acre and they grow quickly. It is found that vegetables give higher yields in comparison to other crops. It helps to follow crop rotation and mixed cropping system in his land. The farmers thereby maintain the soil fertility which aids in higher yield.

(iii) Short Duration in Nature:

Most vegetables are short duration crops and they as compared to other crops, can be raised throughout the year. Some of vegetables (like potato, brinjal, spinach, pumpkin, lady’s finger, etc.) can be grown twice and even thrice a year. Some green vegetables become ready for harvesting within 15 to 60 days of sowing. It is possible to cultivate several vegetables one after the other throughout the year, if irrigation facilities are available. Vegetables can be cultivated even in smaller plots.

3. Medicinal Importance :

Many of the vegetable crops possess high medical value for curing certain diseases. For instance, onion and garlic are found to possess anti-bacterial property and are also involved in lowering the raising blood sugars. Brinjal is found to be useful against diabetes. Many solanaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetables are found to possess vitamin-D component, B- carotene, saturated fatty acids and sugar constituents, which have therapeutic value.

4. Aesthetic Value of Vegetables :

Kitchen garden or vegetable garden adds aesthetic value to the houses. A piece of land adjoining the house, if worked well with a little effort will produce many vegetables without difficulty, by which a lot of saving can be made on this item in the expenditure. Only those who have caused a seed to sprout in the soil can fully comprehend the glory of the act. Even a kitchen garden or any garden can give him the joy and aesthetics of cultivation.

Essay # Classification of Vegetable:

1. Botanical Classification:

the vegetables essay

Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

The necessity of healthy eating.

Healthy eating is crucial for growing bodies. Consuming a balanced diet gives our bodies the nutrients needed to function correctly.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

Eating healthy foods reduces the risk of chronic diseases. It also helps maintain a healthy weight, boosts energy, and improves brain function.

Healthy Eating Habits

Incorporate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into your meals. Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks. Remember, moderation is key.

Healthy eating habits are essential for a healthy life. Start today and reap the benefits tomorrow.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

The vitality of healthy eating habits.

The significance of healthy eating habits cannot be underestimated, especially in our current fast-paced world where convenience often trumps nutritional value. Adopting a balanced diet is paramount to maintaining optimal health and enhancing cognitive function.

Nutrition and Physical Health

A diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients fuels our bodies, supporting vital functions. It aids in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Consuming fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can significantly improve physical health.

Nutrition and Mental Health

Moreover, our diet directly affects our mental health. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and nuts, can enhance brain function, improving memory and mood. Simultaneously, a deficiency in certain nutrients can lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits

Establishing healthy eating habits involves more than just choosing the right food. It also includes regular meal times, appropriate portion sizes, and mindful eating. It’s about creating a sustainable lifestyle rather than a temporary diet.

In conclusion, healthy eating habits are a cornerstone of overall well-being. They contribute to physical health, mental health, and quality of life. As college students, it is crucial to prioritize these habits to ensure not only academic success but lifelong health. Let’s remember, our food choices today will shape our health tomorrow.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

Introduction.

The importance of healthy eating habits cannot be overstated, particularly in a world where fast food and processed meals have become the norm. Healthy eating habits are not just about maintaining an ideal weight or avoiding obesity; they are also about ensuring optimal physical and mental health, and enhancing overall quality of life.

The Role of Nutrition in Human Health

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in human health. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats provides the essential nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. These nutrients are vital for maintaining energy levels, supporting brain function, aiding in cellular repair, strengthening the immune system, and preventing chronic diseases.

The Impact of Unhealthy Eating Habits

On the contrary, unhealthy eating habits such as consuming high amounts of processed foods, sugary snacks, and fatty meals can lead to numerous health issues. These include obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Moreover, poor nutrition can also affect mental health, contributing to conditions like depression and anxiety.

Healthy Eating and Cognitive Function

Healthy eating habits are also crucial for cognitive function. Nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and B vitamins, which are found in foods like fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, are essential for brain health. They enhance memory, improve mood, and protect against cognitive decline.

Importance of Healthy Eating Habits in College Students

For college students, maintaining healthy eating habits is particularly important. The rigors of academic life, coupled with the challenges of living independently, can lead to poor nutrition. This can result in decreased academic performance, poor concentration, and increased stress levels. By adopting healthy eating habits, students can improve their academic performance, boost their mood, and better manage stress.

In conclusion, healthy eating habits are a cornerstone of good health and well-being. They play a critical role in maintaining physical health, supporting mental well-being, and enhancing cognitive function. For college students, they are particularly important for academic success and stress management. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize healthy eating and make it a part of our daily routine. By doing so, we can improve our health, enhance our quality of life, and set ourselves up for long-term success.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Good Habits for Students
  • Essay on Importance of Healthy Habits
  • Essay on Fast Food Problems

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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A black plastic foam tray with compartments containing a small salad with white dressing, a piece of breaded meat, a dinner roll, a banana and a container of chocolate milk.

How Free School Meals Went Mainstream

Over the past decade, many more schools started to offer free meals to all children, regardless of family income.

More than 21 million American children now attend schools that offer free meals regardless of family income — a tenfold increase from 2010. Credit... Will Warasila for The New York Times

Supported by

Susan Shain

By Susan Shain

  • May 21, 2024

Kurt Marthaller, who oversees school food programs in Butte, Mont., faces many cafeteria-related challenges: children skipping the lunch line because they fear being judged, parents fuming about surprise bills they can’t afford, unpaid meal debts of $70,000 districtwide.

But at nearly half of Mr. Marthaller’s schools, these concerns have vanished. At those schools, all students get free breakfast and lunch, regardless of their family’s income. At one school, West Elementary, children grab milk cartons, cereal bars and bananas from folding tables on their way to class, with almost 80 percent of students eating breakfast there each school day.

“We’ve done a lot of good things to feed kids here in Butte,” Mr. Marthaller said. But introducing universal free meals, he added, was “probably the best thing we ever did.”

Advocates for free school meals have pushed for them to be offered to every student for a long time, but saw significant progress in the last decade and a half. Their first big win came quietly, in 2010, when Congress passed an under-the-radar policy called the community eligibility provision , which made it easier for schools to serve free meals to all. Then, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government let every public school student eat for free, rapidly transforming the nation’s thinking around school meals.

Eight states have passed their own universal free meal legislation since the federal largesse ended in 2022. Dozens more have introduced similar bills or have one in the works. A surge of additional schools — nearly 7,000 — have signed up for the community eligibility program that West Elementary participates in: As of the 2022-23 school year, roughly four in 10 public schools were enrolled.

In total, more than 21 million American children now attend schools that offer free meals to all — a tenfold increase from 2010. “Schools did not want to go back to charging some kids,” said Crystal FitzSimons, the director of child nutrition programs and policy at the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center. “They saw the huge benefits of providing free meals to all students: supporting families, supporting kids, changing the culture of the cafeteria.”

Two children walking across the blacktop before three squat brick buildings, with barren mountains in the distance.

A tale of two lunches

From above, Butte looks as if it were carved out of a mountain range with an ice cream scoop. Once known as “ the richest hill on Earth ” for its copper mines, Butte was one of the largest cities west of the Mississippi in its heyday. Today it has approximately 35,000 residents, many of whom have been there for generations.

Amber Moore lives on the east side of town, in a blue house with a view of Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90-foot-tall mountaintop statue of the Virgin Mary. A stay-at-home mom, she lives with her husband, Jake, a telecommunications technician, and their five children, four cats and two dogs.

The Moores’ house is zoned for Whittier Elementary School, which, unlike West, does not participate in community eligibility and does not have universal free meals. So five nights a week, Ms. Moore clears off a patch of her kitchen counter and sets out five lunchboxes. In goes the SunnyD, the cheese stick, the ham-and-cheese sandwich, the Lay’s, the clementine and the fruit snacks. Ms. Moore uses three loaves of bread each week just on lunches. Add breakfast to the equation and she spends about $250 per month on the two meals.

“That’s like a power bill,” she said. “It’s not a small amount.” That bill was eliminated during the pandemic. For those two years, Ms. Moore’s children ate breakfast and lunch at school every day. Then, like the majority of schools around the country, Whittier returned to charging for meals in August 2022. And Ms. Moore returned to packing lunches.

Though low-income students at all American public schools technically qualify for free and reduced-price meals, one-third of eligible students do not participate, according to a Food Research and Action Center estimate. One reason is stigma: Because the school-provided meal, often called “hot lunch,” has long been viewed as a form of welfare , eating it can be a painful marker of poverty.

Parents may also fail to complete the requisite paperwork because they have volatile incomes, face language barriers or are embarrassed about their finances. (As Mr. Marthaller put it, “I think it’s a pride thing.”) Others may be struggling but ineligible: To receive free or reduced-price meals, a family of four must earn less than $55,500 per year . When meals are free to all, advocates say, these obstacles are eliminated.

The Moores don’t qualify for reduced-price meals: Mr. Moore’s income puts them over the limit by $465 a month. “It’s one of those frustrating things,” Ms. Moore said. “I’m sure a lot of parents are in that middle area where it’s like, well, shoot.”

‘Their brains are fired up’

The push for a national school lunch program initially came during the Great Depression , when children were hungry and farmers had surpluses to sell. In the 1960s, school breakfast was added. School meals have since become the nation’s second-largest food safety net , after food stamps.

As childhood obesity rates soared, however, the lunch program was criticized as a contributing factor. In 2010, the first lady, Michelle Obama, who made childhood obesity a signature issue, pressed for the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which led school cafeterias to serve more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less salt, sugar and unhealthy fats. Policymakers also saw it as an opportunity to feed more hungry children. So, without much fanfare, they tucked the community eligibility provision, or C.E.P., inside the bill.

Under the C.E.P., offering universal free meals became less cumbersome: If 40 percent of a school or district’s students qualify for programs like food stamps or Head Start or are homeless, migrants or in foster care, it can serve free meals to everyone . It does not need to collect individual applications; it simply applies for the program and is qualified for the next four years.

Even the C.E.P.’s architects have been surprised by its impact. “I certainly did not foresee that a little more than 10 years later, 20 million kids would be enrolled in schools that were doing C.E.P.,” said Cindy Long, administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service of the Agriculture Department, who helped design the 2010 act.

The benefits of universal free meals are myriad, experts say. Most crucially, more children eat , helping to combat hunger in a country where 17 percent of households with children experience food insecurity. They also eat more healthful food . When students are well fed, they learn better: Some research suggests that schoolwide free meals can improve test scores , attendance and behavior . Such programs also help schools, by lessening paperwork, and parents, by reducing food expenses .

Like most people, Amanda Denny, a fourth-grade teacher at West Elementary, had never heard of the C.E.P. But she has seen the difference that universal school meals can make. “In my classroom, when those kids do eat breakfast, they are ready to start their day,” she said. “Their brains are fired up, and they’re ready to learn.”

Last October, the threshold to qualify for the C.E.P. was lowered , making more schools and districts eligible. The Moores’ school, Whittier, is now eligible, as are most other schools in Butte. But because of how the federal government calculates reimbursements for school meals, only schools with high populations of needy students break even using the C.E.P.; the rest usually lose money by participating . Advocates have been pushing for higher reimbursement rates so more schools can afford the program.

But in one draft federal budget, House Republicans proposed ending the C.E.P. altogether, arguing that public funds shouldn’t pay for wealthy children to eat lunch . Jonathan Butcher, an education researcher at the Heritage Foundation, believes school lunch aid has ballooned far beyond its original intent. He would like to see the provision repealed.

“They’re not just saying, ‘How can we better get food to kids that need it? They’re saying: ‘Eh, let’s not bother with the details. Let’s just give it to everybody’,” Mr. Butcher said. “That’s not being respectful to taxpayers, nor is it advancing the idea that we should improve a very wasteful school lunch program.”

Most of the states that have passed their own free school meal legislation did so with bipartisan support. To pay for the programs, California, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont and Michigan tapped general revenue or education funds ; Massachusetts and Colorado raised taxes on their highest earners. (In Colorado, the program has been so popular that it is facing a $56 million funding shortfall this year.)

Ms. FitzSimons, of the Food Research and Action Center, believes food is just as integral to public education as transportation and books, which are typically offered to students at no charge. “We spend billions of dollars on funding for education,” she said. “If kids are sitting in class unable to learn because they’re hungry, because their stomachs are growling, then we’re wasting our money.”

At West Elementary, a stuffed bison head presides over the cafeteria. There is no cash register, and at lunchtime, children whiz through the line, grabbing trays of applesauce and teriyaki-doused “steakettes.” They plop down next to friends eating peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches from colorful lunchboxes.

Ryder is a third grader who wants to be a YouTuber or a police officer when he grows up (and, he said, “if that doesn’t work out, NASA”). He was shocked to learn that children at other schools have to pay for lunch. “That’s mean,” he said. His friend Louis agreed: “That is cold.”

Things were different for Kaylee Rabson, a fifth-generation Butte resident whose son attends West. “When we were younger, it was definitely very separated,” she said. “Like, if you went to hot lunch, you were kind of embarrassed.” Now, all her son’s friends eat the school lunch — at least when pizza or walking tacos (ground beef, veggies and cheese in a Doritos bag) are on the menu.

“It’s ‘I eat hot lunch because it sounds good, not because I need to.’ It really has erased the stigma,” Ms. Rabson said. “They’re just there having lunch together.”

What are your experiences with free or reduced-price lunch?

This story was published by The New York Times’s Headway team in partnership with High Country News.

The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor. The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway’s public square. Funders have no control over the selection or focus of stories or the editing process and do not review stories before publication. The Times retains full editorial control of the Headway initiative.

Susan Shain is a reporting fellow for Headway, a section of The Times that explores the world's challenges through the lens of progress. More about Susan Shain

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Vegetables and Fruits

Basket of food including grapes apples asparagus onions lettuce carrots melon bananas corn

  • Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.
  • No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Eat plenty every day.

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check. Eating non-starchy vegetables and fruits like apples, pears, and green leafy vegetables may even promote weight loss. [1] Their low glycemic loads prevent blood sugar spikes that can increase hunger.

At least nine different families of fruits and vegetables exist, each with potentially hundreds of different plant compounds that are beneficial to health. Eat a variety of types and colors of produce in order to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. This not only ensures a greater diversity of beneficial plant chemicals but also creates eye-appealing meals.

the vegetables essay

Tips to eat more vegetables and fruits each day

  • Keep fruit where you can see it . Place several ready-to-eat washed whole fruits in a bowl or store chopped colorful fruits in a glass bowl in the refrigerator to tempt a sweet tooth.
  • Explore the produce aisle and choose something new . Variety and color are key to a healthy diet. On most days, try to get at least one serving from each of the following categories: dark green leafy vegetables; yellow or orange fruits and vegetables; red fruits and vegetables; legumes (beans) and peas; and citrus fruits.
  • Skip the potatoes . Choose other vegetables that are packed with different nutrients and more slowly digested  carbohydrates .
  • Make it a meal . Try cooking new  recipes that include more vegetables. Salads, soups, and stir-fries are just a few ideas for increasing the number of tasty vegetables in your meals.

the vegetables essay

5 common questions about fruits and vegetables.

Vegetables, fruits, and disease, cardiovascular disease.

There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

  • A meta-analysis of cohort studies following 469,551 participants found that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, with an average reduction in risk of 4% for each additional serving per day of fruit and vegetables. [2]
  • The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years.
  • The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. [3]
  • Although all fruits and vegetables likely contributed to this benefit, green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens, were most strongly associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts , bok choy, and kale ; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) also made important contributions. [3]
  • When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease [4] and stroke, [5] compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.

Blood pressure

  • The  Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study [6] examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.
  • A randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. [7]
  • In 2014 a meta-analysis of clinical trials and observational studies found that consumption of a vegetarian diet was associated with lower blood pressure. [8]

Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer . Unlike case-control studies, cohort studies , which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don’t rely on information from the past. And, in general, data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer.

  • For example, over a 14-year period in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). [3]
  • A meta-analysis of cohort studies found that a higher fruit and vegetable intake did not decrease the risk of deaths from cancer. [2]

A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers.

  • A study by Farvid and colleagues followed a Nurses’ Health Study II cohort of 90,476 premenopausal women for 22 years and found that those who ate the most fruit during adolescence (about 3 servings a day) compared with those who ate the lowest intakes (0.5 servings a day) had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer. There was a significant reduction in breast cancer in women who had eaten higher intakes of apples, bananas , grapes, and corn during adolescence, and oranges and kale during early adulthood. No protection was found from drinking fruit juices at younger ages. [9]
  • Farvid and colleagues followed 90, 534 premenopausal women from the Nurses’ Health Study II over 20 years and found that higher fiber intakes during adolescence and early adulthood were associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer later in life. When comparing the highest and lowest fiber intakes from fruits and vegetables, women with the highest fruit fiber intake had a 12% reduced risk of breast cancer; those with the highest vegetable fiber intake had an 11% reduced risk. [10]
  • After following 182,145 women in the Nurses’ Health Study I and II for 30 years, Farvid’s team also found that women who ate more than 5.5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (especially cruciferous and yellow/orange vegetables) had an 11% lower risk of breast cancer than those who ate 2.5 or fewer servings. Vegetable intake was strongly associated with a 15% lower risk of estrogen-receptor-negative tumors for every two additional servings of vegetables eaten daily. A higher intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a lower risk of other aggressive tumors including HER2-enriched and basal-like tumors. [11]
  • A report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like—and fruits “probably” protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach. Fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. [12]

Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example:

  • A line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. [12] One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue—lycopene—could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals Study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. [14]
  • Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. [12] Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. [12] But more research is needed to understand the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.

Some research looks specifically at whether individual fruits are associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. While there isn’t an abundance of research into this area yet, preliminary results are compelling.

  • A study of over 66,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, 85,104 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 36,173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study—who were free of major chronic diseases—found that greater consumption of whole fruits—especially blueberries, grapes, and apples—was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Another important finding was that greater consumption of fruit juice was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. [15]
  • Additionally a study of over 70,000 female nurses aged 38-63 years, who were free of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, showed that consumption of green leafy vegetables and fruit was associated with a lower risk of diabetes. While not conclusive, research also indicated that consumption of fruit juices may be associated with an increased risk among women. (16)
  • A study of over 2,300 Finnish men showed that vegetables and fruits, especially berries, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. [17]

Data from the Nurses’ Health Studies and the Health Professional’s Follow-up Study show that women and men who increased their intakes of fruits and vegetables over a 24-year period were more likely to have lost weight than those who ate the same amount or those who decreased their intake. Berries, apples, pears, soy, and cauliflower were associated with weight loss while starchier vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas were linked with weight gain. [1] However, keep in mind that adding more produce into the diet won’t necessarily help with weight loss unless it replaces another food, such as refined carbohydrates of white bread and crackers.

Gastrointestinal health

Fruits and vegetables contain indigestible fiber, which absorbs water and expands as it passes through the digestive system. This can calm symptoms of an irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. [18] The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and may help prevent diverticulosis. [19]

Eating fruits and vegetables can also keep your eyes healthy, and may help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases—cataracts and macular degeneration—which afflict millions of Americans over age 65. [20-23] Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem to reduce risk of cataracts. [24]

  • Bertoia ML, Mukamal KJ, Cahill LE, Hou T, Ludwig DS, Mozaffarian D, Willett WC, Hu FB, Rimm EB. Changes in intake of fruits and vegetables and weight change in United States men and women followed for up to 24 years: analysis from three prospective cohort studies. PLoS medicine . 2015 Sep 22;12(9):e1001878.
  • Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, Zhu M, Zhao G, Bao W, Hu FB. Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ . 2014 Jul 29;349:g4490.
  • Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, Hu FB, Hunter D, Smith-Warner SA, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Spiegelman D, Willett WC. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. Journal of the National Cancer Institute . 2004 Nov 3;96(21):1577-84.
  • He FJ, Nowson CA, Lucas M, MacGregor GA. Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies. Journal of human hypertension . 2007 Sep;21(9):717.
  • He FJ, Nowson CA, MacGregor GA. Fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke: meta-analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet . 2006 Jan 28;367(9507):320-6.
  • Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Sacks FM, Bray GA, Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. New England Journal of Medicine . 1997 Apr 17;336(16):1117-24.
  • Appel LJ, Sacks FM, Carey VJ, Obarzanek E, Swain JF, Miller ER, Conlin PR, Erlinger TP, Rosner BA, Laranjo NM, Charleston J. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA . 2005 Nov 16;294(19):2455-64.
  • Yokoyama Y, Nishimura K, Barnard ND, Takegami M, Watanabe M, Sekikawa A, Okamura T, Miyamoto Y. Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: a meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine. 2014 Apr 1;174(4):577-87.
  • Farvid MS, Chen WY, Michels KB, Cho E, Willett WC, Eliassen AH. Fruit and vegetable consumption in adolescence and early adulthood and risk of breast cancer: population based cohort study. BMJ . 2016 May 11;353:i2343.
  • Farvid MS, Eliassen AH, Cho E, Liao X, Chen WY, Willett WC. Dietary fiber intake in young adults and breast cancer risk. Pediatrics . 2016 Mar 1;137(3):e20151226.
  • Farvid MS, Chen WY, Rosner BA, Tamimi RM, Willett WC, Eliassen AH. Fruit and vegetable consumption and breast cancer incidence: Repeated measures over 30 years of follow‐up. International journal of cancer . 2018 Jul 6.
  • Wiseman M. The Second World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Expert Report. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective: Nutrition Society and BAPEN Medical Symposium on ‘Nutrition support in cancer therapy’. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society . 2008 Aug;67(3):253-6.
  • Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Platz EA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Risk factors for prostate cancer incidence and progression in the health professionals follow‐up study. International journal of cancer . 2007 Oct 1;121(7):1571-8.
  • Kavanaugh CJ, Trumbo PR, Ellwood KC. The US Food and Drug Administration’s evidence-based review for qualified health claims: tomatoes, lycopene, and cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute . 2007 Jul 18;99(14):1074-85.
  • Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, Hu FB, Willett WC, van Dam RM, Sun Q. Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies. BMJ . 2013 Aug 29;347:f5001.
  • Bazzano LA, Li TY, Joshipura KJ, Hu FB. Intake of fruit, vegetables, and fruit juices and risk of diabetes in women. Diabetes Care . 2008 Apr 3.
  • Mursu J, Virtanen JK, Tuomainen TP, Nurmi T, Voutilainen S. Intake of fruit, berries, and vegetables and risk of type 2 diabetes in Finnish men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study–. The American journal of clinical nutrition . 2013 Nov 20;99(2):328-33.
  • Lembo A, Camilleri M. Chronic constipation. New England Journal of Medicine . 2003 Oct 2;349(14):1360-8.
  • Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL, Rockett HR, Sampson L, Rimm EB, Willett AW. A prospective study of dietary fiber types and symptomatic diverticular disease in men. The Journal of nutrition . 1998 Oct 1;128(4):714-9.
  • Brown L, Rimm EB, Seddon JM, Giovannucci EL, Chasan-Taber L, Spiegelman D, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men–. The American journal of clinical nutrition . 1999 Oct 1;70(4):517-24.
  • Christen WG, Liu S, Schaumberg DA, Buring JE. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract in women–. The American journal of clinical nutrition . 2005 Jun 1;81(6):1417-22.
  • Moeller SM, Taylor A, Tucker KL, McCullough ML, Chylack Jr LT, Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Jacques PF. Overall adherence to the dietary guidelines for Americans is associated with reduced prevalence of early age-related nuclear lens opacities in women. The Journal of nutrition . 2004 Jul 1;134(7):1812-9.
  • Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoidsand risk of age-related maculopathy. Archives of Ophthalmology . 2004 Jun 1;122(6):883-92.
  • Christen WG, Liu S, Glynn RJ, Gaziano JM, Buring JE. Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and risk of cataract in women: a prospective study. Archives of Ophthalmology . 2008 Jan 1;126(1):102-9.

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