Nutritive Value of Vegetables and Fruits

 

What Foods Are in the Vegetable Group?

Any vegetable or 100 % vegetable juice counts as a member of the Vegetable Group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked;fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. Vegetables are organized into fiveb Sugroups, based on their nutrient content.

Key Consumer Message: Vary your veggies. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

The nutritional value of vegetables and fruits is important in the diet. This text section is lengthy! Due to a worldwide supply and international purchasing poten tial, vegetables and fruits have year-round availability. Achieving good nutrition is enhanced by availability of the nutrients present in fruits and vegetables.

Vitamins, notably vitamins A and C, minerals (calcium and iron), and dietary fiber, are among the great benefits of a high fruit and vegetable diet, whether foods are canned, frozen, or fresh. As well, there are antioxidant properties (beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E), and anticarcinogenic properties, and fat is low for the majority of fruits and vegetables.

Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed. Some com monly eaten fruits are identified on the website.

Key Consumer Message: Focus on fruits. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

Further dietary and medicinal benefits of fruits and vegetables are shown. For example, non-nutrients, such as the phytochemicals (phyto= plant) in fruits and vegetables, may function the prevention of human disease. This further supports the idea that nutrition is obtained from food rather than isolated compounds. Isolated compounds of fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are thought to provide health and medicinal benefits to the diet are nutraceuticals. The FDA has not recognized the term nutraceuticals or allowed health claims on products beyond those that are supported by the scientific community.

Additional evaluation and research is needed in order to address the many potential health benefit/disease-preventing properties of plant material. Some nutrition facts are included in Figs. 7.6 and 7.7.

Unfortunately, the USDA Department of Health and Human Services has noted: "In this land of plenty, millions of Americans aren't eating wisely. Not because they haven't had enough to eat, but because they eat too many of the wrong things or too little of the right."

According to the American Diabetic Associa tion Exchange List, one serving of vegetables contains 25 cal and one serving of fruit contains 60 cal.

"Vary your veggies" and "focus on fruits" is the USDA advice in selecting vegetables and fruits as part of a healthy diet.

Citrus fruits contain antioxidants, vitamin C, and relatively good amounts of folic acid that has been shown to prevent reoccurrence of neural tube defect in pregnant women. The FDA allows a label claim regarding foods with dietary fiber and a reduction of cancer incidence.

Taste is the most important factor that influences food choices; positive messages about benefits of diets with plenty of fruits and vegetables help with making choices. On a regu lar basis, the American Public eats too little of fruits and vegetables containing nutrients, such as vitamins A and C (on all Nutrition Facts labels), or the antioxidant vitamin E, all of which have an important role in preventing or delaying major degenerative diseases of Americans.

Figs. 7.6. Vegetables nutri-facts.

Figs. 7.7.Fruits nutri-facts.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Posi tion of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) states that eating a wide variety of foods, including an emphasis on grains, vegetables, and fruits is the best way to obtain adequate amounts of beneficial food constituents: "It is the position of The Ameri can Dietetic Association that the best nutritional strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to obtain adequate nutrients from a variety of foods. Vitamin and min eral supplementation is appropriate when well accepted, peer-reviewed scientific evidence shows safety and effectiveness." (Position of The Acad emy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Nutrition continues to drive decision making in supermarket aisles across the country, according to Shopping for Health 2012, the 20th in a yearly study released today by the Food Marketing Insti tute (FMI) and Prevention, and published by Rodale Inc. (Prevention Magazine and Food Mar keting Institute 2012)

[FMI conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education, and industry relations on behalf of its nearly 1,250 food retail and whole sale member companies in the USA and around the world. FMI's US members operate more than 25,000 retail food stores and almost 22,000 pharmacies with a combined annual sales volume of nearly $650 billion. FMI's retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms, and independent operators. Its international membership includes 126 companies from more than 65 countries. FMI's nearly 330 associate members include the supplier partners of its retail and wholesale members].

It is interesting to note that The American Dental Association recommends eating fruits such as apples and oranges and many uncooked vegetables such as carrots and celery. These act as "detergent" foods, cleaning teeth, and gums of food debris that may otherwise lead to the major nutrition-related problem of tooth decay.

Nutrient losses may result from:

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and thiamin (B₁) diffused to the water and oxidized.

• Mineral salts lost in soaking or cooking water.

•Excessive peel removal.

• Excessive chopping.

• prolonged or high temperature storage. Storage:

• Succulents, and leafy fruits and vegetables-stored covered in the refrigerator.

• Tubers stored in a dark, cool place for quality.