| I was a young child during World War II. | | | | can help you reach and maintain a |
| To make up for food shortages the | | | | healthy weight, according to the CDC. |
| government asked citizens to plant | | | | To learn more log onto the CDC Homepage |
| Victory Gardens. Like other families on | | | | and print out "How to Use Fruits and |
| our block, we had a garden in a vacant | | | | Vegetables to Help Manage Your |
| field. Weeding our Victory Garden was | | | | Weight."Vegetables and daily walking |
| more than a war time activity, it was a | | | | have helped me to keep a healthy weight. |
| social activity.Families caught up on | | | | I love vegetables, probably because of |
| news as they planted and harvested their | | | | my childhood Victory Garden experience. |
| crops. Picking vegetables - fat orange | | | | But many Americans grimace when they |
| carrots, turgid Swiss chard, and giant | | | | think about fixing vegetables or eating |
| potatoes - seemed miraculous to me. One | | | | them. Why? It takes time to wash and |
| day some older kids built a fire on a | | | | slice vegetables and Americans are short |
| bare plot and we roasted potatoes. We | | | | of time.Many of us don't know how to |
| ate the blackened potatoes without any | | | | cook vegetables. A serving of limp, |
| butter or salt, and I can still remember | | | | gray-green beans is hardly appealing. |
| how good they tasted.Vegetables fed the | | | | Carrots cooked until they are mush are a |
| nation during World War II. We were a | | | | turn-off. How can we get Americans to |
| fit nation then because people walked to | | | | eat more vegetables? We can explain |
| conserve gas, ate little protein (steak | | | | cooking techniques.Steamed vegetables, |
| was a rarity), and were restricted by | | | | for example, retain their color and |
| food stamps. No obese people lived on my | | | | crispness. The same is true of stir |
| block. In fact, I didn't know any obese | | | | fried vegetables. I stir fry vegetables |
| people. How things have changed.America | | | | in a cast iron skillet. The skillet is |
| is no longer a fit nation, it is a fat | | | | so well seasoned that I need only a |
| nation, and the obesity statistics are | | | | tablespoon (or less) of olive |
| alarming. According to the President's | | | | oil.Americans also need to learn how to |
| Council on Fitness and Sports 37% of | | | | season vegetables. Though I rarely cook |
| Americans aren't physically active. | | | | with salt, sometimes I sprinkle light |
| More than 108 million Americans are | | | | salt on vegetables. Most of the time I |
| either obese or overweight. Teens and | | | | season vegetables with lemon pepper or |
| younger kids are developing type 2 | | | | fresh lemon juice. I also season them |
| diabetes, formerly an adult disease.What | | | | with fresh thyme, rosemary, basil, and |
| can Americans do? We can eat more | | | | garlic.Involving kids in meal |
| vegetables. The United States | | | | preparation is another way to get |
| Department of Agriculture (USDA) has | | | | Americans to eat vegetables. Older kids |
| posted an article on titled "Why is it | | | | can cut the tips off of string beans, |
| Important to Eat Vegetables?" The | | | | peel and slice carrots, or slice |
| reasons include reducing the risks of | | | | mushrooms. Younger kids can get pans |
| type 2 diabetes, stroke, mouth, stomach, | | | | out of the cupboard, measure |
| and colon-rectum cancer, and heart | | | | ingredients, and set the table.Trying |
| disease. In other words, eating | | | | new vegetables, such as jicima, may also |
| vegetables is a way to protect your | | | | help Americans to eat more of them. |
| health.Mayo Clinic has posted an article | | | | Fresh vegetables add sparkle to any |
| about the energy density of vegetables | | | | meal. We don't have Victory Gardens any |
| on its website. The article, "Energy | | | | more, but we can eat vegetables to |
| Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on | | | | prevent disease and maintain a healthy |
| Fewer Calories," tells how energy | | | | weight. Put vegetables at the top of |
| density works. Many vegetables have low | | | | your grocery list today!Copyright 2006 |
| energy density, Mayo says, and you can | | | | by Harriet Hodgson Hodgson has been a |
| eat large servings of them, feel full | | | | nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a |
| quickly, and because you feel full, | | | | member of the Association of Health Care |
| consume fewer calories.Green vegetables | | | | Journalists. Before she became a health |
| are a good example. One serving of | | | | writer she was a food writer for the |
| green beans, asparagus, or broccoli | | | | former "Rochester Magazine" in her home |
| contains about 25 calories, according to | | | | town of Rochester, MN. |
| Mayo Clinic. This number refers to | | | | Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your |
| plain vegetables, not vegetables | | | | Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with |
| drenched in butter or smothered in | | | | Lois Krahn, MD, is available from A |
| cheese sauce. Lightly dressed salads | | | | five-star review of the book is posted |
| also have low energy density.The Centers | | | | on Amazon. You will also find another |
| for Disease Control (CDC) says most of | | | | review on the American Hospice |
| the space on your dinner plate should be | | | | Foundation website under the "School |
| filled with vegetables, fruits, and | | | | Corner" heading. |
| whole grains. Eating lots of vegetables | | | | |