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