A rich blend of Green Leafy Vegetables in diet can improve health and wellness.
An equal proportion of every nutrient in meals always contributes to a balanced diet and healthier lifestyle. Green leafy vegetables can be paired with a main course. They reduce the consumption of the main course food nutrients, and add in a mixture of nutritious low-calorie vegetables from salads. The satiety obtained with this reduces the appetite for high-caloric portions.
Having a salad bowl as a meal helps lose weight but does it satisfy the meal cravings?
A meal with no greens or salads may satisfy taste buds but does it supply nutrients in the right proportion?
Importance of Green Leafy Vegetables
A diet enriched in consumption of fruits and vegetables is always deemed to be the most beneficial. In addition, it has numerous advantages from nutrients within these food groups, and very less calories.
Fruits are generally rich in sugars as compared to vegetables because they include the food molecules of fructose. They are from the carbohydrates group and some vegetables, for example potatoes and onions also contain a noticeable amount of carbohydrates.
All the vegetables coming from the ‘green’ or herbs group, for example spinach, cucumber, broccoli, lettuce, iceberg, cabbage, etc. contain negligible amounts of fattening and unhealthy food molecules. For instance, excess fat, carbs or other less healthy food nutrients. They are rich in vital nutrients including essential vitamins like Vitamin A, B3 and minerals like Iron, Magnesium, etc. All essential for growth and many vital body processes.
The Vegetables Food Group
Green Vegetables are from the herbs group that include lettuce, cabbage, celery and spinach. Coriander and parsley are food additives used for seasoning and add flavor to food. There are many other herbs and leafy greens to season, add taste and nutritious values to food, like the one shown below.
- Oregano
- Mint
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Cucumber
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
Different traditions have their own blend of herbs and greens to nourish their food values.
How Vegetables improve Health and Wellness
Many diets encourage use of only green leafy vegetables noticeably from the ‘greens’ group in place of meals to reduce weight and promote a healthier lifestyle. Firstly, they are very effective for weight loss. In addition, salads and green leafy vegetables hold negligible calories and make you feel full. Moreover, they provide you many vital nutrients within very few calories.
Green leafy vegetables can work as a ‘substitute’ to heavy meals for short term weight loss. As an ‘additional side meal’ for long-term lifestyle options.
Short term, strict diet plans with usage of salads constituting veggies from the greens group are highly effective for weight loss options. However, they may not be feasible for long term usage as we all need changes, variety, and new tastes for our meals. We cannot go with salads for a very long time.
Meals from many cuisines constitute a portion of salads. For example sauteed veggies with grilled food and steaks. Some traditions have the mixed ‘‘kachumber’’ salad with south asian dishes like rice, pulses and watery curries. While some homes prefer diced veggies with curries and dry dishes.
Making the blend of the ‘greens’ or salads group with any main course meal can make us feel full. The healthy-low calorie group makes us consume less from the main course meal. Moreover, it proves very helpful in controlling food portions and limits intake of carbs and fats.
Conclusion
In short, the high proportion of the greens group makes us feel full, satisfies our appetite and creates less cravings for heavy meal portions. It naturally reduces intake of high-caloric portions. It properly balances our nutrients intake.
Firstly, a good portion of greens in our diet helps move towards a balanced diet. It supplies us with vital carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, bio-active compounds like omega-3. These are very essential against many illnesses. In addition, it limits the intake of fats, high-content carb items and high-caloric foods. Moreover, they also add as a side meal to our main course, enriching the taste and nutritional values.
In conclusion, setting up right portions of your meals with a mix of items from various food groups is a simple, but vital step towards a health and wellness.
Most importantly, it fulfils the body’s requirement for nutrients needed for major body processes. It reduces consumption of unhealthy and fattening molecules. This assures that the body gets all vital molecules. It gets enough energy and no excess molecules to be stored as fat. No excess ingredients that contribute to weight gain and other related problems.