According to the norms and recommendations of proper nutrition, developed by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, in total, an adult should eat almost 1 kg of vegetables and fruits daily. At the same time, the World Health Organization notes that the lack of vegetables in the diet is one of the main health risk factors.
In particular, excessively low fiber levels caused by eating ready-to-eat foods while avoiding vegetables can contribute to satiety and promote overeating – interfering with weight loss. What kind of vegetables can (and should) be eaten every day – and what are their benefits?
How many vegetables should you ea![]()
The benefits of vegetables in your daily diet are based on two components. First, they act as sources of dietary fiber (that is, fiber), as well as vitamins, minerals and flavonoids. Second, eating vegetables can help you better control your total calorie intake.
In practice, it is impossible to consume too many calories from fresh vegetables and fruits – in order to exceed the norm, you will have to eat a lot of vegetables cooked in a large amount of oil. In contrast, it is much easier to exceed the norm with ultra-processed foods.
Most vegetables are so low in calories that one kilogram of cabbage contains only 250 calories – the same as a glass of cola or reconstituted fruit juice. The exception is potatoes, however, it is quite difficult for them to openly overeat.
Why are flavonoids needed?
Flavonoids are the largest class of plant polyphenols with over 6,000 different substances. They not only give vegetables and fruits a certain color (most often, red, yellow or purple), but also affect human health.
Often, when it comes to antioxidants in vegetables, it is flavonoids that are meant. The first flavonoid in history was isolated from bell pepper in 1936 – its benefits lie in strengthening the walls of blood vessels. The daily allowance for flavonoids is 500 mg.
Norms of vegetables and fruits
The Ministry of Health’s nutritional recommendations indicate that about 400 g of non-starchy vegetables (that is, with the exception of potatoes and corn), about 250 g of potatoes (naturally, not in the form of chips) and 280 g of fruit should be eaten daily.
Note that the norm means the average figure. That is, not 50 g of carrots every day, but about 350 g per week – or two carrots.
The total rate of non-starchy vegetables is 385 g per day
- cabbage – 110 g
- carrots – 50 g
- beets – 50 g
- tomatoes – 30 g
- cucumbers – 30 g
- onions – 30 g
- melons (pumpkin) – 45 g
- others – 60 g
As for the norm of fruits, it is recommended to give preference to unsweetened types – for example, apples and citrus fruits. Eating a lot of bananas, peaches, or mangoes can be associated with an excess of fast carbohydrates and, in particular, fructose.
The total daily norm of fruit is 280 g per day:
- apples – 140 g
- pears – 22 g
- peaches, apricots – 22 g
- berries – 19 g
- grapes – 16 g
- citrus – 16 g
- others – 14 g
- dried fruits (in terms of fresh fruits) – 27 g
In fact, 400 grams of non-starchy vegetables isn’t that much. A medium zucchini, eggplant or cucumber weighs about 300 g each, a large tomato – 200 g, and a small carrot – about 100-150 g.
In turn, 250 g of potatoes is one medium potato. Optionally, the potato can be substituted for the sweet potato, a similar plant with a higher mineral content.
The greatest benefits for weight loss are green vegetables containing a large amount of fiber and a minimum amount of starch – all kinds of cabbage (from ordinary to Brussels sprouts), green beans, as well as salads and other leafy plants.
However, it is difficult to talk about any norms or maximum figures – it all depends on the needs of a particular organism. But getting 1800 kcal solely from vegetables is quite difficult – even if they are fried in oil, kilograms are required.
Plus, a drastic reduction in calories is not recommended for weight loss – it can affect the production of satiety hormones, provoking constant hunger, and, as a result, breakdowns and overeating. In order to lose weight, it is often necessary to reduce the calorie intake by as little as 300 kcal.
