“Eat largely of fruits and vegetables.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 63. These words are simple, yet powerful in the message that they portray. Whenever I do research for an health article or meeting, I am often awestruck when the information that I find on current health guidelines are just beginning to confirm the divinely inspired counsels that Sister White gave to the Adventist church well over 100 years ago regarding health reform.
Just over a year ago, I did a series of articles based on Canada’s Food Guides, and how they progressed from the 1940s to the newest one published in 2019, which, for the first time in the history of food guides, encouraged a plant-based diet. The new 2019 Food Guide also contains only three groups, showcased on a plate, no longer having specific titles on the groupings. Each group was labeled with a comment: 1) have plenty of vegetables and fruits; 2) choose whole grain foods; and 3) eat protein foods. To identify the proportions that are recommended, half the plate was made up of fruits and vegetables, a quarter of the plate was made up of whole grains, and the other quarter of the plate was made up of protein foods. Thus, half of our daily food intake should be vegetables and fruits, more so than any of the other food groups.
When people criticize those who follow a plant-based diet, the main question is “are you getting enough protein?” According to the latest food guide, the question should be “are you eating enough fruits and vegetables?” Which, in a plant-based diet, the answer can be a resounding YES.
If we look at the progression of the fruits and vegetables portion of Canada’s Food Guide (which aligns with food guides from many other countries) the first food guide published in 1942 separated fruits and vegetables into two different categories. The vegetable section stated, “in addition to potatoes of which you need one serving daily—two servings daily of vegetables, preferably leafy green, or yellow, and frequently raw.” The fruit section indicated “one serving of tomatoes daily [yes, tomatoes are fruits], or of a citrus fruit, or of tomato or citrus fruit juices, and one serving of other fruits, fresh, canned or dried.” This food guide focused on the types of vegetables and fruits that were readily available at the time. Remember, this was during the war, and many fresh foods were not available, and food rationing was in place in order to feed the soldiers fighting in the war.
I particularly like that the vegetable section promotes raw vegetables. Cooking often removes important nutrients from our foods, therefore eating raw is the most healthy way to eat fruits and vegetables. However, some vegetables must be cooked in order to be eaten, such as potatoes, yams, and corn.
In 1942, potatoes were grown in many areas of Canada, and were available year-round, therefore the emphasis on eating potatoes. The fruit and vegetable section of the food guide was the same for the next 20 years. 1961 saw the additional comment in the fruit section “including a satisfactory source of vitamin C such as oranges, tomatoes, vitaminized apple juice.” By that time, changes in methods of food processing, storage and transportation changed the types of foods available to Canadians throughout the year. The variety of food options increased as fresh fruits and vegetables could be transported long distances at times when locally-sourced options were not available.
In 1977, fruits and vegetables were finally listed together as a single grouping as it was determined that their nutritional contributions overlapped. The recommendation was “4–5 servings. Include at least two vegetables. Choose a variety of both vegetables and fruits—cooked, raw or their juices. Include yellow or green or green leafy vegetables.” In 1992, the recommendation was to have 5–10 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.
The earlier food guides made no mention about any specific food group being more important than another. In 2007, for the first time, fruits and vegetables were identified as the most important food group, showcasing them as the most prominent arc of the food guide’s rainbow design. Details included in this guide focused on food choices that reduced the risk of chronic illnesses and obesity, while also meeting the nutritional requirements for the Canadian population. Now the challenge changed from the early years of the food guides, where food options to ensure a balanced diet was limited, to having too many unhealthy food options that contributed to negative health outcomes.
Finally in 2019, there was no longer a recommended amount of servings in any food category. Trying to calculate servings was considered unnecessary and onerous as the amount of servings would differ from person to person depending on the amount of calories that were required. Someone doing manual labour all day would require more calories than someone who had an office job. Now the simplified recommendation is that everyone should have half of their daily food intake from the fruits and vegetables category.
The 2019 Food Guide also emphasizes that healthy eating patterns help to improve overall health. A healthy eating pattern refers to what you eat and drink on a regular basis. In a healthy eating pattern, all the foods and drinks work together to help you feel good, maintain your health, and meet your nutritional needs. The final comment made was that the most healthy eating patterns include little to no highly processed foods. The emphasis on plant-based foods promotes a diet high in fiber and low in saturated fats, which lowers the risk of illnesses such as cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Instead of focusing on specific foods and amount of servings, the best healthy eating patterns encompass foods that reflect choices based on taste, culture, budget, and lifestyle. The food guide also promotes water as the healthiest beverage. “Make water your drink of choice.”
With the focus this month on fruits and vegetables, the guide explains the reasons for eating fruits and vegetables, and their health benefits. They have important nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals, and various health-promoting phytochemicals. They also do not contain harmful components such as cholesterol and saturated fats.
The typical Western diet tends to be very calorie-dense and nutritionally poor. This is due to the large volume of processed foods, especially refined carbohydrates like cereals, baked goods, white breads and pastas, and chips. The best way to improve one’s diet is to substitute processed carbohydrates for natural carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and fruits which are low calorie and nutrient dense. With the availability and cheaper price of processed foods, a recent survey showed that only 12% of Americans met the recommended daily fruit intake, and only 9% met the daily vegetable intake.
Because of the huge variety of vegetables and fruits, you can choose to increase your calorie intake by eating more starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn, fruits, beans, and legumes. On days when you want less calories, you can choose to replace these foods with lower calorie vegetable such as leafy greens which include kale, chard, spinach, arugula and lettuce, also cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, and broccoli. Vegetables and fruits have a high water content, which helps you keep hydrated.
Phytochemicals are defined as those chemicals found in plants that protect plants against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The same protection that these phytochemicals provide for the plants also protect the health of those who eat the plants.
The way in which the phytochemicals work depends on the colour and the type of food. We have the lycopenes (red) contained in tomatoes, anthocyanins (red, blue) in raspberries and blueberries, carotenoids (yellow, orange, dark green) in oranges and spinach, indoles found in cruciferous vegetables. Each phytochemical has a differing action, from their antioxidant properties, in preventing inflammation, decreasing the risk of cancer and heart disease, to protection from toxins, and in slowing down the aging process. The options for fruits and vegetables are endless, therefore choosing a variety of colours and types will incorporate all the different nutrients that each plant has that differs from another.
Fruits are the ovary of a seed plant, usually developed from flowers. They also contain seeds so that they can continue the reproductive cycle. A vegetable can come from any part of the plant such as the root, stems, flowers, and leaves, and does not need to take part in the reproductive process. The recommendation is to aim for a vegetable:fruit ratio of 3:2 if you are active, and a ratio of 4:1 on days that you do not exercise. Fruits are higher in sugars, anywhere from 5–15%. Vegetables contain less than 5% sugars. Vegetables contain more fibre, calcium, folate, Vitamin A, and iron than fruits. Both fruits and vegetables are a good source of Vitamin C. As you can see, vegetables are higher in nutrition content than fruits; however, fruits also contain these components, just to a lesser degree.
The early food guides recommended either fruit or its juices. However, fruit juices are high in sugars and salt, and low in fibre. The current food guide recommends that juice should be replaced with water, and that fruit should be eaten whole. I have a motto that I have told to many people, “I prefer to eat my fruit than to drink my fruit.” Whole foods are always more nutritious than foods that have been processed. Even when juicing your own fruits, there is always the leftover pulp that is discarded, which contains most of the fibre and some of the nutrients.
Water provides hydration without the added unhealthy ingredients or extra calories. Water can be drank at whatever temperature is most desirable. However avoid drinking water with meals whenever possible, as it can lead to digestive issues. Carry a reusable water bottle when you eat out so that you can drink water after your meal. Some people add lemons or other fruits to enhance the flavour. I recently have started to place a pitcher of water with a cut-up lemon in my fridge.
When choosing vegetables and fruits, fresh, frozen or canned can all be healthy options and are equally nutritious. Fresh foods are always the best option when available as they have had no processing. However, frozen and canned foods take a shorter time to prepare and are a healthy and convenient option. Many frozen foods now are “flash frozen” which creates less cellular damage, allowing all the nutrients to remain in the food during the freezing process. Canning is done very quickly after the crop is picked. Both methods ensure that nutritional content is not lost. Choose frozen vegetables and fruits that do not include added sugars, seasonings, or breading or rich sauces.
Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium (salt). However, the canned version can often contain high levels of sodium, added as a preservative or to enhance the taste. This can create an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Check the can for details on the sodium content; the nutrition label will indicate how much of the daily sodium allowance is contained in the can. Choose canned vegetables with little or no added sodium. Also, draining and rinsing canned vegetables can reduce the sodium content. Many manufacturers now promote “low sodium” in their canned foods to entice customers to their products.
Canned fruits often contain added sugars, leading to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Check the label to ensure that the ingredient list does not contain added sugar. Food labels are very handy in order to make the best choices for canned fruits and vegetables. The %Daily Value allows you to see if a food has a little or a lot of a specific ingredient or nutrient. For the best options, buy canned foods that have less than 5%DV of the “bad” ingredients, and more than 5%DV of the “good” ingredients.
Dried fruit is also an option, however they can stick in your teeth and cause cavities. They are also very high in sugar because they are dried and all the water content has been removed.
When preparing vegetables, use healthier cooking methods such as baking, roasting, steaming or stir-frying. Boiling will remove a lot of healthy nutrients into the water. Frying in oil will add toxic compounds from the heating of the oil that the vegetables are fried in. The flavour of vegetables can be enhanced by using olive oil, lemon juice or fresh or dried herbs.
Vegetables and fruits can be made for handy on-the-go meals. Cut fresh vegetables can be kept in the fridge; choose from broccoli, cauliflower, carrot sticks, celery sticks, or cucumber slices. Fruits can be eaten whole as an easy snack. Add fruit to whole grain cereals or dairy-free yogurts. Some people enjoy freezing seedless grapes and enjoying them as a snack.
Other ideas to add more vegetables to your diet is to add pumpkin or squash purees to soups to make it rich and creamy. Serve raw vegetables with meals. For people who live alone, having to buy a lot of fresh vegetables can mean that they will go bad before they are all eaten. Many grocery stores have frozen mixed vegetables. In this way, you can incorporate a variety of vegetables in your diet without having to throw away food that has spoiled. Remember, the more varied your diet, the more nutritionally complete it will be. Avoid pre-bagged salads as they have often been washed in chlorine and then packaged along with a mixture of gases in order to look fresh and to increase their shelf life; along with the chemicals, they have very little nutrition left in them. Smoothies have become a popular food item, as it is easy to toss in a blend of various ingredients for a nutritious and portable meal.
Often in the winter, options for fresh fruits and vegetables are limited, especially locally sourced foods. Even when fruits are available, they often taste bland as they have been picked before they fully ripen to prevent spoiling in the long journey from the country of origin to our grocery stores. If you have access to a deep freezer, buying fruits in the summer and freezing them for winter use is a good option for to ensure fruit retains its sweet taste.
“It is not well to eat fruit and vegetables at the same meal. If the digestion is feeble, the use of both will often cause distress, and inability to put forth mental effort. It is better to have the fruit at one meal, and the vegetables at another. . . . Fruit and vegetables taken at one meal produce acidity of the stomach; then impurity of the blood results, and the mind is not clear because the digestion is imperfect.” –Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 112
Sister White counsels against eating fruits and vegetables at the same meal because it can cause indigestion. Current science is mixed on this, with some nutritionists saying that it does not matter if we combine fruits and vegetables, because our body is equipped to absorb protein, fats, and carbohydrates at the same time. There are others who agree with Sister White that it makes for better digestion if they are not eaten together, especially for those who have sensitive digestion systems.
“The meals should be varied. The same dishes, prepared in the same way, should not appear on the table meal after meal and day after day. The meals are eaten with greater relish, and the system is better nourished, when the food is varied.” –The Ministry of Healing, p. 299
Simply put, eating a variety of vegetables and fruits are the best types of food we can eat. Just a little bit of planning will ensure that this food group plays the necessary and prominent role in your diet to best preserve your health.
Helen Marttinen