How Many Vegetables And Fruits Do I Need?

How many vegetables and fruits do I need a day?  I believe adults and teens need 6 to 9 servings daily of vegetables and fruits. Mostly vegetables…

This will provide the majority of your carbohydrate intake, and avoids excess starchy, fattening carbs that are hard to digest and cause swings in your blood sugar.

For now, let’s take a closer look at carbohydrates….

In my DVD, The Diet For Human Beings, I suggest that humans are not designed to eat grains.  Grains are the seeds of grasses, and they include wheat, oats, barley, rice, corn and spelt.  Four-legged creatures such as horses and cows have the correct anatomy to eat and digest grass and the seeds of grass.  Humans do not.

How do you calculate a “serving” of Vegetables?

One serving of vegetables is generally one packed cup of wilted, steamed or cooked vegetables.  For fruit, 1/2 to 1 cup raw fruit, not juice. (I eat very little fruit).

One serving of raw leafy greens such as lettuce or spinach would have to be 3-4 cups, as cooked greens wilt down and lose most of their volume.

What kind of Carbohydrates can I eat on Paleo?

Generally, I leave potatoes and sweet potatoes out of this calculation as they aren’t vegetables.  But they do provide carbohydrate, so some red potatoes or half a medium baking potato (or other tuber) would count as one serving of vegetable.

What are Pseudo-Grains?

Pseudo-Grains are the seeds of plants such as quinoa, wild rice and buckwheat (pictured here).  These “grains” are seeds and grow on small bushes.  They are not members of the cereal grass family and are easier for humans to digest IF soaked properly.  So, a 1/2 cup cooked serving of quinoa, wild rice or buckwheat could count as a vegetable.

Emphasize the Vegetables, not the Starch or Fruit

The point is to emphasize the vegetables, not the grains, potatoes, seeds or fruit.

If you tend to be constipated, your bowels will appreciate more veggies and less grains and starches.  You’ll probably lose weight too, as vegetables and fruits are much lower in calories than starches.

You’ll invest more time and money on these foods, but they’ll provide vitamins and minerals that starches cannot, and they’ll keep your colon, and you, a lot healthier.  You’ll feel fuller, be less likely to eat sugary snacks or desserts, and your blood sugar and moods will be more stable.

If it feels right for you, increase your veggies alone to 9 cups a day – that’s what I do as I don’t eat grains or much fruit.

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