In trying to reach your nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which ones don’t count?
Nine Servings a Day Minimum
Doctor's Note
For more on the efficacy of supplements versus whole foods:
- Produce, Not Pills to Increase Physical Attractiveness
- Some Dietary Supplements May Be More Than a Waste of Money
And more on the carotenoid family of phytonutrients:
Learn more about lutein:
And check out the prequel: Can pesticides be rinsed off?
For more context, check out my associated blog post: Vitamin B12: how much, how often?
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18 responses to “Nine Servings a Day Minimum”
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Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. And check out the prequel to this video, Can pesticides be rinsed off?. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos–please feel free to explore them as well!
Great info. Dr. Greger as usual but being Irish, I’ve never heard of federal guidelines for 9 portions of fruit & veg/day. I wonder could you kindly provide a link(s). thanks again…
kerleyc: http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=174:the-2005-usda-dietary-guidelines&catid=75:healthy-eating&Itemid=123 Google is a wonder!
Also be sure to check out my associated blog post Vitamin B12: how much, how often?!
Please, would you be so kind as to give me some sort of sample meal plan or guidelines for a full week, breakfast, lunch, dinner for a plant based diet. I have been winging it and really need the guidance. Thanks in advance. I am forever grateful for the knowledge you so generously share. It’s a treasure!
Try http://HappyHerbivore.com. She has terrific vegan meal plans for an individual or family.
Thank you! I’ve already linked up to her. I am grateful for your response. All the best to you………..
especially lovely post!! thanks so much for making nutritional science simple and applicable!
Dear Dr. Greger I have been diagnosed with Ulcerated Colitisand treated with Asacol 5.7g/day Is there a reason to hope that a plant based nutrition can treat this condition without aggravating it farther? Benjamin
Can you give me some other sources/studies to refer to that show that whole plant foods are superior to isolated supplements of vitamins & minerals?
Thank you.
Isolated vitamins usually can result in toxicity, aside from that, whole plant foods have thousands of phytonutrients you will never find in a single supplement. http://nutritionfacts.org/page/2/?s=vitamins
you may also want to check out Terry Wahls Ted talk
I’m curious why not white potatoes, as long as they’re prepared without added oils/fats/dairy/other bad stuff? I’ve been reading Dr McDougall for decades (along with lots of the other similar-minded ones) and it seems that white potatoes are one of the few virtually nutritionally complete foods out there (sweet potatoes better). By that, I mean that one could live on white potatoes alone without nutritional deficiencies (assuming no underlying issue and able to eat enough to meet caloric needs).
Also curious about iceberg lettuce not counting either. I thought the perception around iceberg being totally worthless as a food was a myth thing that Jeff Novick or someone else I trust debunked. Thanks!
PS: even if you do consider the potatoes and lettuce to be not as good as “real” vegetables, it seems a bit rough to lump them in with fruit loops and ketchup!!!!!
There is no reason to NOT consume potatoes, even white. As you say, they are nutritionally complete as a whole food. They have a bad rap and myth, but it is completely unfounded. Dr. McDougall has it right. Eat your potatoes and be a starchivore!
Below is the link to the article by Jeff Novick where he shows nutrient by nutrient that iceberg lettuce is almost a nutrient dense as romaine lettuce.
http://jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2008/3/21_Iceberg_Lettuce__A_Lesson_In_Nutrient_Density.html
And here is Jeff Novick’s response to the outcry against potatoes due to the results from the Nurses’ Health Study published in Am J Clin Nutr 2006;83:284 –90.
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=434650191818
Thanks so much for all you do. I just donated!
So kind of you, Jasmine, many thanks!
For nearly 3 decades I have been eating a diet rich in fiber, fruits and vegetables. Although I am not vegan, the importance of getting a huge amount of our nutrients from whole foods is well documented and continues to be supported by the scientific research. Getting enough is not as hard as one would think, but it does require preparation and planning.