Global Health and Fitness - How to buy Vegetables

How to buy Vegetables

Vegetables

Fresh vegetables add color and variety to any meal.

Demand freshness! Check for the characteristic signs of freshness such as bright, lively color and crispness. Vegetables are usually at their best quality and price at the peak of their season. Some vegetables are hardier than others, but just just being careful can prevent bruising and damage. Don't buy because of low price alone. It doesn't pay to buy more vegetables than you can properly store in your refrigerator or use without waste. Most fresh vegetables can be stored for 2 to 5 days, except for root vegetables, which can be stored from 1 to several weeks.

Avoid decay. It's a waste of money to buy fresh vegetables affected by decay. Even if you do trim off the decayed area, rapid deterioration is likely to spread to the salvaged area. Paying a few cents extra for vegetables in good condition is a good investment.

Fresh vegetables provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, they are low in fat, and they provide fiber. It is recommend you eat 3 to 5 servings from the vegetable group each day. Count as a serving 1-cup raw leafy vegetables, l/2 cup of other vegetables that are cooked or chopped raw, or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice. Go easy on the fat and salt added during cooking or at the table in the form of spreads, sauces, dressings, toppings, and seasonings.

The quality of most fresh vegetables can be judged reasonably well by their external appearance.

Under federal guidelines, a substantial number of retailers must provide nutrition information for the 20 most frequently eaten raw vegetables. These vegetables are: potatoes, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, sweet corn, broccoli, green cabbage, cucumbers, bell peppers, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, green onions, green (snap) beans, radishes, summer squash, and asparagus. Information about other vegetables may also be provided. The nutritional information may appear on posters, brochures, leaflets, or stickers near the vegetable display. It may include serving size; calories per serving; amount of protein, total carbohydrates, total fat, and sodium per serving; and percent of the Recommended Daily Allowances for iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C per serving.

There are no set rules for buying vegetables because they all have individual characteristics and values. Experience in personal selection is the best teacher.

Artichokes

The globe artichoke is the large, unopened flower bud of a plant belonging to the thistle family. The many leaf-like parts making up the bud are called "scales." Produced domestically only in California, the peak season is in April and May.

Look for plump, globular artichokes that are heavy in relation to size, and compact with thick, green, fresh looking scales. Size is not important with respect to quality.

Avoid artichokes with large areas of brown on the scales and with spreading scales (a sign of age, indicating drying and toughening of the edible portions), grayish-black discoloration (caused by bruises), mold growth on the scales, and worm injury.

Artichoke (Globe or Fresh) - Serving - 1 Medium Artichoke

NUTRITION

MINERALS

VITAMINS

Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams
Water	g	108.723	Calcium	mg	56.320	Vitamin C	mg	14.976
Energy	kcal	60.160	Iron	mg	1.683	Thiamin	mg	0.092
Energy	kj	252.160	Magnesium	mg	76.800	Riboflavin	mg	0.084
Protein	g	4.186	Phosphorus	mg	115.200	Niacin	mg	1.339
Fat	g	0.192	Potassium	mg	473.600	Pantothenic acid	mg	0.433
Carbohydrate	g	13.453	Sodium	mg	120.320	Vitamin B-6	mg	0.148
Fiber	g	6.912	Zinc	mg	0.627	Folate	mcg	87.040
			Copper	mg	0.296	Vitamin B-12	mcg	0.000
			Manganese	mg	0.328	Vitamin A	IU	236.800
			Selenium	mcg	0.256	Vitamin A, RE	mcg	23.040
						Vitamin E	mg	0.243

Asparagus

California, New Jersey, Washington, and Michigan are the chief sources of domestically grown asparagus.

Look for closed, compact tips; smooth, round spears; and a fresh appearance. A rich green color should cover most of the spear. Stalks should be almost as far down as the green extends.

Avoid tips that are open and spread out, moldy or decayed tips, or ribbed spears (spears with up-and-down ridges or that are not approximately round). Those are all signs of aging, and indicate tough asparagus and poor flavor. Also avoid excessively sandy asparagus, because sand grains can lodge beneath the scales or in the tips of the spears and are difficult to remove in washing.

Asparagus - Serving - 1 Cup

NUTRITION

MINERALS

VITAMINS

Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams
Water	g	134.000	Calcium	mg	0.764	Vitamin C	mg	3.082
Energy	kcal	123.816	Iron	mg	28.140	Thiamin	mg	17.688
Energy	kj	30.820	Magnesium	mg	1.166	Riboflavin	mg	0.188
Protein	g	128.640	Phosphorus	mg	24.120	Niacin	mg	0.172
Fat	g	3.055	Potassium	mg	75.040	Pantothenic acid	mg	1.568
Carbohydrate	g	0.268	Sodium	mg	365.820	Vitamin B-6	mg	0.233
Fiber	g	6.084	Zinc	mg	2.680	Folate	mcg	0.176
			Copper	mg	0.616	Vitamin B-12	mcg	171.520
			Manganese	mg	0.236	Vitamin A	IU	0.000
			Selenium	mcg	0.351	Vitamin A, RE	mcg	781.220
						Vitamin E	mg	77.720

Beans

Snap beans, produced commercially in many States, are available throughout the year. Most beans found in the grocery store will be the common green-podded varieties, but large green pole beans and yellow wax beans are occasionally available.

Look for a fresh, bright appearance with good color for the variety. Get young, tender beans with pods in a firm, crisp condition.

Avoid wilted or flabby bean pods, serious blemishes, and decay. Thick, tough, fibrous pods indicate over maturity.

Beans, snap, canned, all styles, seasoned, solids & liquids - Serving - 1/2 Cup

NUTRITION

MINERALS

VITAMINS

Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams
Water	g	107.502	Calcium	mg	25.080	Vitamin C	mg	3.534
Energy	kcal	18.240	Iron	mg	0.536	Thiamin	mg	0.029
Energy	kj	76.380	Magnesium	mg	14.820	Riboflavin	mg	0.056
Protein	g	0.946	Phosphorus	mg	18.240	Niacin	mg	0.266
Fat	g	0.228	Potassium	mg	106.020	Pantothenic acid	mg	0.112
Carbohydrate	g	3.979	Sodium	mg	425.220	Vitamin B-6	mg	0.050
Fiber	g	1.710	Zinc	mg	0.160	Folate	mcg	20.520
			Copper	mg	0.068	Vitamin B-12	mcg	0.000
			Manganese	mg	0.356	Vitamin A	IU	598.500
			Selenium	mcg	0.228	Vitamin A, RE	mcg	60.420
						Vitamin E	mg	-

Beets

Beets, available year-round, are grown in most parts of the Nation. Many beets are sold in bunches with the tops still attached, while others are sold with the tops removed.

Look for beets that are firm, round, with a slender tap root (the large main root), a rich, deep red color, and smooth a predominantly smooth surface. If beets are bunched, you can judge their freshness fairly accurately by the condition of the tops. Badly wilted or decayed tops indicate a lack of freshness, but the roots may be satisfactory if they are firm.

Avoid elongated beets with round, scaly areas around the top surface -- these will be tough, fibrous, and strong-flavored. Also avoid wilted, flabby beets -- they have been exposed to the air too long.

Beets - Serving - 1 Cup

NUTRITION

MINERALS

VITAMINS

Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams	Nutrient	Units	Grams
Water	g	119.109	Calcium	mg	21.760	Vitamin C	mg	6.664
Energy	kcal	58.480	Iron	mg	1.088	Thiamin	mg	0.042
Energy	kj	244.800	Magnesium	mg	31.280	Riboflavin	mg	0.054
Protein	g	2.190	Phosphorus	mg	54.400	Niacin	mg	0.454
Fat	g	0.231	Potassium	mg	442.000	Pantothenic acid	mg	0.211
Carbohydrate	g	13.002	Sodium	mg	106.080