How much vegetable do you eat a week?

The food pyramid gives us data on the healthy foods that should be part of our diet but how much we eat a week? Fruits and vegetables should be eaten daily but in the case of vegetables the recommended amounts will vary depending on the conditions of each group of people.

Legumes and their nutritional contribution

Within the food pyramid legumes are an important group to be taken frequently to get nutrients to your body provide high quality and large doses of protein and carbohydrates form.

The protein that we provide ingredients such as beans, lentils or chickpeas are of plant origin and, therefore, are perfect for people who follow a vegetarian or vegan food can include this nutrient in your body. However, it is true that the protein intake is much lower in the case of most legumes, except soy that the amount offered is comparable to that of a piece of meat or fish.

It is one of the best ways to avoid excessive intake of animal protein and can benefit from similar purposes but avoiding overloading our livers or our kidneys; In fact, the amount of protein contained in many of these foods is 20% of their contribution based on 100 grades of crude product.

The fiber containing legumes help improve digestive processes, besides favoring the intestinal transit allowing cleansing of the body naturally, preventing constipation and improving cholesterol levels.

Another component containing this food group is carbohydrates, therefore it can be considered as a very nutritious option as it contains both protein and carbohydrates. These carbohydrates it contains are slowly absorbed, i.e. do not raise the glycemic index of blood and are contributing to our body when it needs without this end accumulate in the body as saturated fat dose of energy.

And they are perfect for weight loss diets because they are low in fat. There is a false myth that legumes are fattening, but this is not true, since the fatteners are the companions with which we usually take them (fatty sausages, oils for frying, abundant bread, etc.). If you take a plate of vegetables sautéed with vegetables, for example, or a salad made with these foods you will not have just contribution in fat and, nevertheless, a great amount of nutrients.

Legumes: Recommended amount per week

Now that you know all the benefits of legumes and the significant nutritional contribution offered to us, we will stay up the question of "how much vegetable eat a week?". Nutritionists indicate that at least we should eat legumes twice a week and at most 4 times.

You should keep in mind that there are some groups of people who need a greater energy supply and therefore it is recommended that they take between 3 or 4 times each week; these would be the children, the sick or the elderly, people who require more nutrients and higher energy injection. Above all, children should take them because they help improve the growth of bones and muscles, making them stronger and healthier too.

In healthy adults, the ideal is what we have already commented: 2 to 4 times a week. With this frequency it is possible to take a healthy, balanced diet and with all the nutrients that the organism requires to be strong. In case you're vegetarian or vegan you can increase takes up to 5 times a week to supplement the lack of animal protein.

The recommended amount for each social group is as follows:

• Children ages 3 to 9 should take 40 to 50 grams (raw weight).
• Young people aged 10 to 16 should take 50 to 70 grams.
• Adults 17 to 50 years old should take 60 to 80 grams.
• People over 50 should take 40 to 50 grams.
• Children from that age and adults: 60 to 80 grams in crude.

Avoid the gases from legumes

Some people do not usually introduce legumes into their diet because they produce flatulence. In fact, people with intestinal problems may have problems in digesting these foods and, therefore, avoid eating them. If you have irritable bowel syndrome or any other digestive disorder, it is recommended that you talk to your doctor to explain how you can take vegetables and what the recommended amount is for you.

But if the problem you have with these foods are annoying gases, then we will give you some tricks that will help reduce flatulence and thus improve digestion:

• Do not combine with other sources of protein (meat, sausages, etc.) nor with too cereal. It is best to take them individually or with a little vegetable.
• Do not mix them with foods such as cabbage, lettuce, etc.
• Chews slowly to prevent excessive air leak into your intestines and, therefore, more gas is produced.
• Add aromatic spices for cooking: There are some herbs that get aid digestion, for example, cumin, thyme, rosemary and fennel. Test it!
• Cut the boil: It is one of the best tricks to get reduce flatulence from legumes. That is, when it is boiling, turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes; then restart the fire.