"trick" yourself and your family to eat more vege's

Vegetables are wondrous. High vegetable consumption is associated with a multitude of health benefits include length of life and quality of life. These are important measures!

However if you are like me - I don't like vege's. My dad eats piles of vege's (and looks healthy and young) however I didn't get that vege loving gene. I got my maternal grandfather gene of cooking and a sugar tooth. Therefore I am always on the lookout for things that will help me eat more vege's.

A study published today looked at increasing the vegetable serving size at either 180, 270, or 360 grams. The higher the level of vegetable on the plate the higher the vegetable consumption.  So serve yourself and your family bigger serves of vegetables at they will eat more. Try weighing out a 360 gram vege serve it is quite big.

I think it is that belief that is "make sure you finish everything on your plate" and "think about the starving people in Africa who would love to eat that". Thus we get the guilts when we don't eat everything. I can remember when I was in the USA on a work trip and when they brought out the bread rolls while I waited I only ate one, when the meal came out I only ate the salad and meat leaving most of the potato fries. The waitress was very concerned that something was wrong and looked at me really weird......   

Reference: Barbara J Rolls, Liane S Roe and Jennifer S Meengs  Portion size can be used strategically to increase vegetable consumption in adults Am J Clin Nutr (February 10, 2010). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28801
Photo credit: Simon Howden