It's National Eat Your Veggies Day!!

Vegetables at a local farmers' market

Anyone with a mother probably grew up hearing "eat your vegetables."

Well, today is the day to actually listen to mom. It's National Eat Your Vegetables Day."

According to the National Day Calendar website, June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, so National Eat Your Vegetables Day is one more opportunity to remind everyone about this important part of a healthy diet.

"As part of a main meal or as a snack, vegetables can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Each vegetable has it's own nutritional content through generally they contain little protein or fat and varying proportions of vitamins like A, K, B6, provitamins, dietary minerals and carbohydrates. They also contain phytochemicals and some vegetables also contain fiber, which is important for gastrointestinal function."

"It is recommend by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to consume 3 to 5 servings of vegetables a day. For most vegetables, one serving equals about 1/2 to 1 cup eaten either raw or cooked."

There are a lot of wonderful vegetables grown fresh right here in New York state. Many are in farmstands, farmers' markets and grocery stores now and others will begin showing up as the growing season progresses. 

So get out there and  buy some local vegetables. You can't get fresher than that!!

 

It's National Spinach Day!!

Spinach growing in a field

Have you ever eaten anything with "florentine" in the name?

If so, then you've eaten spinach and perhaps, didn't even know it.

Today is National Spinach Day, according to the National Day Calendar website, which states "not only are there so many delicious ways that you can enjoy spinach, it is also extremely good for you!"

"An annual plant, spinach is native to central and southwestern Asia. Thought to have originated in ancient Persia, Arab traders carried spinach into India, and then it was introduced into ancient China where it was known as 'Persian vegetable.'"

A bag of spinach

"The earliest available record of the spinach plant was recorded in Chinese, saying the spinach plant was introduced into China via Nepal. In 1533, Queen Catherine de Medici of France, liked spinach so much that she insisted it be served at every meal.  To this day, dishes made with spinach are known as “Florentine”, reflecting Catherine’s birth in Florence.

• Spinach is:

* Eaten raw or cooked and is available  fresh, frozen or canned. *  One of the best sources of iron. *  A great source of calcium, folic acid, fiber, protein, calcium and vitamins A, C and K. *  Is loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. *  Believed to help improve cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health.

So to celebrate today, eat a hearty helping of spinach. Or at least sprinkle some on top of your salad.