The Ideal Veggie Schedule

YOUR GOAL: 14 CUPS A WEEK That might seem like a lot, but it’s easier than it sounds. Researchers have divided the entire vegetable spectrum into five “groups” (yes, beans are a veggie!) and broken down your exact weekly needs. DARK GREENS You need: 2 cups per week of spinach; broccoli; romaine; mesclun; collard, turnip, and mustard greens. PAYOFF: Better lung health stronger bones, a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and a healthier brain. ORANGE VEGETABLES You need: 1 ½ cups per week of carrots; sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin. PAYOFF: Better vision, blood sugar control, and lung health; high in cancer fighting carotenoids. BEANS You need: 2 ½ cups per week of pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, lentils, edamame, chickpeas, tofu. PAYOFF: Lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, breast and colon cancers, and type 2 diabetes. STARCHY VEGETABLES You need: 2 ½ cups per week of white potatoes, corn, green peas. PAYOFF: The nutrients in this group range from vitamins A, C, B6, and folate to potassium and magnesium, and each vegetable is rich in unique antioxidants, such as cancer-fighting isoflavones in peas and blood pressure-lowering kukoamines in potatoes. WILDCARD You need: 5 ½ cups per week of artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, wax beans, zucchini. PAYOFF: This eclectic group ensures a broad spectrum of nutrients and antioxidants that protect every system in your body, including beta-carotene in bell peppers and quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory, in onions.