Help…am I eating enough vegetables?
Dutch people eat too few vegetables. Far too few. Editor-in-chief, and self-proclaimed carnivore, Marcus Polman is taking on the challenge of eating at least 250 grams of vegetables a day over the coming weeks.
Only a quarter of Dutch people eat enough vegetables. That means: at least 250 grams a day. More than one in three Dutch people cannot even estimate how many grams of vegetables they eat each day. This is according to research into vegetable consumption by the country’s largest supermarket chain. More facts from Albert Heijn’s research.
The top 5 most popular vegetables?
- Broccoli – 22%
- Cauliflower – 20%
- Spinach – 17%
- Green beans – 17%
- Asparagus – 15%
The 5 least popular?
1. Artichoke – 16%
2. Brussels sprouts – 14%
3. Aubergine – 11%
4. Celery – 11%
5. Chilli pepper – 11%
Men
And I clearly belong to a ‘risk group’. Male, 45+. You know the type. We men still consider meat and fish the most important part of the meal: 48 percent of men think this, compared with thirty percent of women. Men are also less motivated to start eating more vegetables; 47 percent do not want to eat more vegetables, compared with 39% of women.
“From NOW ON, I’m going to eat more vegetables.”
Bitterballen
Of course, I also know that eating more vegetables would benefit my health. Or at least my weight. My BMI is painfully deep red. And yet, somehow, it just never happens. At a drinks party, I would rather reach for a creamy bitterbal with spicy Dijon mustard or a grilled chicken wing with chilli sauce than a piece of celery or cucumber with a mild, creamy yoghurt dip. Green salad with a fresh, tangy vinaigrette? Quite tasty. Especially with a 300-gram rare-cooked rib-eye from the barbecue. I too have occasionally made a grilled vegetable dish from Ottolenghi’s books. Parsnip, sweet potato, rainbow carrots (vegetables that, incidentally, score highly in the ‘newly discovered vegetables’ category in Albert Heijn’s research). Also quite tasty, especially with béarnaise sauce. But I’m afraid my vegetable imagination doesn’t go much further than that.
Vegetable Bible
Books such as the Vegetable Bible and Mark Bittman’s hefty How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, which I once bought in a fit of health-consciousness, stand untouched on my bookcase. Unlike my generously collected, well-thumbed reference works on pasta (The Silver Spoon Pasta), meat (James Peterson’s Meat) and fish (Bart van Olphen’s Working with Fish). Including my own modest oeuvre of meat books.
Challenge
And that has to change. Inspired by Albert Heijn’s vegetable campaign, I’m giving in. I’m taking on the challenge. No more procrastination. Ottolenghi, eat your heart out. Will I succeed? An update will follow soon.
This article was created in collaboration with Albert Heijn.
