Rice is Not a Vegetable

Sometimes I wonder about what people believe is a vegetable. I was at dinner with my parents a few weeks ago and my dad asked for vegetables instead of a potato. The waitress said this was fine. When she brought his plate he asked where his vegetable was. She motioned at the large (probably more than 1 cup) pile of green speckled rice on his plate. My dad seemed confused so the waitress told him that the vegetable was "broccoli rice". Now there are times at restaurants when my dad complains and I would like to become invisible, but this time he was so right. There was probably about 1 tablespoon of broccoli in this rice.

I also see a lots of bagged fried snack food trying to get people to believe they are vegetables. There are pea crisps, fried green beans, carrot chips, and root vegetable chips (yams, sweet potatoes, etc.). Granted these foods started out as vegetables, albeit starchy ones. But frying or baking these in large amount of oil really takes away the spirit of the vegetable. These are now foods that have almost all of their calories from fat whereas vegetable are usually very low in fat. Keep in mind, if it looks like a snack food and tastes like a snack food, it probably is a snack food.

Keep in mind that vegetables are plants that grow naturally from the ground-- with proper conditons and care. Fresh: raw, grilled, baked, roasted or steamed vegetables are the most nutritious and therefore the tastiest. I have no problem with frozen vegetables, and even canned vegetables (but watch out for the salt)are much better than no vegetable at all. But surely rice is not a vegetable.

Just Eat the Food

Earlier this month the Los Angles Times reported that "Vitamins Aren't a Cure All," I whole heartily agree. This article sites many very well managed, long term studies involving tens of thousands of participant where increasing a certain vitamin via a vitamin supplement did not protect the participants from an increase in certain chronic diseases. Also cited where studies where an increase in a vitamin from a supplement increase the likelihood of developing the disease (remember the study where Finnish smokers given beta carotene had more incidence of lung cancer?).

Food is smarter than us. It has been around for millions of years, nourishing us and the other living inhabitants of this world. It has evolved to provide us with exactly what we need, in combination with other of the plant's properties to aid in enhanced absorption of the vitamins, minerals and other plant nutrients (phytonutrients). Even those we have yet to isolate and name. The plant knows what it is doing, all we have to do is eat it.

So why are scientist working to replicate a specific nutrient and put it in a pill? It doesn't seem to be working. We know a diet of fruits, vegetables, low fat proteins, high fiber grains and healthy fats (vegetable fats) produces healthy individuals around the world. So much time, money and other resources are spent trying to out-do nature. We don't need to dissect the food. Just because our scientists have not "discovered" and named every component of a plant food doesn't mean it's not there. It is and when we eat it we reap the benefits. Why don't we just spend all of those research and marketing dollars spent on supplements on getting healthy fresh food to everyone. We would all be healthier and happier for it.