By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

If you’ve ever wondered if your vegetable consumption is similar to that of the average American, you will enjoy scrolling through reports from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA keeps records of how much food is available each year, on average, for each person in the United States. They do this by tracking domestic production, initial inventories, and imports of a particular food (for example broccoli) and then subtracting exports and end-of-year inventories. The national supply is divided by the U.S. population to calculate an estimate of food availability per person. While these estimates of food availability cannot tell us how much of a food an individual person eats, they provide an estimate of what is available for the average American individual. These estimates can be used to identify trends in food production.

The most recent report looks at the years 2000 to 2019. The part of the report that examines vegetables shows that over these two decades, the total amount of vegetables available decreased by 4 percent from 417.4 pounds per capita to 400.1 pounds. These totals include fresh, frozen, canned, and dried forms of vegetables.

The largest increase in vegetable availability was in the red and orange subgroup which includes sweet potatoes, chile peppers, and bell peppers. In 2019, 49 pounds of these foods were available per capita, compared to 35.1 pounds in 2000. Dark green vegetable availability also increased going from 21.7 pounds per capita in 2000 to 27.5 pounds in 2019. This subgroup includes broccoli, kale, spinach, and romaine and leaf lettuce.

More legumes were available in 2019 – 11.1 pounds per capita compared to 8.5 pounds per capita in 2000.

It’s encouraging to see that more red and orange and dark green vegetables and legumes are available since these are important sources of nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and zinc.

Other vegetables with greater availability over the past 20 years include

• Asparagus 1.3 lbs/capita à 1.9 lbs/capita
• Brussels sprouts 0.3 lbs/capita à 0.8 lbs/capita
• Carrots 13 lbs/capita à 16.6 lbs/capita
• Kale 0.4 lbs/capita à 1.1 lbs/capita
• Squash 4.4 lbs/capita à 5.9 lbs/capita

And with lower availability:

• Lima beans 0.56 lbs/capita à 0.37 lbs/capita
• Cabbage 10.3 lbs/capita à 7.1 lbs/capita
• Corn 27.1 lbs/capita à 18.9 lbs/capita
• Green peas 3.7 lbs/capita à 1.9 lbs/capita
• White potatoes 138 lbs/capita à 119.1 lbs/capita

It’s fun to speculate about what led to these changes.

Resources

https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/february/us-supplies-of-vegetables-available-to-eat-in-2019-down-slightly-from-2000-but-variety-has-grown/

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-per-capita-data-system/

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A Vegetarian Resource Group member wrote to us with concerns about getting enough protein because they weren’t able to tolerate more than half a cup of beans a day. They had heard that older adults need more protein.

There is reliable research that suggests that older adults need slightly more protein than younger adults do. A somewhat higher protein intake, especially when combined with resistance training can build muscle in older adults. This increased muscle can help to offset the muscle loss that is a part of the aging process. Muscle loss can increase the risk of falls and keep older people from doing the tasks they’d like to do.

How much more protein are we suggesting? Get out your calculator! It seems like between 0.36 and 0.57 grams of protein per pound of body weight along with resistance training can lead to a larger muscle mass in older people (1).  In practical terms, if you weigh 120 pounds, these recommendations would suggest that you get 43 to 68 grams of protein a day; for someone weighing 150 pounds the recommendations suggest 54 to 86 grams of protein.  You can use this helpful table to see how much protein is in many vegan foods (scroll down to table 2).

Some experts (2,3) suggest that spreading out protein over the entire day, instead of eating one or two higher protein meals may further support muscle building. So, for example, if you calculated that you needed 86 grams of protein per day, you might try to eat around 30 grams of protein at each of 3 meals.

Here are some sample meals that have around 30 grams of protein and don’t rely heavily on beans since the person who originally asked the question didn’t want bean-heavy meals.

• A toasted bagel with 2 Tablespoons of soy nut butter with 8 ounces of pea protein milk and a banana
• Strawberry Smoothie made with 8 ounces of oat milk,  2 scoops of rice protein powder, a Tablespoon of nut butter, and ½ cup of strawberries
• Scrambled tofu with toast:  6 ounces of extra firm tofu scrambled with half a cup each of onions and peppers,  and 2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast; 2 slices of whole grain toast
• 2 burritos made with ½ cup of cooked lentils, 1 cup of cooked quinoa and 1 cup of steamed chopped broccoli
• Veggie burger on a bun with a cup of  sweet potato oven fries, peas and a cup of steamed green peas
• Chili made with ½ cup of prepared TVP and ½ cup of beans served over 1 cup of cooked quinoa; and a corn muffin
• Stir-fry with 3 ounces of sautéed seitan strips, ½ cup each cauliflower and carrots, and 3 Tablespoons of slivered almonds served over 3/4 cup of cooked brown rice
• Tempeh (¾ cup) in barbecue sauce served over a medium baked potato with 1 cup of sautéed  collards
• Tofu in peanut sauce (6 ounces of extra-firm tofu and 3 Tablespoons of peanut sauce) mixed with a cup of steamed kale and served over ¾ cup of whole-wheat pasta

Of course, you may need more (or less) protein than in these examples and don’t want to always calculate the protein content of every meal. You can simply try to eat concentrated protein sources such as soy products, seitan, beans, quinoa, nuts, and nut butters throughout the day.

To learn more about nutrition and other issues for older adults see Resources for Seniors

References

1. Haub MD, Wells AM, Tarnopolsky MA, Campbell WW. Effect of protein source on resistive-training-induced changes in body composition and muscle size in older men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002; 76(3): 511–517.

2. Farsijani S, Morais JA, Payette H, et al. Relation between mealtime distribution of protein intake and lean mass loss in free-living older adults of the NuAge study. Am J Clin Nutr 2016;104:694–703.

3. Farsijani S, Payette H, Morais JA, et al. Even mealtime distribution of protein intake is associated with greater muscle strength, but not with 3-y physical function decline, in freeliving older adults: the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition as a Determinant of Successful Aging (NuAge study). Am J Clin Nutr 2017; 106:113–24.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tracks how much food is available each year, on average, for each person in the United States. These reports provide a fascinating snapshot of what Americans are likely to be eating. To determine how much food is available, the USDA tracks domestic production, initial inventories, and imports of a particular food and then subtracts exports and end-of-year inventories. An estimation of food availability per person is calculated by dividing the total amount of available product by the U.S. population. These estimates cannot tell us how much of a food an individual person eats but they can provide an estimate of the amount of food available for the average person.

     A recent report looks at the years 1970 to 2019. Over those 50 years, the total amount of fruits available, including fresh, canned, frozen, and dried fruit and fruit juice, decreased slightly from 238 pounds per capita to 236 pounds per capita. The amount of available fresh fruit increased and processed fruit (canned, frozen, dried, juice) decreased.

     If we only consider fresh fruits, the fruits with the largest increases in availability included

• Avocadoes 0.4 lbs/capita now 7.4 lbs/capita
• Bananas 17.4 lbs/capita now 27.4 lbs/capita
• Pineapples 0.7 lbs/capita now 7.3 lbs/capita

     Other fresh fruits with greater availability over the past 50 years include

• Lemons 2 lbs/capita now 4.7 lbs/capita
• Blueberries 0.2 lbs/capita now 2.1 lbs/capita
• Grapes 2.7 lbs/capita now 7.7 lbs/capita
• Mangoes 0.1 lbs/capita now 3.1 lbs/capita
• Strawberries 1.6 lbs/capita now 5.3 lbs/capita

     And with lower availability:

• Grapefruit 8 lbs/capita now 1.5 lbs/capita
• Oranges 15.6 lbs/capita now 9.1 lbs/capita
• Peaches 5.5 lbs/capita now 2.0 lbs/capita

Resources: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-availability-per-capita-data-system/

To read about vegetable availability in the United States, see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/?s=17+pounds+of+carrots

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

How often do you eat kale, spinach, collard greens, and other dark green vegetables? Daily? A few times a week? Once a week? Monthly? If you live in the United States and answered “daily,” you’re among the approximately 26% of Americans who eat dark green vegetables every day.¹ The other 74% of Americans eat them less often. Maybe if you’re vegan, you eat dark green vegetables more often. A study of Seventh-day Adventists found that vegans ate about 40% more leafy green vegetables daily than did nonvegetarians.²

     Why eat dark green vegetables? They’re a good way to get nutrients like calcium (true of greens other than spinach), iron, vitamin C, and potassium as well as a variety of phytonutrients.  They can be prepared quickly or eaten raw or cooked long and slow, if you prefer.  Try a massaged kale salad with a lime-tahini dressing or collards with tomatoes and garlic, or shred greens and add to soups and stir-fries.

     Red and orange vegetables like carrots, red peppers, and tomatoes are eaten more commonly than dark green vegetables. In the United States, 79% of adults on average eat red and orange vegetables daily.¹ How about you? Dark orange vegetables are especially noteworthy for their vitamin A content and tomatoes for supplying lycopene and vitamin C. Vitamin A is needed for a healthy immune system; lycopene and vitamin C are antioxidants.

     So, crunch a carrot, steam some kale, slice some tomatoes – let’s try to eat dark green and red or orange vegetables every day!

References

1. Ansai N, Wambogo EA. Fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in the United States, 2015–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 397. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:100470

2. Orlich MJ, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Sabaté J, Fan J, Singh PN, Fraser GE. Patterns of food consumption among vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Br J Nutr. 2014;112:1644-1653.

For recipes using leafy green vegetables see vrg.org/journal/vj2001may/2001_may_greens.php

For recipes using carrots see vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue1/2003_issue1_carrot.php

For more on U.S. vegetable consumption see vrg.org/blog/2021/05/21/do-you-eat-close-to-17-pounds-of-carrots-a-year/

Passover begins the evening of March 27, 2021 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. You can purchase these vegan cookbooks in the USA from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog or in Kindle format from Amazon.

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped

5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped

1-1/2 cups water

½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)

(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions

Vegetable oil spray

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper

1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups water

1 onion, peeled and chopped

¼ pound mushrooms

1 teaspoon oil

1 Tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup matzo meal

1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, in the USA you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog or in Kindle format on Amazon.

Passover begins the evening of March 30, 2018 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. You can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)
(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped
5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 cups water
½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)
(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions
Vegetable oil spray
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper
1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)
(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 cups water
1 onion, peeled and chopped
¼ pound mushrooms
1 teaspoon oil
1 Tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup matzo meal
1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: VRG Book Catalog