Vegetables

Guidelines for Vegetable Choice and Preparation

Organic vegetables of all colors and varieties

Use raw, steamed, baked, stir-fried,  or juiced vegetables plentifully. 

While it is best to have the majority of the vegetables you eat in raw form to benefit from the enzymes, cooked vegetables are also beneficial to the diet.

Pan-fried vegetables:  Lightly cooked vegetables provide rich DNA and RNA factors.   Lightly cooked vegetables are quick-steamed or quickly stir-fried  in the Chinese style so that the cooking temperature in the wok or skillet does not exceed 250 F, and the vegetables themselves do not get too hot or exceed 116 F. 

• Put about 2 TB water in a skillet.  Add a little oil and vegetables (or just rub the vegetables with oil).  Put lid on.  When lid pops up from steam, turn off heat and vegetables will be ready 3 minutes later.  

Variety of Vegetables

Eating a variety of vegetables will insure well-balanced nutrition each day.  Try to get 2-3 servings from each of the following three categories each day

Leafy Greens:

● Arugula

● Beet Greens

● Bok choy and other Asian greens

● Chard, all colors

● Collard greens

● Dandelion greens

● Kale, all types

● Lettuce, all types of deep-green, bright green, or red leaf lettuce

● Mustard greens

● Parsley

● Spinach

Deeply Colored (color goes through the full vegetable- not just the peel):

Green:

• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Avocado
• Green Beans
• Green Cabbage
• Celery
• Cucumbers with skin
• Green peas
• Green Olives
• Green Peppers
• Snow peas
• Sugar snap peas
• Zucchini with skin

Red:

• Beets
• Red Cabbage
• Red Peppers
• Radicchio
• Tomatoes

Blue/Purple/Black

• Eggplants
• Purple Kale
• Black Olives

Yellow/Orange

• Carrots
• Orange and yellow peppers
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes and yams

Sulfur-Rich  (The cabbage family, the mushroom family, and the onion family)

• Asparagus
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chives
• Collard greens
• Garlic, all types
• Kale
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Radishes
• Rutabagas

Starchy and Non-starchy Vegetables

“Vegetables vary in the amount of carbohydrates (starch) that they contain.  With a protein meal, the starchy vegetables should be minimized and the non-starchy vegetables maximized.  With a carbohydrate meal this differentiation does not matter.”   Dr. Jack Tips

Non-starchy vegetables (excellent in PV meals)

● Alfalfa sprouts (also a protein)

● Asparagus

● Bamboo shoots

● Beet Greens

● Bell pepper, green, red, yellow

● Broccoli

● Brussel Sprouts

● Cabbage

● Cauliflower

● Celery

● Chicory greens

● Collard greens

● Cucumber (no skin)

● Daikon Radish

● Lettuce (bib, Boston, Red leaf, Romaine, NOT iceberg)

● Onions, green

● Parsley

● Sea vegetables

● Scallions

● Spinach

● Sprouts, alfalfa, chia, mung, radish, sunflower

● Dandelion greens

● Endive

● Escarole

● Kale

● Kohlrabi

● Garlic

● Green Beans

● Sweet peppers

● Swiss chard

● Tomatoes

● Turnip greens

● Watercress

Medium starchy vegetables (ok with protein)

● Artichoke

● Beets

● Carrots

● Egg plant

● Chayote

● Corn (lightly cooked)

● Daikon

● Jicama

● Okra

● Parsnips

● Peas, English,, snow

● Radish

● Raw summer squash

● Rhubarb

● Squash

● Yellow, acorn, banana, pumpkin, spaghetti squash

● Turnips

● Water Chestnut

● Zucchini

Starchy vegetables (are carbohydrates and should be avoided with proteins)

● Beans - legume, boiled

● Cereals

● Grains

● Jerusalem artichoke

● Potatoes, cooked/baked

● Pumpkin

● Some varieties of rice

● Rutabaga

● Split peas

● Sweet potato

● Yams