Which vegetables deserve daily priority, and how much should be eaten?
Vegetables to give daily priority
Here at Alloy, the two groups we most often encourage you to prioritize every day are leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, because they’re consistently linked with better gut health and lower inflammation, and they’re nutrient-dense.
Leafy greens include things like kale and spinach. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and similar veggies. (They also show up in our nutrition content as “rough veggies” that support a healthy gut.) Broccoli, kale, and spinach also happen to be highlighted as strong food sources of calcium.
How much to eat
A simple, evidence-based target is five servings of fruits and vegetables per day for maximal cancer-prevention benefits. Within that, a practical “daily priority” goal is to get your greens, especially leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, at least twice a day.
If you’re using veggies to help you hit your fiber goal, the ranges we cite in our gut health content are 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day, with an easy target of about 30 grams a day.
If you want a deeper dive, these are good starting points: - Alloy article: Nutrition + The Menopause Society | Alloy (includes the five-servings takeaway) - Short read: Can You Eat Your Way to Better Gut Health? | Alloy (easy ways to add more vegetables)
And if video is more your style, Keri Glassman talks through prioritizing cruciferous and leafy greens, including the “twice a day” idea here: - How to Live Your Most Nutritious Life During Perimenopause and Menopause | Keri Glassman - Top Foods for Perimenopause and Menopause - The Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables for Brain Health | Keri Glassman - Cruciferous and Leafy Greens
If getting enough fiber and probiotic foods is tough right now, we also have the Alloy Synbiotic that combines prebiotic fiber plus probiotics, it’s here: Alloy Synbiotic
Alloy Synbiotic
$74.97
This answer was created using the following resources: