Do you remember when your mom use to say, “Eat all of your vegetables so you can grow up and be strong?” 
What did mom know that no one else did? That vegetable builds muscles! Very seldom do we think of vegetables food that builds muscles, since there are certain kind of vegetable that are good in building muscles in your body.
Muscle Building Vegetables
Vegetables should have a place in the meals every day because they contain iron, lime and the other minerals which build bones and blood and regulate the work of the body. Vegetables are the cheapest source of minerals and their value in the diet is great.
Certain foods are called muscle builders because they contain a substance, protein, which builds muscles and other parts of the body. All vegetables contain protein, though some have only small amounts. The important muscle-building vegetables are beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts. Nuts also contain the muscle-building material. Other vegetables contain much smaller amounts of protein. The body-building materials of the vegetables are not so excellent as those of milk, cheese, egg, and meat. Therefore, if one uses these vegetables in the meals as a source of protein for any length of time, it is wise to serve them with milk, cheese, or egg.
Vegetables That Produce Fuel
Every person must eat foods which give the body fuel in addition to those containing minerals and the body-building protein. Vegetables are so good in regulating fuel to the body. The vegetables which give the body the most fuel or heat are: potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, melons, sweet corn, carrots, turnips, nuts, peanuts, peas, and beans. All vegetables contain large amounts of water and many have little fuel and body-building protein. Their pleasing flavors and acids, in addition to the minerals and growth substances make them worthy of a place in the diet. Their bulk aids in digestion and in keeping the body well. Such vegetables as asparagus, greens, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, onion, lettuce, and cucumbers, for instance, supply flavor and bulk as well as mineral matter. Because of their bulkiness and laxative tendency, together with their relatively high content of iron and other minerals, vegetables should always have a place in the diet.
Ways to Prepare Vegetables
Preparing and serving vegetables in different ways means that the family are good for the family. The purpose of cooking vegetables is to soften them. Their taste is best preserved when cooked by boiling, steaming or baking. Wilted vegetables can be freshened simply crisp by soaking in cold water for an hour before being served raw or cooked. If the head and leaf vegetables are soaked head down in cold water to which a tablespoon or so of vinegar has been added, the insects will drop out.
When boiling vegetables the use of a small amount of water is best. A large part of the minerals and
some of the fuel substances and muscle-building protein dissolve out and are lost if the water is drained off and not saved for use. Cutting the vegetables lengthwise instead of crosswise and in large pieces will lessen the loss. Peeling the vegetables before cooking increases the loss.
Vegetables prepared properly are of great value in our meals. They lower the cost of living and aid in keeping the family well. A step toward good health-America’s greatest asset—is taken by the health housewife who makes a wide use of vegetables in the meals for her family every day throughout the year.
So just as your mom use to say when you were young is just as true today-”Eat all of your vegetables and be strong!”
By Reginald Jackson
For additional information on a superb weight loss program, see “Foods That Kills Abdominal Fat.”
