Most of us aren’t getting enough vegetables in our diets. 

For some of us, vegetables just aren’t as convenient as other foods. They often have to be cleaned, prepped, and stored in the refrigerator—and they definitely don’t keep as long as packaged processed foods!

For others of us, we just don’t like vegetables. 

And no wonder that’s the case—since much of the grocery store produce isn’t as “fresh” as you may think... 

Vegetables in the produce section of your average grocery store were picked days, if not weeks, before they arrive on store shelves. 

After getting picked, they often sit in a warehouse in the dark until they’re delivered to the stores.

During that time, the vegetables continue to respirate, using their natural stores of energy (sugar) to stay alive and fresh after being picked. 

By the time they reach your dinner plate—many of the natural stores of sugar have been depleted, leaving not much more than a bland, lackluster wad of water and fiber. 

In order to combat this, the food industry has bred species of our modern vegetables that have higher sugar content than their natural predecessors. 

 And still—by the time these vegetables reach our plates, they taste pretty bland. Why is that?

As Jo Robinson says in her book, Eating On the Wild Side, this breeding process has stripped many of our modern fruits and vegetables of their original nutrients and minerals. 

Many of the original phytonutrients supplied complexity of flavor that made the first humans who tasted them say “yum!”

Not only did these phytonutrients supply more flavor, but they also provided essential nutrition that modern fruits and vegetables lack. 

The difference between modern grocery store vegetables and their wild ancestors is the equivalent difference between the majestic grey wolf and a goofy purebred Chinese crested...

So even if you eat your veggies all day long, you’re not getting as much nutrition from the vegetables as you would if they hadn’t been bred to death.

However there are a few ways around this modern dilemma. 

You can still live modern life and “eat on the wild side,” getting the most flavor and nutrients from your veggies. 

Not all fruits and vegetables in the grocery store have been affected by this over-breeding process in the same way. Some fruits and vegetables are actually pretty close to their wild ancestors!

Read or listen to Jo Robinson’s book, Eating on the Wildside, to learn how to make the most nutritious and delicious choices and incorporate vegetables into your diet more. 

Check out these quick tips below to get the most tasty, nutritious fruits and veggies in your diet:

• Darker, more vibrantly colored fruits in vegetables in general have more flavor and nutrients than lighter-colored varieties (for example kale and spinach have more flavor and nutrients than butter crisp or romaine salad greens).

• Frozen vegetables are often picked and frozen right at the cusp of ripeness—so they retain much of their sugar and nutrient content.

• Farmer’s Market: The best way to get nutritious fresh produce is to go straight to the source. Fruits and vegetables at your local farmers market haven’t been sitting in warehouses for weeks. You will also have access to more nutritious varieties of vegetables here too.

• Grow Your Own: Of course you can take matters into your own hands and grow your own fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables taste best right after you pick them, and they also are the most nutritious as well. Salad greens are a favorite in my garden, since they continuously provide food after you pick a few leaves, and they also do well in the winter.

Try to incorporate these tips as you use the MyPlate model in your diet, and  when it comes to filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, fill it with the most nutritious flavorful varieties to help this healthy eating pattern to stick. 

About the Author

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media.