The section of the food pyramid that I want to talk about is the vegetable section. I think as college students its very possible that some of us don't get enough of this section, and actually avoid getting our daily dose of vegetables. However this is an important part of our diet, and can be less painful to consume than it is made out to be.

A vegetable is generally considered any part of a plant that is consumed by humans, and is not part of any other food group. they can be eaten regularly, or the you can just drink the juice, which counts as a serving as well. Vegetables are grouped into five different sub-groups. These include dark green (broccoli and spinach), orange (acorn squash and carrots), starchy (corn and potatoes), dry beans & peas (kidney beans and lentils), and Other (green beans, onions, tomatoes, etc.).

The amount or servings per day of the vegetable group you should consume depends on your age and sex. For a college aged person, about 2 1/2 cups per day is called for, with a little bit more for men (3 cups). The amount varies from 1 cup up to 3, for all different ages and sexes. The most important thing to consider here is what 1 cup actually is, because eating one green bean for instance does not count as a serving. Generally, mypyramid says that one serving from the vegetable group is one full cup of raw or cooked vegetables, or one cup of 100% vegetable juice. For example one whole 3" tomato would count as one serving.

The most important part of the vegetable group is the health benefits that you get from eating them. Vegetables have many vitamins and minerals, but its important to consume a variety of different types, because different vegetables have different vitamins and minerals in them. This means it is important to eat a wide variety so you can cover all your bases. Some vitamins you can get include A, E, and C, and some minerals in vegetables are iron, calcium, and potassium to name a few. Vegetables can also reduce your risk for some chronic diseases, and many other illnesses like diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. Overall I would say that it is worth it to choke them down, because it will benefit you greatly in the long run.