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Move Over Meat – Vegetables are taking center stage on your plate

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Move Over Meat – Vegetables are taking center stage on your plate

(NewsUSA) – Historically, American dinner
plates have featured meat as its mainstay/star, with vegetables as tepid, secondary supporting
players. Now, the balance of power on the plate is shifting as fresh, homegrown vegetables take
center stage.

Recent "food trend" studies show that more people are making vegetables the
main course of their meals. Although the interest in healthy eating extends to all age groups,
millennials seem to be driving this healthful food trend. Data from the NPD Group suggests that
people younger than 40 are eating 52 percent more fresh vegetables compared with young adults 10
years ago, and that preference is likely to continue as they age.

In support of this trend, professional chefs, bloggers, restaurants and home cooks are
embracing the flavors of a vast variety of vegetables, from common to exotic. Episodes of the
popular "Iron Chef" television show feature vegetable-centric meals and a recent article
in New York magazine noted, "Simply put, the once-meat-obsessed populace is realizing that
vegetables actually taste good. Especially when fresh, in season, and carefully
prepared.

You’ll see that many restaurants now offer vegetable-based entrees that have
inspired home cooks to explore the healthy and delicious potential of making fresh vegetables a
main course.

Some reasons driving the shift in popularity of vegetables over meat include:

– Vine-Ripened, great taste. Homegrown vegetables have a home field advantage when it
comes to flavor because they stay on the vine to fully ripen and are harvested just before eating.
Store bought veggies are often harvested before they’re fully ripe, so they don’t spoil on the
journey to the store. Once picked from the vine, sugars begin to turn to starch-and that homegrown
sweetness dissipates.

– Good health. Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you, but research backs
it up. In a study of over 130,000, in the Journal of American Medical Association Internal
Medicine, consumption of plant protein is associated with longer life compared with animal protein
consumption.

– Good stewardship. Eating more vegetables and less meat can have a positive
effect on the environment. Data from the University of Oxford, England, suggests that eating more
vegetables could have a greater impact on reducing one’s carbon footprint than giving up a
car!

As vegetables grow in popularity and push meat from the center of the plate, more people
are interested not only in eating more vegetables, but eating locally grown vegetables – hey,
what’s more local than growing your own veggies at home? Growing vegetables at home is convenient,
satisfying, a money-saver in the produce aisle, and they’ll taste better, too!

Fortunately for the home gardener, professional growers make it easy to grow nutritious
and delicious vegetables at home. Bonnie Plants, for
example, is a greenhouse grower offering more than 250 varieties of vegetable, herb, and fruit
plants, ranging from traditional favorites to new and different choices. Some easy-to-grow options
for your veggie main course include hearty tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini.

Bonnie Plants operates more than 70
greenhouse facilities in 48 states and trucks fresh plants from greenhouses to retailers near
you, so they’re ready for planting upon purchase, and you’ll harvest six weeks sooner than if you
grow from seed. Plus, the plants are grown a truck-ride away from the retailers that sell them.
Don’t worry if you have little outdoor space, patio-ready caged varieties and combo pots are
available as great options for small spaces.

Curious home gardeners interested in healthy eating can enjoy experimenting with
vegetables to replace meat. For a new take on burgers, try substituting squash. Veggie burgers,
like their meat-based counterparts, can be made in advance, frozen in patties, and pulled out for
easy reheating as a healthy burger choice on a busy night. Try putting a new spin on salad,
substituting Swiss chard for a fresh, peppy taste in lieu of such standbys as lettuce, spinach, and
arugula.

Time to season your homegrown veggies? Bonnie Plants also offers herb plants, so
fresh seasoning is only a snip away with a quick trip to your garden plot or pot.

Visit bonnieplants.com for more information on varieties along with planting tips,
tending, troubleshooting, harvesting, and a plethora of delicious recipes to try!

Photo: Confetti-Herbed Vegetables Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bonnie Plants

 

 

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