Vegetable prices are high, can other foods be added instead?

Recently, due to the impact of the weather, vegetable prices have increased, causing many people to wonder what foods they can supplement or how to balance their meals?

Many types of green vegetables increase in price due to the weather - Illustration photo

Vegetable prices increase but are indispensable in meals

Heavy rains lasting for many days have caused many vegetable growing areas to be flooded, crushed and rotten. The sharp decrease in supply has caused the price of vegetables to increase 2-3 times.

According to records, water spinach is up to 20,000 - 25,000 VND/bunch, Chinese cabbage is 18,000 VND/bunch, Malabar spinach and amaranth are 20,000 VND/bunch; Chinese cabbage is 50,000 VND/kg; tomatoes are 70,000 VND/kg; green onions are up to 65,000 VND/kg.

Faced with high vegetable prices, many housewives only dare to buy half a bunch to "eat just enough".

Rising costs have caused many families to consider temporarily giving up vegetables and switching to eating tubers, fruits, or even "eating meat for cheap".

However, completely eliminating green vegetables from meals is making many people wonder: "Will doing so affect health?"

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung - Director of the Center for Nutritional Counseling, Rehabilitation and Obesity Control (National Institute of Nutrition), affirmed that vegetables - tubers - fruits are an important source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, helping to prevent chronic diseases. Cutting out vegetables because of their high price and compensating with fruits or tubers is "nutritional inappropriate".

According to nutritionists, green vegetables are the main source of the following nutrients:

- Fiber helps the digestive system stay healthy, prevents constipation, and supports the absorption of nutrients from protein, sugar, and fat. Fiber in vegetables has a soft structure and high content, surpassing that in fruits.

- Vitamins and minerals: Green vegetables contain essential vitamins such as A, C, K; minerals such as potassium, folate... which play an important role in immunity, metabolism and nerve activity.

- Antioxidants: These nutrients help protect cells, reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

- Essential oils and plant antibiotics: These nutrients are often found in the spice group, helping to support digestion and prevent disease.

"Cut out vegetables completely can cause the body to lack fiber, vitamins, and minerals, causing digestive disorders and reducing resistance," said Dr. Hung.

Balance vegetables - tubers - fruits to reduce spending

Nutrition experts recommend that adults should eat 400 - 500g of vegetables and fruits every day and should eat a variety of foods, combining leafy vegetables, root vegetables, spices and ripe fruits.

Dr. Hung believes that during times when vegetable prices are high, consumers can still maintain the recommended amount of vegetables and fruits in their meals by making flexible adjustments such as:

- Reduce expensive leafy vegetables, increase stable priced tubers: You can reduce mustard greens, spinach, lettuce... which are increasing in price rapidly. Instead, prioritize cheap and nutritious tubers such as pumpkin, carrots, chayote, zucchini, sweet potatoes, radish, green papaya... These are all tubers that can be used as vegetables and keep prices relatively stable all year round.

- Change the way of cooking: People can use leafy vegetables to cook soup instead of stir-frying in large quantities, cooking with moderate amounts of vegetables to ensure adequate fiber intake.

- Add 3 - 4 types of fruit/day: Combining fruits helps meet vitamin and mineral needs, while diversifying meals.

- Choose seasonal vegetables: Off-season vegetables are not only expensive but also have a higher risk of chemical residue. Therefore, people should buy seasonal vegetables because they are cheap, safe and nutritious.

- Food diversification: According to current nutritional recommendations, each person needs to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits every day, instead of depending on a few types of leafy vegetables.

Dr. Hung emphasized that despite the increase in vegetable prices, people can still maintain a healthy diet if they know how to combine them properly because each type has its own role. Diversity creates a healthy diet. The important thing is not to eat a lot of leafy vegetables, but to ensure that the total amount of vegetables, tubers and fruits consumed is sufficient and rich.

LINH HAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gia-rau-tang-cao-co-the-bo-sung-thuc-pham-khac-thay-the-2025112120561086.htm