Vegetable Choices and Cookery Methods of Nebraskans

A telephone survey of a random sample of adult Nebraskans was conducted to identify the vegetables they consumed and the methods they used to cook these vegetables. Subjects were called in the evening after the last meal of the day, and were asked to respond to questions about the vegetables they had eaten that day. Results indicated 15% of the 538 respondents did not eat a vegetable on the day they were contacted, 26% ate 1 vegetable, 25% ate 2 vegetables, and 34% ate 3 or more vegetables. Mean vegetable consumption was 2.2 vegetables per person per day. Twenty-one different vegetables were eaten and 4 of these, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes, accounted for 48% of vegetables consumed. One third of the vegetables were eaten raw. When they were cooked, the cookery method used most often was on the stove top (i.e., boiling). This method was used more than twice as often as the microwave for cooking vegetables. Results of this survey indicate that nutrition education programs need to encourage increased vegetable consumption and the use of vegetable cookery methods that maximize nutrient retention.