Spotlight on Exotic Vegetables

Sick of eating the same vegetables day after day?

Annabelle Fernandez takes you on a shopping stroll down the supermarket aisle
and opens your eyes to the great big veggie world out there.

Ask any girl on the street what vegetables she's consumed the past week, and

chances are all you'll hear is kangkong, chye sun and kailan. Although research

shows that one in two young women between the ages of of 18 and 29 eat the

recommended intake of two servings of vegetables daily, our normally

adventurous Singaporean palate still doesn't dare to embrace other vegetables.

Why so? It's not lack of alternatives - artichokes, eggplant, and much more can

be found in any market, wet or dry, and there's no reason to neglect them.

Especially not when they are just as, if not more, nutritious than our regning

triumvirate.

Case in point: A cup of kangkong has just 45mg of vitamin C, while a cup of chopped

red peppers has 190mg - more than twice the amount in an orange! That's not all.

Studies have shown that eating many foods in moderation is healthier than eating the

same few over and over again. Variety is as important as quantity!

Benjamin Lee, manager of the Nutrition Department, Adult Health Division, Health

Promotion Board, tells us, "Pale and dark green leafy vegetables are the most popular

type of vegetables eaten in Singapore, but not all are created equal in terms of preventing

chronic diseases. Make it a habit not to buy the same ones every time."