Veggie Question

[healthy4good]

Ok, weird question...how would you measure spinach? By volume or weight? I am eating half of an 8oz box of spinach and don't know if that is 1cup or half a cup. Also, what would an entire large cucumber be? 1 cup? I want to make sure that I am eating enough veggies.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[jenne1017]

I just go ahead and eat the entire 8oz. box if I am hungry and an entire cucumber. When it comes to veggies that I *can* have, I never measure. I cook/cut up the entire thing and give myself a serving. If I am still hungry, instead of reaching for more protein, I reach for more veggies.

Now, it's the stuff you put ON the veggies (dips, cheese, hummus, "butter") that gets me in trouble sometimes so I try to eat them as plain as possible.

[beachgal]

Healthy4Good, it's great that you're paying attention to this, hon! That's a tricky question and I'm not entirely sure of the answer when it comes to fresh spinach. With cooked, I'd put it in a measuring cup and see what it comes out to. With fresh, I'd try to eat maybe 2 cups or so...but with a salad I often have more than that. Obviously, you're getting more spinach when it's cooked, but you get more nutrients when it's fresh. It might be a toss up as to the amount. With the cucumber, just cube it up small and toss it in a measuring cup. Or you might be able to find these conversions online...try www.dogpile.com and search for "1 cup cucumber" and see if anything pops up!

Good luck, hon! Check out the Veggie thread (it's stickied in the FAQ forum) for lots of info on getting in your veggies, why it's important, and why all veggies are not created equal.