One thing on which everyone agrees is the fact that vegetables are good for health. They are full of vitamins, minerals, good carbohydrates and provide plenty of fiber. Vegetables are a part of nearly every healthy diet plan and most of us need to incorporate more vegetables in our diet. They are an important food group and should be a part of healthy and balanced diet. Excluding all other food groups and eating only vegetables is not a healthy practice.

Is There Such a Thing As Eating Too Many Vegetables?

Excess of everything is bad, so are vegetables. Take water, for example, it is pretty harmless but if you drink gallons of water in a very short time you can end up with water intoxication and coma. Therefore eating too many vegetables is not a great idea. If you consistently eat more than seven servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit every day for extended time, you can harm your body instead of doing well to it. Most people can't eat that many vegetables on daily bases and anything less than that amount is actually good for health.

Eat a Balanced Diet with Vegetables

There is a great variety of vegetables and here are a few guidelines about how much of them you can consume every day:

• Starchy vegetables like potato, peas, corn and beans should be treated as starch. The intake should be limited and you should avoid eating them freely. Legumes and beans come under the category of protein/starch and should be taken in moderation.
• All other vegetables can be eaten freely. Be careful of the way you prepare your vegetables. If you use butter, oil, cream or other additives to cook them, add them to your calorie count and keep an eye on the amount of added salt and sugar.
• If you like to eat vegetables make sure that you do not stick to eating just one or two types. Have a combination of various vegetables. If you keep on eating only spinach, and take it every day, your body won't absorb the necessary calcium and this can result in brittle bones.
• Vegetables contain a lot of vitamins and minerals but they are not good sources of proteins and fats and have low caloric value. If you are fond of vegetables, make sure to include lean meats, whole grains, low fat dairy products and good fats in your daily diet.

Tips for Eating Vegetables for Maximum Benefits

Eating too many vegetables can be an unhealthy practice if you don’t include other nutritional groups in your diet. Eating them in moderation is great for your health; here are a few tips to get maximum benefits from vegetables.

• Eat seasonal and fresh vegetables. These are cheaper and fresh vegetables have more vitamins and minerals.
• Preparing vegetables can be time consuming so have plenty of frozen vegetables for times when you are in a hurry.
• You can buy pre-prepared vegetables like celery sticks and carrot sticks and use them as healthy snacking options. Pre-packed bags of salad leaves and small tomatoes are great for a quick salad.
• When buying canned vegetables, read the label carefully and opt for reduced sodium and low added sugar varieties.
• Order vegetable toppings for your pizza for a change.

Cooking Tips

• To retain the crunch and texture of vegetables, lightly steam or microwave them.
• Add a little salt and avoid adding too much slat in your vegetables.
• Prepare the vegetables by steaming or baking them in very small quantity of fat.
• Instead of having vegetables as a side dish, prepare a main course based on vegetables. There are a lot of recipes available.
• It’s a great idea to have a salad instead of a fat filled meal. Be careful with the salad dressing and choose one which contains less oil.
• Make salad a part of your daily meals.
• Add shredded zucchini or carrots to various meat based recipes for an interesting twist.
• You can add pureed veggies to thicken stews and to add flavor to different stews.
• You can grill tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and various other vegetables and have them with the barbecue.

More Healthy Foods That Can Be Dangerous If You Eat Too Much

Eating too many vegetables is not a great idea. There are some other healthy foods as well which can be harmful if taken in very large quantities. Some of these are:

1.      Oranges and Tomatoes

Oranges and tomatoes are full of flavor and vitamins. They are always included in the list of healthy food items and taste really delicious. The down side is that they are acidic in nature and taking too much oranges or tomatoes can lead to acid reflux and this can damage the esophagus in the long run. If you are fond of these juicy treats, do not take more than two servings daily and avoid other acidic foods.

2.      Canned Tuna

Cans of tuna are always kept at hand to make a quick salad or sandwich. This is a very healthy and low calorie fish, but it contains more mercury than other fish. Eating too much tuna can result in dangerously high levels of mercury in the body and can damage speech and hearing. It can cause muscle weakness, lack of coordination and impaired vision. Eat canned tuna in moderation and include other fish like salmon and pollock in your diet.

3.      Soy

Tofu is a very healthy food and it is made from soy. According to latest research, eating very large amounts of soy can hamper iron absorption and lead to iron deficiency anemia. It also has estrogen like substances and can cause proliferation of uterine lining. Limit your tofu intake to two servings per day to avoid any harmful effects.

4.      Brazil Nuts

These crunchy nuts are very tasty and contain a lot of proteins, good fats and other nutrients. They are also very rich in selenium and if you eat a lot of them, selenium toxicity can happen resulting in brittle nails, hair loss, nerve damage and dermatitis. 

5.      Lean Animal Protein

Eating too much animal proteins can be dangerous. Try to include plant based proteins in your diet as well. If you eat a lot of animal proteins, like chicken or meat, the body produces IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1) in large quantities. This can speed up ageing and can cause many medical problems. People who mostly eat animal proteins are four times more likely to get cancer as compared to those who eat a diet comprising of 15% or less animal based proteins.