What kind of a difference do really small servings of micronutrients make?

[EliKoehn]

We often hear or read that this vegetable or fruit is rich in such and such micronutrient, but, in many cases, even health-conscious people following an otherwise balanced diet aren't realistically eating more than very small portions of certain things used as garnish or as small additives to a dish. (For instance, I have in mind things like putting oregano in pasta or a tomato slice on a sandwich.) So, while it's true that people should be eating plenty of full servings of vegetables and fruits per day anyway, I'm still curious what kind of difference, if any, these make, because they're still common in day-to-day food even if they don't constitute full servings on their own.

So, if a tomato is a great source of flavonoids and antioxidants like lycopene and beta carotene, is your one slice on a chicken sandwich going to make any kind of meaningful difference, when technically an entire tomato is the "serving" for nutritional purposes? Let's say you're even eating other fruits and vegetables in full servings but they happen to lack the concentration of particular micronutrients that tomatoes have. Do the handful of mushrooms in your omelet really do anything for you, even though they're a good source of nutrition en masse? Do you need to eat a lot of them to reap the benefits of their nutrient profile? Things like that.

It just seems to me like, while technically better than nothing, these kinds of things are more of a flavor garnish than anything else, and to really get a meaningful dose you need to be chopping them up whole and making salads, stir fries and other dishes which contain multiple entire fruits or vegetables, and eating these regularly. Again, this is assuming someone is eating full servings of fruits and vegetables regularly anyway. I'm just curious if the extra tiny stuff we eat anyway in other dishes count for anything significant additionally, especially if the trace portions contain specific micronutrients otherwise lacking in the full diet.

[AdamWW]

We often hear or read that this vegetable or fruit is rich in such and such micronutrient, but, in many cases, even health-conscious people following an otherwise balanced diet aren't realistically eating more than very small portions of certain things used as garnish or as small additives to a dish. (For instance, I have in mind things like putting oregano in pasta or a tomato slice on a sandwich.) So, while it's true that people should be eating plenty of full servings of vegetables and fruits per day anyway, I'm still curious what kind of difference, if any, these make, because they're still common in day-to-day food even if they don't constitute full servings on their own.

So, if a tomato is a great source of flavonoids and antioxidants like lycopene and beta carotene, is your one slice on a chicken sandwich going to make any kind of meaningful difference, when technically an entire tomato is the "serving" for nutritional purposes? Let's say you're even eating other fruits and vegetables in full servings but they happen to lack the concentration of particular micronutrients that tomatoes have. Do the handful of mushrooms in your omelet really do anything for you, even though they're a good source of nutrition en masse? Do you need to eat a lot of them to reap the benefits of their nutrient profile? Things like that.

It just seems to me like, while technically better than nothing, these kinds of things are more of a flavor garnish than anything else, and to really get a meaningful dose you need to be chopping them up whole and making salads, stir fries and other dishes which contain multiple entire fruits or vegetables, and eating these regularly. Again, this is assuming someone is eating full servings of fruits and vegetables regularly anyway. I'm just curious if the extra tiny stuff we eat anyway in other dishes count for anything significant additionally, especially if the trace portions contain specific micronutrients otherwise lacking in the full diet.

I mean if you eat a small amount of anything, the impact will be small, relatively speaking... but if you're eating plenty of servings per day (more than a slice of tomato), yeah it adds up... plus it's great for fiber and fullness.

I probably eat way more veg and fruit than the average person though... but anything is better than nothing.

[DougyF7]

That tomato slice and those mushrooms add up. The recommended fruit serving per day for men is like 2 cups which is really easy to hit with like a banana, a few handfuls of berries, and an apple. Similarly, getting your veggies in doesn't take that much. That tomato slice, mushrooms, some carrots, broccoli, spinach in a smoothie, all adds up. It's worth having it - even the slice of lettuce on a burger. Also (this one's for you, Adam ) things like ketchup have tomatoes in them, hot sauces as well...mustard. It all adds up in my opinion. Throw some onions on that sandwich and banana peppers...hing!

[Camarija]

I just take orange triad + greens, and if I also eat fruits and vegetables, cool. But I'm covered from the orange triad + greens.

[paulinkansas]

My post from another forum.





Cajun boil.

Shrimp, mussels, crab legs, andouille sausage, potatoes, corn in an Old Bay seasoning pot of water. Melted butter on the side. Shotgun in the background. Knocked down about 15 starlings in 3 shots last night with it. A fox picked up all the dead starlings.

[AdamWW]

I just take orange triad + greens, and if I also eat fruits and vegetables, cool. But I'm covered from the orange triad + greens.

How often do you actually eat the fruit and veg? Personally I crave fruit and veg in some amount every day… it’s hard to imagine not eating them unless I had no choice.

[Camarija]

How often do you actually eat the fruit and veg? Personally I crave fruit and veg in some amount every day… it’s hard to imagine not eating them unless I had no choice.

During my cut, when I'm not traveling, I'll have a carb fruit or vegetable 3 to 5 times a day. So maybe a banana or potato or sweet potato. I could fit in a salad a day but when I'm cutting it's just easier to keep it simple, especially when I'm not always going to be at 100%

When I'm bulking I'll eat lots of fruits and veggies without worry throughout the day; maybe avocado, mango, melon, pineapple, salads, etc.

[megonbertra]

Micronutrients, even in very small amounts, can have a major impact on our health and well-being. Growth, development, metabolism, and immunity are just a few of the many biological processes that rely on micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Micronutrients are important for the body to work well and stay healthy. Even small amounts can help. Improved health and well-being are the results of getting enough of the proper kinds of micronutrients in our diets. These small portions not only give us the energy we need and help us digest, but they can also lower the risk of some long-term diseases.

[Strawng]

anything is better than nothing.

This. If it's a "really small amount" compared to none, it's actually probably a very important difference.

That tomato slice and those mushrooms add up. The recommended fruit serving per day for men is like 2 cups which is really easy to hit with like a banana, a few handfuls of berries, and an apple. Similarly, getting your veggies in doesn't take that much. That tomato slice, mushrooms, some carrots, broccoli, spinach in a smoothie, all adds up. It's worth having it - even the slice of lettuce on a burger. Also (this one's for you, Adam ) things like ketchup have tomatoes in them, hot sauces as well...mustard. It all adds up in my opinion. Throw some onions on that sandwich and banana peppers...hing!

Also this. The recommendations are ridiculously low. I especially love fruits and vegetables, but I'd have to majorly restrict myself to eat less than what's "recommended". I can't even remember the last day I did that.

How often do you actually eat the fruit and veg? Personally I crave fruit and veg in some amount every day… it’s hard to imagine not eating them unless I had no choice.

I'm the same way. If I go even a day or two with less fruits and veg due to travel, I crave them severely.

[air2fakie]

If they made much of a difference, McDonald's meals would be considered a fully balanced diet (as long as you select Hawaiian Punch as the beverage).

I eat a lot of fruits & vegetables, and think they contribute almost nothing to weight gain (non-scientific anecdotal opinion). I do they think they contribute greatly to happy bowel movements.

[GeneralSerpant]

Probably more for the variation/fibre honestly.

It's an all of the above thing. The reason they're included commonplace is for the health reasons. From a marketing perspective it adds a more dynamic pallet and being guilt-free in calories to the consumer.

[Heisman2]

I don't think any studies have looked at this. What is known is that when you go from 0 serving of fruit/vegetables/whole grains/etc to 1-2 servings a day, the benefit is greater then when you go from 1-2 to 2-3, or 2-3 to 3-4, etc. So, you get diminishing returns. Extending this to phytonutrients, doing a small amount of a variety of different food items may be better than doing a full serving of only 1 or 2 food items.

[anotherworld]

I believe the high sources of micronutrients; such as adding chia seeds, flax seeds to your meal makes a difference but when it comes to vegetables, you should eat it within full portions to get the full benefit.