Can You Have a Healthy Diet Without Eating Vegetables?

Photo by Iñigo De la Maza on Unsplash

We all know that vegetables are a crucial part of a healthy diet, but there are many other foods that are great for your health, too. The big question is—can you have a healthy, balanced diet if you completely avoid vegetables?

The daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables for adults is five portions, but in reality, many people fail to eat that much. Many adults go out of their way to avoid vegetables, mostly because they don’t enjoy the taste, but vegetables are packed with micronutrients we all need in order to survive and thrive.

It’s very difficult to get the required amount of calcium, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins without vegetables. Our bodies are designed to absorb these things from food, not from multivitamin pills. Although supplements can help sometimes, they are not enough in the long run.

What about alternative foods with the same nutrients? Nuts, seeds, grains, and other food sources may offer some similar benefits, but they have more calories which often come from sugar and carbs. This means that they can’t replace vegetables completely.