Proper nutrition is crucially important for our health. That’s why “eat your veggies” is a phrase most of us have heard since we were kids. However, some people seem to still be reluctant even decades later.

Redditor u/throwaway3546364738 opened up to Reddit’s AITA community about her boyfriend refusing to eat vegetables. Consequently, she started hiding them in his food, which seemed to have improved his health. That didn’t stop him from throwing a fit, though, when one day she could no longer hide it.

“Eat your veggies” is a healthy person’s mantra for a reason, as they are vitally important to our well-being

Image credits: Le Creuset (not the actual photo)

This woman’s boyfriend refused to eat vegetables so she started hiding them in his food

Image credits: Valeria Boltneva  (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Klaus Nielsen (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)

Image credits: throwaway3546364738

Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

Consuming a variety of vegetables can bring numerous health benefits

A balanced diet can make a world of difference when it comes to people’s well-being. Not consuming enough of certain foods can cause nutrient deficiencies, which often lead to bigger health problems. This is especially relevant when it comes to vegetables, because of the abundance of healthy nutrients they contain.

An article by Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health expanded on the numerous health benefits consuming vegetables brings. It can lower blood pressure as well as the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also positively affect blood pressure and sugar levels, and improve gastrointestinal health, or even your vision.

Research shows that in order to reap all the benefits, both the quantity and the variety are important. Eating a bag of carrots alone might not be as beneficial as you think, which is why you should aim to mix different groups of veggies. They are typically categorized into five types: dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, and beans and peas, also known as legumes.

Image credits: mali maeder (not the actual photo)

People love certain veggies more than others, yet some of them haven’t had one in their entire lives

The recommended vegetable intake depends on numerous factors, such as age, weight, sex, and physical activity. The US Department of Agriculture revealed that a young adult female (19 to 30 years old), for instance, should consume 2,5 to 3 cups of vegetables. (That is when one “cup of vegetables” equals a cup of raw or cooked vegetables/vegetable juice or two cups of raw leafy salad greens). A man the age of the OP’s boyfriend should aim to eat 3 to 4 cups per day.

However, he is far from the only one who won’t eat their veggies. A survey of 2000 Americans revealed that one fourth of them have never eaten one in their entire life. Sadly, that is the reality, despite the fact that 72% of the surveyed respondents wish they ate more vegetables, and 67% of them feel guilty about not consuming enough produce with their meals.

The study also revealed what vegetables people in the US love and which ones don’t make it to the same list. When it comes to the most popular ones, corn is number one (91.4%), followed closely by potatoes (91.2%). Carrots and tomatoes shared the third and the fourth places (89%), while onions and green beans took the fifth and sixth (87%).

The winner on the opposing side is turnip, with 27% of respondents expressing hostility towards it. It’s followed by beets (26%), radish (23%), and brussels sprouts (21%) respectively. Fifth on this list were artichoke, eggplant, and butternut squash (20%). It seems like when it comes to the OP’s boyfriend, any vegetable would line up right next to turnip, which was one of the reasons some people in the comments shamed the picky eater.

A fellow redditor wondered if the boyfriend ever asked his partner not to use vegetables

Some commentators didn’t consider the OP a jerk, they mostly shamed the boyfriend for his ways

Others felt conflicted about the situation and thought everyone’s kind of a jerk

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