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Comments on the importance of green vegetables

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Abstract

Green, especially leafy, vegetables are widely underesteemed because few horiticultural research institutes publish figures demonstrating that they can give unusually large annual yields of edible dry matter, including protein and β carotene (provitamin A). It is also not realised that they supply many communities with as much protein as is supplied by fish, and that more communities used to eat them on that scale. Before leafy vegetables gain proper nutritional attention it will be necessary to convince consumers that they are not merely sources of vitamin C and minerals, or decorative adjuncts to a meal. It will also be necessary to persuade those who compile dietary and production statistics to separate leafy vegetables from other horticultural products which, although they may yield more profit per hectare, are of much less nutritive value.

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  1. Rothansted Experimental Station, AL5 2JQ, Harpenden, Herts, UK

    N. W. Pirie

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Pirie, N.W. Comments on the importance of green vegetables. Plant Food Hum Nutr 35, 73–80 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01092020

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01092020

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