Veggie Month - March 2025

March in the United Kingdom is the perfect time to celebrate vegetables. This month is all about the joy of vegetables and plant-based living. With increasing awareness of the environmental, ethical, and health benefits associated with a plant-based diet Veggie Month is a perfect platform for promoting sustainability, health, compassion, and creativity in the kitchen.

The History of Vegetables

Humans have been eating vegetables for as long as we’ve been on the planet. They were originally foraged from the wild but entered cultivation in various parts of the world between 10,000 — 7,000 B.C.  The word vegetable is first used in English in the 15^th Century to describe all plants. It’s not until the 18^th Century that the word vegetable is established to mean a plant cultivated for culinary purposes or an edible herb or root (1). The word "veggie" was first used in the late 19th century as a slang term for a vegetarian. It became more widely used as a general term for vegetables in the mid-20th century (2).

In the early days of agriculture, forest gardening was employed. It was a system where useful plant species were identified and encouraged to grow while undesirable species were removed. This was followed by plant breeding which involved the selection of certain strains with desirable characteristics such as large fruit and vigorous growth. This practice continues today.

Vegetables for Health

The one thing that all food scientists and nutritionists agree on is that vegetables are good for our health. Being rich in fibre, vitamins and polyphenols vegetables have a wide range of health benefits including supporting the immune system and reducing the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and obesity.

Environmental Sustainability

One of the central themes of Veggie Month is environmental sustainability. The production of plant-based foods often has a lower environmental impact compared to traditional animal agriculture. With concerns about climate change and deforestation on the rise, many individuals are turning to plant-based diets as a way to reduce their ecological footprint. Embracing a plant-based diet can contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

Culinary Creativity

Veggie Month is a time to get creative with the versatile and diverse world of vegetables. From innovative plant-based recipes to exploring the many cuisines that celebrate vegetables, this is the time to branch out from your usual favourites and discover the delicious and colourful world of vegetables.

Veggie Ideas

Vegetables are so versatile they can be used in many different ways: grated, roasted, steamed, boiled, mashed, grilled, and pureed. They can be the main feature in soups, stews, curries, stir fries and casseroles. Here are some ways to up your veggie intake:

Pass the Pasta – it’s possible to buy pasta made partly with vegetables such as spinach. Or with a spiralizer you can make your own Courgetti Spaghetti as a substitute for grain based pasta.

Take a Dip - use roasted vegetables to make delicious and colourful dips such as guacamole, tomato salsa, roast pepper spread, mushroom pate and beetroot hummus.

Eat the Rainbow – make salads using all colours of the rainbow; red foods include tomatoes, and radish; orange foods include carrots and sweet potatoes; yellow foods include yellow tomatoes and yellow courgettes; green foods include lettuce and other salad leaves; purple/blue foods include beetroot, red cabbage and olives.

Let them eat cake – vegetables can even be used in baked goods. Cooked and pureed beetroot is a great addition to chocolate cake, grated carrot is used to make carrot cake and grated courgettes and squash can be used in muffins. And don’t forget pumpkin pie in the autumn.

Supplementary Help

While experimenting with eating more vegetables and maybe eating less meat you may want to supplement your diet with a few of the nutrients that vegetables don’t supply so abundantly. The Tom Oliver Nutrition Range can help you out with the following:

Vitamin D3 and K2 – vitamin D is only found in high fat animal foods such as butter and eggs. Most people do not get enough vitamin D from their diets. Supplementing with vitamin D is recommended through the winter months from September til March. In theory we can get enough vitamin D from the sun in the summer. However, if you can’t get outside with bare skin exposed between 11am and 3pm you may need to supplement through the summer as well.

Multivitamins/Minerals – a good insurance policy for anyone wanting an underlying level of nutrition is to take a daily multi. The Tom Oliver Range has specialist multis for men and women.

Omega 3 – most vegetables (with the exception of avocados) are low in fat and therefore are low in the essential oils. The omega 3 oils are beneficial for brain health, the immune system, heart health, bone health and for the hair, skin and nails.

Protein Powders – vegetables are fantastic sources of nutrients but are generally low in protein. Tom Olivers protein powders come in whey or vegan varieties to suit all tastes and needs.