- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Healthy menus and shopping strategies (7)
- Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
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Question
Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
Is vegetable juice just as good as actual vegetables for meeting the number of recommended vegetable servings a day?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Low-sodium vegetable juice can be an easy way to increase the amount of vegetables in your diet, but you shouldn't routinely use it to replace other types of vegetables.
Most adults should get at least 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, depending on their age, sex and level of physical activity. Any type of vegetable counts, whether it's raw, cooked, fresh, frozen or canned. One hundred percent vegetable juice counts, too. And vegetable juice has plenty of vitamins and minerals, but it's lower in fiber than is a serving of most whole vegetables. Without enough fiber in your diet, you may risk constipation, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and weight gain.
Next questionCalories in sushi: What are the low-cal options?
- What foods are in the vegetable group? U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetables.html. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- How many vegetables are needed daily or weekly? U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetables_amount.aspx#. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/dga2005/document/default.htm. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 30, 2010.
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