What would good eating be with-

out the color, variety and flavor

provided by fresh vegetables? And

what would good health be without

the vitamins and minerals they so

abundantly offer? Indeed, vegeta-

bles contribute as much as 52 per-

cent of the vitamin C and 41 percent

of the vitamin A consumed in food

by the average American in one

year. Consisting of 70 to 95 percent

water, with almost no fat or oil,

vegetables have so few calories that

most can be eaten without concern

for weight gain. And were this not

enough to recommend vegetables

to lovers of fine cooking who wish

to eat well without doing harm to

themselves, vegetables are blessed-

ly free of cholesterol and generally

very low in sodium.

At the same time, they are a

source of dietary fiber, which aids

digestion and may lower the level of

blood cholesterol. Moreover, some

vegetables, such as potatoes, peas,

corn and winter squash, are particu

larly high in carbohydrates, which