People in this country often eat larger quantities of food than they need to meet their calorie needs but still fall short of meeting their vitamin needs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has surveyed what we eat to pinpoint the vitamins that are inadequate in the average American diet.

The USDA survey shows that 56 percent of Americans do not get adequate vitamin A, which is needed for healthy tissues and organs, immune function and vision. We get vitamin A from animal sources, especially milk and eggs, and from plant sources in the form of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Vegetables and fruits that are orange, red, yellow or deep green contain the most beta-carotene.

Meeting your vitamin A requirement with beta-carotene from vegetables and fruits has the added health benefit of the antioxidant activity of beta-carotene, which helps prevent cell damage. There are other antioxidants in plants as well, including lutein, which is needed for vision, and lycopene, which may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

If you suspect that you are not getting enough vitamin A because you do not eat anywhere near the recommended 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit daily, you may want to consider taking a daily multivitamin pill to supply what you are lacking. Although a daily multivitamin will provide the vitamins that are in foods, it will not provide the other nutrients (many still to be identified and studied) that make eating whole foods better for you than taking pills. Be aware that vitamin A from pills should be limited to 100 percent of the daily value because larger amounts can be toxic. Smokers are advised not to take beta-carotene supplements, based on studies concluding that taking beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer.

To ensure an adequate intake of vitamin A:

€ Eat a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal and snack

€ Eat a wide variety of plant foods

€ Choose colorful fruits and vegetables

€ Substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes and dark, leafy greens for iceberg lettuce

€ Drink milk daily

€ Take a daily multivitamin if you are unable to eat adequate fruits and vegetables

Cooked vegetables actually supply you with more beta-carotene than raw vegetables and including a small amount of oil helps your body absorb it. Eating a combination of vegetables in one meal more than doubles the antioxidant activity of a single vegetable.

What better way to get all these benefits than by eating a bowl of vegetable soup? Serving soup with a meal slows down eating pace and makes a meal more filling so that you are less likely to overeat. Try making your own vegetable soup to control the sodium and cut the cost. It's so easy, you may never buy canned vegetable soup again.

Visit www.cce.cornell.edu/cayuga for more nutrition information and healthy recipes.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD,CDN, is a nutrition educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County

Quick Vegetable Soup

2 stalks chopped celery

1 clove garlic (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 carrots

15-ounce can no-salt-added tomatoes

15 ounces water

1 cup frozen french cut green beans

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1 cup frozen chopped broccoli

1 cup shredded cabbage (can use cole slaw mix)

1 teaspoon dried basil

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and celery and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, vegetables and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add additional water for thinner soup. Serve hot.