Vegetables as a dietary source of nitrate

INTERVENTION: Participants will receive 1‐wk of dietary guidance in which they will be provided with a sufficient amount of vegetables, representing 400 mg (6.5 mmol) nitrate per serving (i.e. each day), including information about nitrate and nitrate rich recipes. In a randomized cross‐over manner, participants will also follow a 1‐wk supplementation protocol in which they will ingest 400 mg (6.5 mmol) nitrate per day in the form of concentrated red beetroot juice. Both trials will be separated by a 1‐wk washout period. CONDITION: Nitrate, Blood pressure, Vegetables ; ; PRIMARY OUTCOME: The primary parameter will be the increase in plasma nitrate concentrations from baseline fasting levels, which will be measured at 3h post‐ingestion on day 1, 4, and 7 of the intervention. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Plasma nitrite concentrations, salivary nitrate and nitrite concentrations, blood pressure, urinary nitrosamines, and dietary intake will be determined throughout the trials as secondary parameters. INCLUSION CRITERIA: ‐ Healthy ‐ 18 ‐ 45 years of age ‐ 18.5 < BMI < 30 kg/m2 ‐ Engagement in regular physical activity (> 2 h/week)