Healthiest Vegetables
Almost everyone needs to eat more vegetables. This article is a guide to 17 of the healthiest vegetables to add to your diet.
Without further ado, let’s get on to the list of the healthiest vegetables.
AsparagusBroccoli
Broccoli, and many other cruciferous vegetables, contain compounds that may help you keep your joints healthy. They also contain compounds that may improve eye health, cancer, allergies, asthma, and prevent cancer.
Plus, they contain a good amount of fiber and just 30 calories per one cup serving.
Cabbage
Cabbage has just 22 calories per cup and is stock full of nutrients and antioxidants.
Nutrients include a huge amount of Vitamin K, C, B6, Folate, Manganese, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium.
Cabbage may also improve heart health, blood pressure, inflammation, and more.
So, don’t just reserve this food for Saint Patty’s Day. You should aim to eat this vegetable up to once or twice a week.
Carrots
Carrots are great for a number of reasons. You can eat them raw as a snack or cooked, and they have important health benefits.
Additionally, carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A, provided about 3/4 of your daily needs for just one half cup. They also contain Vitamin K, Potassium and Fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron.
And one medium sized carrot has just 30 calories.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another cruciferous vegetable with serious health benefits. At just 25 calories per one cup, it can aid in weight loss while helping you stay healthy too. It contains about three-quarters your recommended daily Vitamin C, K, B6, Folate, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium and more. It may help digestion, slow or prevent tumor growth and boost immunity.
Cauliflower can also be used as an alternative to rice and grains, and you can find easy recipes online for easy cauliflower pizza crust, rice and more.
Garlic
While you might not eat garlic straight, adding it to a few of your recipes could improve your health and the flavor of your food.
Garlic contains antioxidants and other compounds that are important to health, including selenium, Vitamin C, B6 and Manganese.
It can also boost immunity, so you might want to consume more garlic during cold and flu season. And it may be good for your heart too, lowering blood pressure, LDL levels, your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and more.
Kale
We all know kale is good for us. Few of us eat kale though due to its slightly bitter taste. There are however, ways to cook kale so that it tastes good.
Kale is extremely nutrient dense, with over 200 percent of the recommended daily value for Vitamin A, over three times the recommended amount of Vitamin K, a full day’s worth of Vitamin C, one-quarter the recommended intake of Manganese, and small amounts of Vitamin B6, Calcium, Copper, Potassium and Magnesium.
Kale is good for your vision, clotting ability, immunity, blood pressure and blood sugar, and may help you lose weight.
Microgreens
There are many different types of microgreens.
Microgreens, technically a baby plant, are high in nutrients and antioxidants. Most contain potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper, and may be much higher in nutrients than more mature plants.
Like many of the vegetables on this list, microgreens may protect against Alzheimer’s, Cancers, Diabetes, Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure. Microgreens can be enjoyed on salads, pizzas or sandwiches, or blended in health drinks such as smoothies.
Potatoes
Potatoes are sorely maligned in the media, but they are actually excellent for your health. This is one of the healthiest vegetables out there.
Potatoes are actually quite high in many nutrients, including fiber, Vitamin C, B6, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous and Niacin. One medium sized potato has more than one-quarter the daily recommended intake for Vitamin C.
Honestly, potatoes are actually one of the most filling foods, and they aid in blood sugar control, heart health, weight loss (if consumed as part of a calorie restricted diet) and contain important antioxidants.
Plus, you can eat potatoes in so many delicious ways. Whether roasted or mashed, they are sure to please even the fussiest eater.
Radishes
Radishes are an excellent choice for your health.
At just 24 calories per cup, radishes are an excellent addition to a weight loss or weight maintenance plan.
They contain many nutrients and also antioxidants which may have antimicrobial properties.
Radishes are even thought to diminish the negative health effects of some pesticides.
Salad Greens
While the nutrient profile of your particular salad greens depends on the type of lettuce that you choose, mixing different types of salad greens will give you the most bang for your buck.
Salad greens are a good source of Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium, Vitamin C, and others. Just make sure you don’t eat just iceberg lettuce. And add a few other types of veggies on top for a truly nutritious salad.
Spinach
You knew this food was going to make the list, right? Spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables of all time.
Spinach is a great source of many nutrients and antioxidants that help keep your hair, bones and immune systems healthy. Spinach may also reduce blood sugar levels, help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and asthma, improve heart health and reduced blood pressure.
It is a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Calcium and Folate, among others.
Also, it is great cooked, raw in a salad, or as part of a stir fry or other dish.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a serious health food. One 200 gram serving contains more than 7x the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Sweet potatoes also contain two-third your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, about half the manganese you need, about one-third of the Potassium and Vitamin B6 you need, and also about 15-20 percent your daily recommended Copper, Niacin and Panthotenic Acid.
They might enhance brain function, immunity and reduce the risk of cancer with their powerful antioxidant properties.
Bok Choy
With just 9 calories per cup, Bok Choy is an incredible nutritional choice.
Bok Choy contains a ton of nutrients, including Vitamin C and Vitamin K, but also Vitamin A, Manganese, Folate and more.
Additionally, Bok Choy is potentially good for bone health, blood pressure, heart health and maybe even cancer risk reduction.
Extreme intakes of this nutrient may cause thyroid problems.
Red Peppers
Red peppers are rich in Vitamin C, B6, Vitamin K1, Potassium, Folate, Vitamin E and Vitamin A.
Like many others on this list, they might also be good for eye health, cancer prevention and more due to their antioxidant profile.
They are so delicious in a salad or cooked and placed on a pizza.
Onions
Did this one surprise you? Despite causing bad breath, onions are actually great for your health.
They contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Folate and Potassium, and antioxidants which reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of cancers, reduce blood pressure and improve heart health, improve clotting and more.
Cooked onions are delicious on a pizza, don’t you think?
Zucchini
And last, but not least, zucchini. Zucchini is another vegetable that is excellent for your health.
Zucchini, like many of the other vegetables on this list, contains antioxidants which may improve vision, improve bone health, lower blood pressure, improve heart health, reduce inflammation, reduce cancer growth, and more.
It is a great source of Vitamin A, C, Potassium, Manganese, Vitamin K, Folate, Copper, Thiamine, Vitamin B6 and more. And one cup has just 17 calories, making it an excellent food for weight loss.
Final Thoughts
Did this article convince you of the powers of a diet with a lot of vegetables? Whichever ones you choose, you will be sure to improve your health by eating more of the 17 healthiest vegetables in this list!
