Understand Health Nutrition Information for Vegetables… |

Health nutrition information is very important.

If all you eat consists of refined and processed foods (canned, frozen, packaged, pasteurized or modified), you will have health problems soon or later.

Changes should be made gradually and your best options will be whole foods. Whole foods should be free from additives or other artificial substances.

For example, brown rice is better for you than white rice. Brown rice takes longer to cook but you will increase the amount of fiber in your digestive system.

Cervical-cancer Another recommendation for nutrition information – eat fresh fruits like grapes, papaya, apples, pears, peaches etc…instead of pie, cake or ice cream.

Consuming fresh fruits is better than white sugar…but…do not overdo it…because fruits do contain a lot of sugar, which will be turned into fat in the body if you don’t burn it off.

Make sure you eat plenty of nutritious vegetables – both uncooked, baked and boiled. Boiling for 15 or 20 minutes your vegetables until they are very mushy and without taste is not a good idea. In general, eating your vegetables either raw or slightly steamed gives you the most vitamins, nutrients and the best flavor.

Here is health nutrition information on some of the leading vegetables for you…

Scientists and nutritionists continue to try to define what constitutes a vegetable. By definition, a vegetable is any part of a plant eaten by humans as food. So, in this sense, lettuce leaves are vegetables, asparagus is a vegetable, carrots are a vegetable, as are garlic, peas and beans, squash, peppers and tomatoes.

Tomatoes, however are also consider fruits under the botanical definition and under the legal definition. For the purposes of this discussion, botanical and culinary fruits such as green peppers or pumpkins and nuts, herbs, seeds, and grains and fungi such as mushrooms will be ignored to focus on culinary vegetables.

Broccoli

Broccoli is high in dietary fiber and is missing only vitamin B and vitamin D. However Broccoli provides you a full range of vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. Broccoli has no saturated fat and only some sodium. Cholesterol in broccoli is non existent.

Broccoli is a delicious vegetable that supports healthy bones, reduces inflammation and helps protect against some arthritis illnesses. Broccoli also reduces constipation and gives you a healthy digestion.

Broccoli is one of those foods that is good to choose when trying to lose weight. It even is a good source of protein, which surprises many people. This is helpful to know when one is combining vegetables to form a complete protein source.

Spinach

Cooked spinach is one of the highest ranking vegetables in providing complete nutrition. It is high in dietary fiber, vitamin K, phosphorus and thiamine.

It also gets top marks for every other nutrient identified in the diet with the exception of vitamin D and vitamin B-12. It is low in saturated fat and fairly low in cholesterol. Spinach also contains cancer-fighting agents called methylenedioxyflavonol glucuronides.

Carrots

Almost everyone is aware that carrots are one of the highest nutritional sources for vitamin A, but carrots are also a source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K-1, potassium and antioxidants. Carrots are delicious in salads, soups, cakes, juices, any type of spicy dishes and non spicy dishes.

Reduced heart disease, cancer protection and increased night vision are all positive qualities associated with this root vegetable. Many people do not realize that a diet rich in carrots will help to protect a person exposed to second hand smoke from contracting cancer and other diseases associated with cigarette smoking.

Carrots are also delicious when cooked with fresh spices like coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano or dill. Carrot juices are also very tasty when made with other fruits or vegetables…..try it, it’s very healthy!

Cabbage

Cabbage is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables named because of the cross (crucifix) shaped flowers. Medical researchers have found that the phytochemicals in cabbage known as indoles inhibit the growth of colon, stomach and breast cancer.

On the down side, excessive amounts of cabbage in the diet may lead to problems with the thyroid gland. Cabbage prepared in coleslaw has significant amounts of iron, vitamin C, potassium and calcium.

Cabbage is also a good source of vitamin K and dietary fiber. Cabbage also contains antioxidants that will help you fight inflammation in your body and it also improves your digestion!

Celery

Celery is one of those foods that most people love or they hate, but there is no question that it is a dieter’s friend. In addition to it’s very high fiber content, celery is excellent in providing phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, manganese, potassium, folate, and vitamins K, C, and A.

Celery is higher in sodium content but celery has been shown to lower blood pressure. Dieters love the food because it contains negative calories. It actually uses more calories to digest it than you take in by eating it. Celery is a tasty vegetable and, it can be used in soups, salads and many other baked dishes.

Asparagus

Providing almost 60 percent of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, asparagus plays a starring role of vegetables helpful in prevention of spina bifida.

Asparagus has a wealth of nutrients, dietary fiber and it is low in sodium. Asparagus is another vegetable that contains no cholesterol or fat, making it a dieter’s friend.

Sweet Corn

Consuming a diet that includes corn and other foods high in beta-cryptoxanthin (a carotenoid also found in pumpkins and red bell peppers) may significantly reduce one’s chances of developing cancer in the lungs.

This is true even if the person is a smoker. Corn is also beneficial in the amount of fiber that it adds to the diet and in the folate found in corn. Corn is higher in carbohydrates than many other veggies so keeping the quantity low is advisable for those on a low-carbohydrate diet plan.

Radish

Radishes are known for the ability to add piquancy to a salad, but they are also good for optimum health in that they contain high dietary fiber, very low fat and cholesterol.

Consuming three radishes raw provides potassium, folate (is one of the B vitamins) and vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B-6 and riboflavin. In addition, radishes provide manganese, copper and magnesium.

Adding sliced raw radishes to a salad definitely adds ‘pizzazz’ to it…

Green Beans

Some would argue that green beans are not a vegetable, but a fruit in that they contain the seeds inside the pod in the same way that apple seeds are found within the apple.

However, few people would accept green beans as a fruit. They are excellent choices for obtaining vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese and vitamin A to your diet. In addition, green beans are high in dietary fiber. Beans should always be steamed some, never eaten raw.

Lettuce

Romaine lettuce contains a significant portion of the daily recommended allowance of vitamins K, C and A. It is also noted for the presence of manganese and folate. Since a one cup serving adds only 15 calories to your daily intake, lettuce is an excellent choice for weight reduction.

These are only some of the wonderful world of vegetables available for consumption – adding fresh salads as well as boiled or steamed veggies will definitely add nutrients and fiber to the daily diet – and better health can be one of the rewards – enjoy!!