Vegetables are nutrient rich foods, and protect against various disease states. Some are more nutritious than others. Therefore, selecting the best vegetables for your health is extremely important. Vegetables contain many phytochemicals, including flavonoids and carotenoids, both soluble and insoluble fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. It is now recommended that you consume at least five servings of vegetables daily, as they can aid in keeping you healthy and thinner. Some body builders have been known to eat vegetables prior to competitions to achieve a ripped appearance for competition.
You should try to purchase your vegetables organically grown, and eat them either raw (in salads and sandwiches), lightly steamed or baked, or in soups or stir-fry. With most vegetables, if you cook them in water, most if not all of their nutrients get absorbed into the water. The so-called experts don't always agree on the best vegetables that should be included in your diet. This list should be a good starting spot and include some of the most beneficial vegetables you can find!
Here is the list of the best vegetables to add to your diet:
All green leafy vegetables
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Red and green peppers (watch for allergies)
Garlic and onions
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes (actually fruit, but are listed in almost every vegetable list (watch for allergies))
Green peas
Carrots
Mostly all of these vegetables contain carotenoids and fiber, and a few are cruciferous (of pasty/mustard-like appearance and texture, glycemic (influence blood sugar), and/or allergenic.
All these vegetables are considered to be diet vegetables because they help maintain low body fat and can help you lose weight like no other foods can. The nutrition constituents of the above vegetables are described below.
The term green leafy vegetables encompass many different vegetables. Here are a few vegetables included in this list:
Kale (contains carotenoids, flavonoids, cruciferous, K, A, C, manganese, and fiber)
Chard and collard greens (contains carotenoids, cruciferous, K, A, C, manganese, fiber, and calcium)
Spinach (contains carotenoids, K, A, minerals, folate, iron, fiber and C, B2, B6, B1, and E)
Turnip greens (contains carotenoids, cruciferous, K, A, C, folate, manganese, and fiber)
Dark green and red leaf lettuce (contains carotenoids)Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Are All Cruciferous.
Broccoli contains carotenoids, C, K, A, folate, and fiber
Brussels sprouts contain carotenoids, K, C, folate, A, manganese, and fiber
Cauliflower contains C, K, folate, B6 and fiber
The Other Great vegetables!
Red and green Peppers contain carotenoids, C, A, B6, and fiber, and are best bought organic; beware of allergies
Garlic contains allicin, manganese, B6, and C, and onions contain sulfur compounds, flavonoids, chromium, and fiber
Sweet potatoes contain carotenoids, A, C, manganese, and are glycemic (can influence blood sugar)
Tomatoes (actually fruit) contain carotenoids, C, A, K, molybdenum, potassium; beware of allergies
Green peas contain K, manganese, C, fiber, B1, and folate; and carrots contain carotenoids, A, K, C, fiber, potassium, and are glycemic when cooked
In conclusion, it is a good idea to eat an extensive assortment of highly nutritious low-calorie foods such as vegetables, and stay healthy and fit, burn fat, and build muscle.
About The Author
Joseph L. Ownes invites you to join the growing fitness and health community of http://FitnessLifeLive.com. As you look around you will find hundreds of articles on various fitness and health topics like fat loss, nutrition, gaining muscle, and much more. Find great related articles like "Foods That Aid in Weight Loss [http://www.fitnesslifelive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=66]" in our food and nutrition section that will help you get in the shape you always wanted, and stay that way!
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