The Healthiest of The Healthy: Super-Veggies

Call me crazy, but I’ve never had an issue with eating vegetables. Even at a young age, I was accustomed to eating all kinds of veggies, and they never phased me. In fact, I consider myself extremely open to eating most foods, there’s not much that I don’t like the taste of.

Now, after working extensively at a fully organic produce section of a health foods store, I’ve collected quite a bit of knowledge about some of the healthiest foods to eat.

The book (and related website), World’s Healthiest Foods, is an awesome resource for anyone trying to pinpoint the healthiest foods to eat. A big shout out to WHF for cataloging this useful information in such a fantastic way.

While there is a relevant time and place for Western medicine practices, it often overlooks one major thing: preventative care. This type of mindset involves thinking in terms of a long-term approach for maintaining a healthy life. And it all starts with a health-conscious diet.

After all, we’ve all heard the adage: “we are what we eat.” Well, if you eat the following vegetables you are probably very healthy!

Eggplant
These purple wonders are high in fiber, and extremely low in calories and fat. Eggplant contains heart-healthy properties because it contains potassium and powerful antioxidants.

Beets And Their Greens
Beets are a great example of all-around beneficial health food. When you eat beets, your heart will thank you, your blood sugar will remain level, and your digestive system will be in tip-top shape. Many people don’t realize that the greens of beets actually contain more essential nutrients than the root does. So rethink tossing beet greens in the garbage, instead, wash beet greens and sautee them with your favorite foods.

Brussels Sprouts
Why does everyone seem to hate the taste of brussels sprouts? I think the answer is simple, they haven’t prepared them in a way that's tasty enough! While cabbage is also healthy to eat, the miniature version, brussels sprouts, actually contain more than twice as much of vitamins A through K, as well as double the amount of calcium, iron, potassium, and protein. According to Medical News Today, one serving of brussels sprouts meets your daily requirements of vitamin C and K.

Broccoli
While all dark green vegetables provide many vital vitamins and minerals, broccoli is a great source of potassium, fiber, folic acid, vitamin K and vitamin C. 

Sweet Potatoes
While technically related, sweet potatoes are actually only distant relatives to their more starchy cousins. Sweet potatoes are nutrient dense and contain more complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber than a lot of vegetables.

Bell Peppers
While all sweet bell peppers are tasty and full of vitamin C, the red variations are actually the most healthy of all. This is due to a high amount of lycopene in the shiny red ones. Keep in mind, lycopene content is actually increased when foods like red bell peppers and tomatoes are cooked instead of eaten raw.

Kale
While it might get a bad rap as being a bourgeois health food, kale is extremely rich in vitamin K and many other vitamins and minerals. Kale is more easily digested by your body when it is cooked. Reach for kale chips as a go-to snack, or braised kale rather than raw kale salads.

Asparagus
Asparagus contains high levels of asparagine, an amino acid that is also a natural diuretic. As a result, the increased urination releases fluid and also helps the body get rid of excess salt. This is very beneficial to those who suffer from conditions like edema, high blood pressure and certain heart-related diseases. Not to mention that asparagus is a known brain food, and is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants.

Sources:

http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49

http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/brussels-sprouts.html

http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9

https://www.livescience.com/45408-broccoli-nutrition.html

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-broccoli.html

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-sweet-potatoes.html

https://www.livescience.com/46016-sweet-potato-nutrition.html