Current:Home > InvestYour guide to the healthiest veggies: These are the best types to add to your diet-InfoLens
Your guide to the healthiest veggies: These are the best types to add to your diet
View Date:2024-12-23 11:34:06
Are you eating your greens? Chances are, even if you get some veggies, you’re not consuming nearly enough. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 10% of Americans are meeting their daily vegetable intake.
But it's never too late to make a change.
We’ve reported on the healthiest type of lettuce, the most nutritious potato options and the bell pepper with the most antioxidants, but what reigns supreme when you look at the vegetables as a food group? Here are the best greens to include for health benefits.
Healthiest vegetables to include in your diet
Any vegetable will provide essential nutrients, so “don’t discriminate,” registered dietitian Danielle Crumble Smith previously told USA TODAY. But if you’re looking to increase your vegetable intake and diversify your options, here are some of the best varieties.
Darker leafy greens are rich in many vitamins, including vitamins K and C, calcium and a host of antioxidants, Crumble Smith says.
Vitamin K has cardiovascular and bone health benefits and vitamin C helps protect blood cells against disease and aids in the absorption and storage of iron. Calcium supports healthy bones, teeth, muscles, hormone production and other bodily functions. Spinach and kale also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that benefit eye health.
Here are the best leafy green vegetables to include in your diet, according to Crumble Smith:
- Spinach
- Chard
- Collard greens
- Mustard greens
- Beet greens
Cruciferous vegetables make a great addition to your diet because they contain fiber and phytonutrients, which help prevent cellular damage. They also contain indole-3-carbinol, a compound shown to reduce the risks of estrogen-related cancers as well as colon cancer, Crumble Smith says.
Cruciferous vegetables are also rich in folate, a water-soluble nutrient that benefits the digestive system and may prevent common cancers, cardiovascular disease, infertility, stroke, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. They also contain vitamin K and the dark green ones contain vitamins A and C, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Try adding these cruciferous veggies to your daily vegetable intake, Crumble Smith advises:
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Cauliflower
- Brussel sprouts
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Bok choy
Why are vegetables good for you?
Eating a variety of vegetables ensures your body is getting the vitamins and nutrients it needs for daily function., This is especially crucial for ones Americans don’t get enough of, like fiber and potassium. Fruit and vegetable intake is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality, studies show.
Even frozen vegetables are a healthy option. They may even offer more nutrients than those bought at your local grocer because you don’t know how long it’s been since their harvest date, Crumble Smith previously told USA TODAY.
"They’re flash frozen at their peak stage of ripeness when all those nutrients are there and preserved," she said. "Frozen veggies are a great, very nutrient-dense option and they’re also really good for people who forget there are veggies in the fridge that might be going bad before they get to it."
How many servings of vegetables per day?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day for adult women and 3 to 4 cups for adult men. Here are a few examples of what counts as "one cup" of vegetables:
- One cup of cooked dark green vegetables
- One cup of broccoli (fresh or frozen)
- Two cups of fresh raw leafy greens
- Two medium carrots or one cup of baby carrots
- One large bell pepper
- One large baked sweet potato or one cup mashed or sliced
- One avocado
Are avocados good for you?They may be worth the up-charge
Discover more health tips for your daily diet:
- Healthiest beans:Options for protein, fiber, iron intake
- Healthiest grains:We compare whole, refined grain sources
- Healthiest apple:This kind has the most antioxidants
- Healthiest protein:Why this option may benefit long-term health
- Healthiest milk:This kind has more protein and less sugar
Just Curious for more? We've got you covered
USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "Is V8 juice good for you?" to "What is the healthiest salad dressing?" to "How long does weed stay in your system?" – we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.
veryGood! (6879)
Related
- College Football Playoff ranking release: Army, Georgia lead winners and losers
- Texas child only survivor of 100 mph head-on collision, police say
- Florida under NCAA investigation year after failed NIL deal with QB signee Jaden Rashada
- Hostage families protest outside Netanyahu’s home, ramping up pressure for a truce-for-hostages deal
- She was found dead while hitchhiking in 1974. An arrest has finally been made.
- A British politician calling for a cease-fire in Gaza gets heckled by pro-Palestinian protesters
- 13 students reported killed in an elementary school dorm fire in China’s Henan province
- Why TikTok's Viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail Might Actually Keep You Up at Night
- Dramatic video shows Phoenix police rescue, pull man from car submerged in pool: Watch
- In between shoveling, we asked folks from hot spots about their first time seeing snow
Ranking
- Monument erected in Tulsa for victims of 1921 Race Massacre
- At least 18 dead in a shelling of a market in Russian-occupied Ukraine, officials report
- Alabama plans to carry out first nitrogen gas execution. How will it work and what are the risks?
- Video shows explosion in Washington as gas leak destroys building, leaves 1 injured
- Kirk Herbstreit berates LSU fans throwing trash vs Alabama: 'Enough is enough, clowns'
- Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder Pay Tribute to Twilight and Vampire Diaries Roles on TikTok
- The Packers visit the 49ers for record-setting 10th playoff matchup
- 4 local police officers in eastern Mexico are under investigation after man is shot to death
Recommendation
-
Oregon's Dan Lanning, Indiana's Curt Cignetti pocket big bonuses after Week 11 wins
-
Dricus Du Plessis outpoints Sean Strickland at UFC 297 to win the undisputed middleweight belt
-
California governor sacks effort to limit tackle football for kids
-
FTC tied up in legal battle, postpones new rule protecting consumers from dealership scams
-
Kentucky officer reprimanded for firing non-lethal rounds in 2020 protests under investigation again
-
Two British warships collided in a Middle East port. No one was injured but damaged was sustained
-
Walmart managers to earn at least $128,000 a year in new salary program, company announces
-
Does Teen Mom's Kailyn Lowry Want More Kids After Welcoming Baby No. 6 and 7? She Says...