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Even
the least nutritious veggies have virtues
August 19, 04
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
While there’s no such thing
as a bad vegetable, in terms of nutrition some clearly are
better than others. But even second-string vegetables have
their places in the game of good health.
All vegetables have redeeming features – dietary fiber
and at least some vitamins and minerals. Fresh vegetables
are naturally low in sodium, and they contain no saturated
fat or cholesterol.
The best of the best are loaded with vitamins A and C, folic
acid, potassium, iron and calcium. The superstars are often
the most colorful foods on your plate: broccoli, carrots,
sweet potatoes, green peppers, acorn squash, tomatoes, and
kale, and that’s just a short list.
But what about those that are color-challenged, the vegetables
that have the least to offer? What can they contribute to
a healthful diet?
Those at the tail end of the nutrient parade include iceberg
lettuce, mushrooms, celery, cucumbers, onions and eggplant,
among others. They’re not nutritional zeros, but they’re
not nearly as nutrient-dense as their superstar or middle-of-the-road
friends. They can even tip into the nutritional negative zone
when they’re used as the vehicles for fatty food ingredients:
iceberg lettuce and cucumber salads heaped with bleu cheese
dressing; deep-fried onion rings; celery or mushrooms stuffed
with cream cheese; and breaded and fried eggplant slices topped
with thick layers of gooey mozzarella cheese.
So, how can even the least-of-the-best vegetables be useful
to you in meal planning?
* They add flavor and interest. Mushrooms, onions, and celery
add rich flavor to soups and stews, and cucumbers add crunch
and a wonderful, fresh aroma to salads. Eggplant is used to
make a nutritious Middle Eastern spread called baba ganoush.
* They still add some nutrients. Not as many as some vegetables
do, but enough to count. Onions have fair amounts of vitamins
C and B6 and smaller amounts of folic acid and potassium,
for instance. Celery contains vitamin A, folic acid and potassium.
Spread it with peanut butter instead of cream cheese and you’ve
got a good snack.
* They displace higher-calorie foods. Vegetables are full
of fiber and water. They add bulk without adding many calories.
Try this if you have weight to lose: In lieu of a sandwich
or entrée for lunch, substitute a large tossed salad
with vinaigrette dressing, vegetable sticks with fat-free
dressing, or a large bowl of broth-based soup made with mushrooms,
celery and onions. You could lose a half-pound a week as a
result of the calories you’d save.
* They do no harm. Unlike ingredients that are rich in saturated
fat, sodium or sugar, fresh vegetables add flavor and crunch
without any of the nutritional negatives associated with many
other foods.
Keep in mind that not all colorless vegetables are devoid
of nutrition. Two examples: cauliflower and daikon radish,
two of the cruciferous vegetables. Cauliflower is high in
vitamin C, and both are good sources of phytochemicals believed
to have cancer-fighting qualities and found in other, more
colorful cruciferous vegetables, such as arugula, Brussels
sprouts, broccoli and watercress.
The bottom line is this: Every vegetable is a good vegetable.
Some are richer sources of certain nutrients than others.
But all of them – red, white, green or any other color
– have value and support health. Eat them with abandon
– often.
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