For the longest time, vegetables were always a part of people’s diet. But nowadays some people when they hear about veggies, especially some kids are like… umm, eww! I don’t want that! We know taste is subjective, especially when it comes to food, but there are so many kinds of vegetable dishes out there, and they can be cooked in so many delicious ways, that there is surely something for everyone.
Moreover, not only they can be very tasty if they are cooked properly, but they can have enormous nutritional and health benefits. They can even help us lose weight and keep it in balance. We could write an entire series of books about them. Still, vegetables have a very important role in our body and health, we pretty much depend on them lot. Our body takes from them lots of micronutrients and macronutrients, including proteins, fiber, iron, calcium, sugar, healthy fats, tons of vitamins, antioxidants, and many many more things.
So, are you eating your veggies?
Many studies show that a lot of people tend to almost forget about vegetables in their daily routine, and that leads to serious health problems. This is why our parents forced some of us when we were little to eat our veggies… Not because they just wanted to be mean and annoy us, but because they understood the importance of them in our daily time table. They wanted us to grow up healthy, have a good immune system that protects us from, various diseases such as heart disease or stroke, many types of cancer, against bacteria, viruses and infections, and the list can go on for pretty much forever. It is very important for you to understand the critical importance of vegetables in your daily diet.
If you think you have neglected them in the past time, and feel like you want to do something about it, it is never to late. If you don’t know much about veggies and how to cook them, a certified nutritionist can be of a significant help in this case, because after a detailed analysis, they know exactly what’s best for you and your health. Moreover, if you start eating enough veggies, not only you will keep your body weight in check and your health as a powerhouse, but you will also feel great during the day, sleep better, have better memory, be in a better mood, have enough energy during the day, you will simply enjoy life more.
Even more reasons to eat more veggies!
You don’t need to be a master chef to cook delicious veggies! Some foods can be very tricky, complex and difficult to prepare, such as fancy dinners in expensive restaurants – for example, there are dishes that are based on meat, and to cook them right required some talent. Well veggies are fast and easy to cook, they are pretty much not expensive and can be found in any store near you. Veggies are very, very diverse, and in combination with tons of ways to cook them and combine them, things can go very far away.
Still, you don’t have to eat only veggies if you don’t want. Vegetables can be combined with many kinds of diary products and meat products. For example, think of a good salad with tuna meat and Caesar dressing, or some chicken breast with mashed potatoes/rice and broccoli plus some sauce at your pick.
Vegetables are also low in calories, so they are perfect for you if you want to go on a diet or keep your body weight in check. Moreover, they will be of a great help for your digestive system, making it more efficient and healthy.
Getting to the root
Basically, there are mainly two types of vegetables: the ones that grow above the ground, and the ones that grow below the ground (usually they are basically roots) Obviously, there are some differences between them, and here’s what you need to know. The ones that grow up are usually lower in carbohydrates, so they can be perfect for diets, and the ones that are below the ground are more rich in calories and carbohydrates, and usually specialists are recommending eating them with moderation, especially potatoes. But generally most vegetables are low in fats and carbs, and more importantly for some people, they have no cholesterol.
Health benefits
Also here we could go forever, but let’s see some of the most notable of them.
- Many vegetables contain lots of fiber, such as carrots, broccoli or green peas. Eating such vegetables can actually reduce the chance of getting type 2 diabetes, certain kinds of cancers, heart disease and stroke, problems with cardiovascular system and obesity.
- Some vegetables are rich in potassium (K?), and having a diet that is giving you enough potassium can as well decrease the chance of getting kidney stones, maintain bone structure, and help people with high blood pressure or just keep it within normal limits.
- Since they contain no cholesterol, they can help you reduce your levels if they are above normal limits, or just keep them in check. Remember, high cholesterol can be very dangerous and can lead to serious health problems.
- A very powerful factor when it comes to weight control, a good reason why most specialists recommend lots of veggies when it comes to losing weight.
- Faster healing – vegetables contain lots of phytochemicals, which our body uses them to help cellular regeneration, maintaining a healthy eye vision, and healing is quicker.
- Stronger immune system – your immune system is your most important protector, so it’s good to take care of it and keep it in shape. Vegetables are a vital factor in this case.
- Stronger bones, joints, teeth and hair.
Nutritional benefits
As we mentioned before, vegetables are very rich in micronutrients, macronutrients and antioxidants. They are perfect sources of:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Folate/folic acid
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Vitamin K
- Lutein
- Protein
- Healthy fats
Bottom line, vegetables are a vital part of our diet, because we need to get from them many things that help our bodily functions work properly, and some of them are crucial because our body cannot produce them all by itself. Stop saying no to vegetables! Try enjoying them more, and you will get the taste of them, you will never get enough of them, believe us. So what are you waiting for? Eat your veggies!