Best 15 Healthy Vegetables

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• List of Healthiest vegetables
• Leafy greens
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Bell Peppers
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Healthy Vegetables in India
• Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Best Healthy Vegetables

Are you worried about your obesity? Don't worry.  Since I felt that it is my endeavor to address your issues, I made sufficient research to overcome the obesity problem.  Therefore, I have suggested the best 15 healthy vegetables in this post, which can be of great help to you in losing weight. Please travel along with me in this article to get adequate information on the subject.

In this context, I have already written about the Benefits of healthy living and also chalked out a Food for healthy living. Therefore, I thought of going a little deep, to write about the vegetables that can be taken to achieve our goal of losing weight.

Obesity is a matter of serious concern for everyone.  This has necessitated all of us to search for a solution that can result in healthy living.  I have seen many of my friends and relatives consider obesity as a serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately. 

As we all know, vegetables should form a major part of our daily meals.  Though some vegetables are said to be tasty, they are not much of use from a health point of view.   Here below, I have given a list of vegetables that can help in reaching our goals for healthy living:

 

List of Healthy Vegetables

 

1.      Leafy Greens

2.     Broccoli

3.     Cauliflower

4.     Bell peppers

5.     Carrots

6.     Cabbage

7.     Tomatoes

8.     Cucumber

9.     Bottle Gourd

10.  Bitter Gourd

11.   Ridge Gouard

12.  Beetroot

13.  Drumstick

14.  Green Peas

15.  Lady’s Finger

Now let us see the medicinal effects of the above veggies one by one and also the dishes that can be taken for losing weight:

Best Healthiest Vegetables

Leafy greens

·       Leafy greens are considered to be low-calorie veggies and can help in healthy living.

·       Leafy greens contain a lot of nutrients, are low calorie, and are rich in vitamins, and minerals. 

·       They are packed with Vitamin A, which is important for eye health.  They also improve our immune system and are good for the skin. 

·       Besides, they contain a lot of antioxidants in the form of Vitamin C.  These antioxidants help in the protection of our cells.

·       Leafy greens are rich in vitamin K, which is vital for our bone health the and clotting of blood.

·       They also are levels with high levels of folates and these folates help in preventing birth defects.

·       The most important aspect of Leafy greens is that they are a good source of iron, Zinc, Magnesium, etc. which is very much needed for our red blood corpuscles to avoid the risk of becoming anemic.

·       Leafy greens also help for the protection of bones and muscular health and also for dental care, as they possess a lot of Calcium.

·       They also act as anti-inflammatory cancer-fighting capacities.

Therefore, leafy greens are considered can be a part of our daily meals which helps in avoiding excess body weight. We can make Salads, Smoothies, Stir fry, Soup, Wraps, and some side dishes with Leafy Greens.  They can be sliced and combined with other vegetables like cucumber, carrot, and tomatoes to make salads. 

Broccoli

·       Broccoli is a naturally found resource of Vitamin C which helps in protecting our blood cells and repairing the damaged cell, besides supporting the immune system.

·       Broccoli is rich in vitamin K and which prevents damage to bones and also helps in blood clotting.

·       Cell growth in our body system is taken care of by Folates, which are very much available in Broccoli.  They also avoid birth defects.

·       Heart is one of the major organs of our body system.  Heart health is controlled by various factors and one of them is by having an optimum level of Potassium to have proper blood pressure.  Potassium also takes care of our muscular strength and muscle functions.  Potassium is abundantly available in Broccoli. 

·       The richness of fiber found in Broccoli helps in having proper digestion and movement of the bowels to avoid constipation.  Fiber also gives the feeling of fullness and satisfaction which keeps away feeling hungry.

·       Broccoli is a rich source of vitamin A which is vital for our eye health and ophthalmic functions.  Vitamin A also helps in improving our immune system which is taken care of by consuming Broccoli. 

·       Broccoli also has cancer-fighting capacity.

Broccoli can be taken in roasted form with a combination of olive oil and garlic.  Lemon can be squeezed into it to add flavor to the dish.  Broccoli can be made as a soup along with onion, garlic, and carrot after baking for a while and blending.  Add some pepper and slight to taste, if you feel.  It can be prepared as a curry to get it along with some main dishes.

Therefore, considering Broccoli as a part of our meal plan can help in overall body health.

    Cauliflower

Healthy Cauliflower for HealthyLivingg

 

·       Vitamin C is abundantly available in Cauliflower.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps in protecting cell damage and also improves our immune power.

·       Cauliflower contains plenty of Vitamin K which is vital for bone health and blood clotting.

·       Cauliflower is a rich source of folate and this helps in the growth of our cells.  Therefore, this prevents birth defects.

·       Cauliflower contains lots of Potassium which can help in controlling our blood pressure and maintaining good heart health.  Besides, potassium also helps in muscle function.

·       Cauliflower has high-level fiber and this can help in having proper digestive health and movement of bowels.  Because of the presence of the enormous amount of fiber, taking Cauliflower gives satisfaction and fullness.

·       Cauliflower also contains a rich amount of Vitamin B6 which can help in maintaining good brain health.  Vitamin B6 also is required to have a regulated hormone secretion and production of red blood corpuscles.

·       It is added advantage that Cauliflower contains essential minerals and compounds like glucosinolates and sulforaphane.  These compounds can help in having anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting effects.

 

Cauliflower can be taken as part of our meal plan in the form of a side dish, which is worthy of healthy living. Before consuming, it should be ensured that it is washed well with hot water added with salt and turmeric power for a while to kill away any germs and undesired bacteria.  Slice into pieces; add some pepper and salt steam for a while and your side dish is ready with a delicious taste.

 

Cauliflower gravy can be made by adding Onion, tomatoes, and spices like cumin, coriander turmeric and mixed with rice to get a health and low-carb, low-calorie healthy Cauliflower rice that can keep you feeling full and satisfied.

 

Consuming Cauliflower soup is a good way to diet plan for healthy living.  With the boiled cauliflower, you can add some other vegetables like steamed carrots, Onion, and garlic and blend them to get a smoothie.  Boil the blended paste with some quantity of water, and add some salt and pepper to taste. If you feel, you can add some flavors of your choice.  Your cauliflower soup is ready.

 

Cauliflower Stir Fry can be made by cutting it into slices, adding onion and garlic, along with bell peppers, and sautéing the whole combination for a while. If you so desire, add some spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric to get a nice color and flavor.

 

   Therefore, consider Cauliflower dishes in your list of healthy diet plans for a healthy life and achieving the goal.

 

    Bell Peppers

 

·       The presence of various compounds like quercetin and kaempferol which are a couple of ubiquitous polyphenols in Bell Peppers in abundant quantity help to have cardiovascular benefits, besides they are effective in cancer-fighting and healing arthritis diseases.  They can also help in getting anti-inflammatory effects.

·       Bell Peppers are having rich amounts of Vitamin C and beta carotene which act as anti-oxidants helping in the protection of cells and repair of damaged cells. 

·       Like other healthy vegetables, Bell Peppers are also one of the rich resources of Fiber, which help in our digestive system and free movement of the bowel thereby reducing constipation troubles and hemorrhoids.

·       Besides, Bell Peppers contain a lot of Vitamin A that can help in improving our vision, and take care of ophthalmic health.

 

 

You can make dishes with Bell Peppers by stuffing them with rice balls, or black beans, and can be added to our meals.

 

Bell Pepper curries can be made by slicing them into sizes of your choice and combining them with onion and sauté with olive oil along with some spices like cumin, black pepper powder, and salt to taste.  This can be taken as a side dish with your main meal.

 

Stir fry can be made of Bell Peppers and can be consumed as a healthy diet.

 

You make a salad of sliced Bell Pepper in a combination of Onion, Carrot, Cucumber, tomatoes, etc., and can be taken raw to get the maximum benefits.

 

Carrots

 

Carrots for a healthy life

·       Though Carrots are root vegetables, they contain various vitamins, minerals, and healthy nutrients required for the human system.

·       Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A with beta-carotene.  This can help in having an improved vision. Vitamin A also boosts the power of the immune system and is considered to be good for skin care.

·       The availability of Vitamin K in Carrots help in bone health and clotting of blood.

·       As has already been narrated above, our body system requires anti-oxidants to protect our cells from damage.  This can be accomplished by consuming Carrots as a part of our meal plan which can also improve our immunity.

·       Carrots contain a good amount of Potassium which prevents heart diseases, improves our muscle function, and helps in having controlled blood pressure.

·       Carrots are a rich source of fiber that helps in digestive health and free movement of the bowel.  Also, the richness of fiber gives us the feeling of fullness and satisfaction of a meal thereby avoiding over-eating.

·       Though carrots are sweet in taste, they are low in calories and do not add much to your weight and hence are added to the list of healthy living diet plans.

·       Carrots can be sliced into pieces of your desired shape and eaten raw which can give you the expected result in maintaining the optimum body weight.

·       Salads can be made out of sliced carrots, combined with onion, cabbage, radish, and cucumber with the addition of salt and pepper powder.  Lemon can also be added to get a different taste and flavor.

·       Consuming juice carrots is a great option for healthy living. It can be added with some other fruits and blended to get a tasty juice.  This can provide you with the maximum benefit of losing weight.

Soups can be made out of carrots which are healthy and delicious.  They can be peeled a little to remove the outer skin, slice into pieces, steamed, and blend after reaching room temperature to get a paste.  Boil the paste with added water and add some salt and pepper to taste.  Your soup is ready to take.

You can make carrot stir fry along with bell peppers, onions, garlic, etc. Add some spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric to get the desired flavor.  With the addition of salt to taste you can get a delicious and yummy stir fry.

Prepare Carrot salad in a combination of other cut vegetables like onion, cabbage, cucumber, and tomatoes to get a nice salad. This salad can be dressed with a small squeeze of lemon juice to have added flavor. This salad can be consumed along with your main meal and also as a snack to have the feeling of fullness and satisfaction.

Carrot smoothies can be made by blending cut carrots along with some other fruits and can be consumed as a healthy drink.

 

Cabbage

Consider Cabbage as a part of your meal plan

 

·       Cabbage is a vegetable packed full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber and is considered to be containing low calories.

·       Cabbage is rich in Vitamin C. This can help in protecting our cells from any damage and also repair the damaged cells.  Vitamin C also enhances our immune system to fight viruses.

·       Cabbage is also a rich source of Vitamin K which is taking care of bone health in our body.  They also help in the clotting of blood.

·       The presence of Vitamin B6 in Cabbage plays a major role in maintaining proper brain function, and hormone regulation, besides increasing the production of red blood cells.

·       Folates are essential to have better cell growth in our body system.  Cabbage contains a good amount of folate and therefore, taking cabbage along with our main meal and also snacks in the form of salads is a great option for healthy living.

·       Availability of Potassium in Cabbage can help in heart function, controlling blood pressure and muscle functions.

·       Cabbage has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.  Since cabbage contains compounds such as glucosinolates and anthocyanins, they are effective in cancer-fighting also.

Just make a stir fry with Cabbage, onion, and garlic, and add some spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric to get a flavor of your choice.  Add a little salt to taste. This can be taken with rice.

Cook cabbage along with onion, garlic, and carrots.  Blend them to get a paste.  Boil with a little quantity of water.  Add some spices and salt to have a flavored, tasty soup.

When you are taking sandwiches, keep an option to make a side dish, viz. Coleslaw is prepared by shredding cabbage and mixing it with shredded carrots and mayonnaise.  It can be seasoned with vinegar or mustard as you like.

Delicious rolls can be made by stuffing boiled cabbage leaves with rice, other healthy vegetables, and spices.  Serve with gravies made of tomatoes.

Cabbages can be cut into pieces, and mixed with other raw vegetables like Carrots, cucumber, onion, and tomatoes to get Salad and can be dressed with lemon juice added with taste and pepper powder to taste.

Tomatoes

 

·       Tomatoes are universally available vegetables, which contain Vitamin C which helps to protect cells from damage.  Also, they boost our immune system.

·       Richness of Vitamin A contained in tomatoes enhances our vision power, and immune functions and is considered for having better skin health.

·       Tomatoes contain Potassium which can help in maintaining a regulated blood pressure thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

·       Tomatoes are rich in folate which helps in cell growth and the prevention of birth defects.

·       Presence of Vitamin K in tomatoes can help in maintaining better bone health and clotting of blood.

·       Tomatoes act as an anti-oxidant as it contains lycopene, which can help in influencing anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting capacity.

 

Tomatoes are used for making soups widely available in any house or restaurant.  They do have low calories and are a good source of antioxidants. Tomatoes can be cooked with onion, garlic, and carrots, blended to paste whereupon boiled with a little quantity of water.  Seasoned with herbs, and salt and pepper powder are added to taste and flavor.

Any salad without the combination of tomatoes does not taste much.  Therefore, tomatoes are the main ingredients of any type of salad.  Sliced tomatoes along with onion, cucumber, and carrots with a pinch of salt and pepper make a heavenly and delightful salad.

Plain or bread Omletes can be prepared with tomatoes and onions which can supply us with an adequate amount of proteins if taken for breakfast.

Delicious stuffed tomatoes can be made using hollowed tomatoes and stuffing them with cooked vegetables like cabbage, carrots, spinach, and mushrooms, which are packed with high nutrients and can be taken for snacks or can be consumed with a main meal like rice, etc.

Cucumber

Cucumbers for Salads and Juices

·       Raw cucumber is a low-calorie vegetable containing a lot of water and fiber.  This can help in maintaining a proper digestive system and free bowel movement and avoids constipation trouble.

·       Cucumber is a rich source of Vitamin C.  As you know, Vitamin C helps in improving our immunity power, protecting our cells also.

·       The presence of Vitamin K  in Cucumber can help in bone health and blood clotting.

·       Since cucumbers contain Potassium, they help control our blood pressure thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

·       Cucumbers are considered to have an anti-oxidant property and anti-inflammatory effects which safeguards our body system.

Cucumbers are mostly used as an ingredient for making salads.  They can combine with Carrots, cabbage, onion, and tomatoes to form a delicious salad for our meal.

Cucumbers take the major part of vegetables while preparing sandwiches.  They are sliced into pieces of different shapes and added with onions, tomatoes, hummus, avocado, or cream cheese to get a tasty and yummy sandwich.

You can blend raw cucumbers along with Yogurt and herbs to get a nice soup.

You can make pickles with cucumbers with a combination of vinegar, salt, and pepper and this can be taken along with our main meal like rice, quinoa, and gravy.  

VEGETABLES IN INDIA FOR A HEALTHY LIVING

Let us now discuss the vegetables available in India which can be taken for losing weight.  Amongst the variety of vegetables, I shall pick up a few for example:

 

1.      Bottle gourd is called Dudhi in India.  It contains low calories but is rich in water content and fiber. Dudhis can give your a stomach full feeling and satisfaction, besides being used for their hydrating properties. We can make Sabji, Kofta, Halwa, Juice, and Raita using Dudhi.

2.     Bitter gourd, also called Karela contains low calories, but rich in fiber and other vitamins and nutrients.  Karela is widely used for its effects on lowering blood sugar levels and also can help in maintaining optimum weight and lead to healthy living. Sabjis made of bitter gourd can form part and parcel of our daily meal plan. Karela juice is being used for its hydrating property and lowering blood sugar levels.

3.     Ridge gourd also known as Turai contains low calories and is of high fiber.  Turai also contains Vitamin C and essential nutrients for our system.  Turai is also consumed for its effects of lowering blood sugar levels. The ridge gourd is used for making curries, juices, and other side dishes to form part of our regular meal.   

4.     Though Beetroot is a root vegetable, it contains low calories but is rich in fiber, and folate. They are rich in antioxidants and are widely used for maintaining optimum weight.  Beetroot juice is taken for its hydrating property and is believed to boost red blood corpuscles.

 

5.     Drumstick or locally called Moringa is a low-calorie vegetable.  It contains Vitamin C, rich in fiber and iron.  Moringa is used for its anti-inflammatory effects and can be considered a great option for healthy living. Moringa sambar, gravies, and pickles are being made for consumption with our main meal.

6.     Variety of dishes can be made using Green peas which are low in calories, but rich in fiber, and protein.  They can give us a feeling of fullness and satisfaction. Green Peas masala is a delicious side dish for taking along with Poori and Chappati/Roti.

7.     Lady’s finger, also called Bhindi contains low-calorie but is rich in fiber and other vitamins like Vitamins C, Vitamin K, etc. They are good for improving our immune power and because of the presence of Vitamin K, they can help in maintaining better bone health and blood clotting.

8.     Using Leafy greens, Palak Paneer, Alu Palak, and gravies are made to be used as side dishes for Poori, Roti, and rice.

CONCLUSION

While wrapping up, I shall strongly say that vegetables should form a major part of our meal plan.  We should consider the various vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients contained in vegetables for our overall health, and that too when it comes to losing weight, we must consume healthy veggies to achieve our goal. 

When we are planning for losing weight must follow a healthy Diet Plan, in which vegetables play a major role.  It is very much needed that we reduce the main dishes to a great extent and substitute the shortfall with vegetables and fruits.  Therefore, increasing the number of vegetables in place of rice, roti, and other main meal items, shall give a better yield in achieving the healthy life goal. It is not enough if you follow a strict diet plan to achieve your goal of losing weight but also it is vital to do some workouts. 

However, before adopting any new practice, it is reiterated that the healthcare professional’s advice is obtained and followed strictly to avoid any complications in the future.

Please post your opinion on the article.

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