Improving the Reputation of "Bad" Veggies

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

08 Feb 2009 06:34 PM

You've heard the whispers. Carrots are all sugar. Iceberg lettuce is nothing more than crunchy water, nutritionally speaking. But are these bad vegetables all bad?

Even veggies that don't make the A-list of superfoods aren't worthless.

• Iceberg lettuce does have lots of water... but it also has important nutrients like vitamin A (which helps protect your eyes) and vitamin K (which can help protect your bones). Nutritional experts also point out that it's better to eat iceberg lettuce than no lettuce at all.
• Celery is another veggie that gets a bad rap because of all the water involved. This vegetable contains some rare compounds that can help protect your body against high blood pressure and even cancer! Plus, celery is a snack that fills the need to chomp without adding a lot of calories to your day.
• Carrots do contain natural sugars, but the sugar only accounts for half the carbohydrate content of this vegetable. Carrots are a great source of fiber and vitamin A. In fact, a half cup serving of carrots has more than four times the amount of vitamin A your body needs daily to keep your eyes healthy.

Corn and potatoes got a bad reputation in part during the low-carb craze. But white potatoes -- in moderation -- can be a good source of fiber! A medium-sized baked potato is full of more than fifty different antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other compounds that can help improve your immune system, protect your heart, and lower cancer risk. Corn is another veggie that isn't as bad as you might think. It's full of fiber and is a healthy whole grain -- one ear of corn has fifteen percent of your daily recommended amount of fiber. The kernels are full of folate (a B vitamin) and thiamin (another B vitamin). Corn also contains lutein, a plant chemical that helps keep eyes healthy.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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