by Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD
Q: When I'm cooking, I've noticed that many recipes seem to call for the same 10 or 12 vegetables over and over. Is this because they're particularly healthy? Or just versatile?
A: You're right; certain vegetables dominate many recipes because they are well liked and very versatile. Our unofficial survey of favorites includes asparagus, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini. To see how these kitchen staples stack up nutritionally, check out the chart at the end of this article.
Q: Is there a specific group of vitamins or minerals that are present—or lacking—in these popular vegetables?
A: Most vegetables are low in B vitamins. You have to get those from grains. But most of the vegetables on our chart are great sources of potassium, which lowers blood pressure and reduces the incidence of stroke, and magnesium, which is essential for heart, muscle and nerve function.
Q: Can you tell anything about a vegetable by its color? I've heard this but don't know if it's true.
A: There's a good rule of thumb: The deeper a vegetable's color, the more vitamins and minerals it has. By contrast, pale vegetables, like celery, tend to be nutritional lightweights. Also, different-colored vegetables tend to have different nutrients. Those that are deep orange-yellow (sweet potatoes, carrots) are typically crammed with vitamin A; green veggies (broccoli, green bell peppers) tend to be good sources of C. That's one reason nutritionists often say, "A colorful plate is a healthy plate," and why it's important to eat a variety of vegetables, not the same ones over and over.
Q: Besides the usual vitamins and minerals, which other nutrients do I get from my vegetables?
A: Go back to the concept of "color equals healthy," but in another way. Each vegetable color represents a unique set of plant compounds. Even though there is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for these powerful substances, studies have found that if you eat veggies high in them, your health may benefit in many ways. Check these out:
Blue/purple veggies (think eggplant skin) contain the antioxidant anthocyanin, which helps protect cells against harmful ions known as free radicals. This powerful plant chemical may reverse aging, sharpen brain power and help prevent heart disease.
Leafy greens (like spinach) contain lutein, an antioxidant that seems to protect your sight. Lutein (and its cousin zeaxanthin) is found in large amounts in dark green leafy vegetables. It appears to help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration, the leading cause of late-life blindness.
Yellow/orange veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes) contain carotenoids and bioflavonoids, which lower the risk of some cancers. Carotenoids are colorful plant pigments. Beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid, is converted to vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A helps fight infections, strengthens the immune system and may play a role in cancer prevention.
Red foods (primarily tomatoes) contain lycopene, a strong antioxidant that helps fight prostate cancer and heart disease. The key with lycopene is that it's released when tomatoes are cooked, not raw, so your best sources are tomato sauces, juice, paste and other cooked tomato products.
RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES (RDA)
| Women Aged 19-50 |
Women Aged 51 and Older |
Men Aged 19-50 |
Men Aged 51 and Older |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 700 IU | 700 IU | 900 IU | 900 IU |
| Vitamin D | 200 IU | 400 IU | 200 IU | 400 IU |
| Niacin | 14 mg | 14 mg | 16 mg | 16 mg |
| Riboflavin | 1.1 mg | 1.1 mg | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg |
| Vitamin C | 75 mg | 75 mg | 90 mg | 90 mg |
| Folate | 400 mcg | 400 mcg | 400 mcg | 400 mcg |
| Calcium | 1,000 mg | 1,200 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,200 mg |
| Magnesium | 320 mg | 320 mg | 420 mg | 420 mg |
| Iron | 18 mg | 8 mg | 8 mg | 8 mg |
| Selenium | 55 mcg | 55 mcg | 55 mcg | 55 mcg |
| Potassium | The National Library of Medicine suggests 2,000 mg daily. | |||
| Lutein & Lycopene | There is no RDA for these yet. But because of their multiple health benefits, try to eat foods high in them. | |||
*RDAs provided by the National Academy of Sciences, 2004.
Download chart (PDF, 269 KB)
| SUPERSTAR NUTRIENTS | RUNNER-UP NUTRIENTS | SERVING SIZE & CALORIES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPINACH Carbs 4 grams Fiber 2 grams |
Spinach is by far the runaway star in the veggie family. It has the highest amounts of folate (194 mcg), calcium (99 mg), magnesium, iron and vitamin E. Spinach also has high levels of eye-protective lutein (12,198 mcg). | This powerhouse contains significantly more potassium and vitamin K (important for blood clotting) than other vegetables. And spinach has hearty doses of vitamin A (9,337 IU) and beta-carotene (5,626 mcg). | 4 cups packed raw 1/3 cup cooked and drained 23 calories |
| BROCCOLI Carbs 7 grams Fiber 3 grams |
High in the antioxidant vitamin C (89 mg), which helps with iron absorption and is important in tooth health. Broccoli also contains plenty of cataract-fighting lutein: 1,691 mcg. | Broccoli is high in potassium (316 mg), and it provides a fair amount of folate (63 mcg), which helps prevent heart disease and birth defects | 1 1/4 cups florets 34 calories |
| CARROTS Carbs 10 grams Fiber 3 grams |
One of the veggies with the most vitamin A (12,036 IU). And carrots have one of the highest amounts of beta-carotene (5,774 mcg), an antioxidant that helps the body ward off disease by neutralizing harmful free radicals. | Carrots also furnish a good amount of potassium (320 mg) and (surprise!) a trace of lycopene (2 mcg). | 2/3 cup chopped 1/2 cup grated About 2 medium carrots 41 calories |
| SWEET POTATOES Carbs 20 grams Fiber 3 grams |
The queen supreme of the antioxidant beta-carotene (8,509 mcg), sweet potatoes also have more vitamin A than any of these other vegetables (14,187 IU). | Sweet potatoes check in at 25 mg of magnesium—which helps you absorb calcium—and 337 mg of potassium. | 2/3 cup diced 1/3 cup mashed About 1/4 large potato 86 calories |
| ASPARAGUS Carbs 4 grams Fiber 2 grams |
Though most veggies don't provide a lot of iron, asparagus is second only to spinach with 2 mg per serving. It also contains vitamin A (important for vision): 756 IU. | Serves up a dose of potassium (202 mg), needed for maintaining healthy cells. | 1 cup chopped About 15 thin or 8 fat spears 20 calories |
| MUSHROOMS Carbs 3 grams Fiber 1 gram |
Out of the vegetables on our chart, mushrooms have the highest amounts of the B vitamins niacin (3.85 mg) and riboflavin (0.4 mg), both of which help cells turn food into energy. | Provide 314 mg of potassium. Mushrooms also rank highest out of these veggies in the free-radical fighter selenium (9 mcg), and they are the only vegetable on this chart that contains vitamin D (76 IU). | 1 1/2 cups chopped 1/2 cup cooked About 8 button mushrooms 22 calories |
| GREEN PEPPERS Carbs 5 grams Fiber 2 grams |
After broccoli, green peppers offer you the most vitamin C (80 mg). | Green peppers have some beta-carotene (208 mcg) and vitamin A (370 IU). | 3/4 cup chopped About 1/2 large green pepper 20 calories |
| TOMATOES Carbs 5 grams Fiber 1 gram |
No other food gives you as much prostate-protecting lycopene as cooked tomatoes: 2,573 mcg per serving. | Tomatoes offer 623 IU of vitamin A too. | 3/4 cup chopped About 1 medium beefsteak, 2 small roma or 12 cherry tomatoes 21 calories |
| EGGPLANT Carbs 6 grams Fiber 3 grams |
An eggplant's healthiest offering is its 230 mg of potassium. | The purple veggie gives you some folate (22 mcg) and magnesium (14 mg). | 1 cup sliced 3/4 cup sliced and roasted About 1/4 medium eggplant 24 calories |
| POTATOES Carbs 16 grams Fiber 2 grams |
Potatoes are a beneficial source of potassium (407 mg), second only to spinach. And this versatile vegetable provides 1.07 mg of the B vitamin niacin. | Potatoes are also a decent source of magnesium (21 mg). | 2/3 cup diced 1/3 cup mashed About 1/4 large baking potato 70 calories |
| ZUCCHINI Carbs 3 grams Fiber 1 gram |
Of the veggies in our chart, zucchini contains the second-highest level of vision-sparing lutein (2,125 mcg). | Provides some potassium (262 mg) to help maintain healthy blood pressure. | 3/4 cup chopped About 1/2 medium zucchini 16 calories |
| ONIONS Carbs 10 grams Fiber 1 gram |
Surprise: Onions offer a little assist in bone health with 22 mg of calcium. And onions are a great source of flavonols, compounds that protect against heart disease. | Half a cup of onion contains 10 mg of magnesium. | 1/2 cup chopped About 1/2 medium onion 42 calories |
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database, SR17
Article by Katherine Tallmadge from Vegetarian Times, April 2005.
Copyright© Vegetarian Times. Reprinted with permission.
Download chart (PDF, 266 KB)
Stacy (02/09/2010 06:53:00 AM)
Great info on the veggies, thanks!
Ashli (02/07/2010 19:57:51 PM)
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Anne (02/03/2010 16:37:53 PM)
I didn't know about this site before. Now I know and I am greatful for the extra information
barbiecrafts (01/30/2010 12:36:16 PM)
can't wait to try the veggie bacon.
Amy (01/29/2010 18:47:35 PM)
Thanks for providing such useful info!
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I love all the Morningstar Foods and would really like to have less salt in them. I don't use much salt for anything and when I eat foods with high sodium, they don't taste good to me. The salt hides the good flavor of the food.
Floyd Benson Sr. (04/29/2009 13:02:12 PM)
I will be 68 yrs. may 1St., my new wife of 2 Yrs. does most of the food shoping. She WAS a big meat eater until YESTERDAY, when I talked her into eating a vegie-burger @ BURGER KING. This morning when I picked her up from work, she wanted to go by burger king and get her 3 vegie burgers, 1 to take to work with her tonight.By the way between both of us we have 97 and one-half years of marrage experance. I changed the way I eat 5 yrs. ago, after I had 7 arteries stopped up. I am in better shape, and feel better than I have in 40 years. thanks a lot for your products, GOD BLESS YOU ALL. FLOYD.
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Kathleen Weidele (01/04/2009 17:39:38 PM)
We like your products but would like some with less salt.
David Sadler (10/11/2008 16:54:20 PM)
We use your veggie bacon