This healthiest vegetables list can help you get healthier, lose weight and fight disease. How do we know? Tons of research says so.
Just pick out 5 or 6 a day from our list of the healthiest vegetables below and chow down!
After all, important people, from Mom to the top scientists in the world, keep telling us to eat more vegetables. But the vast majority aren’t getting even 2 healthy vegetables a day, much less the recommended 5 or 6.
The Top Ten Healthiest Vegetables List
Whereas most vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrition, these top 10 healthiest vegetables are a lot better than others. So start adding at least five choices a day from this list of the healthiest vegetables.
1. Cruciferous vegetables are filled with anti-aging, cancer fighting, immune boosting phytonutrients, plus vitamins C and K, potassium, calcium, iron and folic acid. The cruciferous list of healthiest vegetables below are most nutritious eaten raw, lightly steamed or stir-fried.
- Broccoli,
- Cauliflower,
- Brussels sprouts,
- Green and red cabbage.
2. Carrots help protect against cancer and improve eyesight with super high levels of carotenoids and vitamin A. They’re also a good source of vitamins B, C and K, fiber (when raw), potassium, magnesium and folate. Grate them into salads or eat baby raw carrots as a snack.
3. Dark green leafy vegetables can be lightly steamed or used in healthy soups, chilies, casseroles and stir-fries or eaten raw in salads and on sandwiches. The leafy vegetables below are high in iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carotenoids and B, C, E and K.
- Kale,
- Spinach,
- Swiss chard,
- Collard greens,
- The herb parsley,
- Red and green lettuce,
- Mustard and turnip greens.
4. Tomatoes are very high in lycopene carotenoids and vitamin C and are good on sandwiches, as raw snacks and in salads, soups and pasta sauce.
5. Beans and peas are much higher in protein than other vegetables. And whether they’re dried (lentils), canned (kidney beans), lightly steamed (soybeans), or eaten raw (peas), beans also contain fiber, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. Beans can be added to soups, salads, pasta sauce, chili or eaten on their own. The healthy list includes:
- Peas,
- Lentils,
- Soybeans,
- Lima beans,
- Kidney beans,
- Garbanzo beans,
- And other legumes.
6. Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamins A, C, K and B complex – especially B6 and folic acid. At just 4 calories a stalk, lightly steamed asparagus helps reduce weight, inflammation and depression.
7. Allium foods, like garlic and onions, are best known for their natural antibiotic properties and can help boost immunity, reduce inflammation and fight infection. The allium foods below are healthiest easten raw in salads or healthy dips, but are also great for flavoring many cooked dishes.
- Leeks,
- Onions,
- Shallots,
- Scallions,
- And garlic.
8. Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries. And sweet potatoes add delicious flavor when grated raw and used in salads.
9. Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K and can be sweet flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. Choose from the following rainbow of colors:
- Green peppers,
- Yellow peppers,
- Orange peppers,
- And red peppers.
10. Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber. Squash can be added to healthy casseroles, soups, stir-fries and many other dishes or served alone.
The best thing about this top 10 healthiest vegetables list, besides the fact that they’re definitely the healthiest vegetables, is they’re so adaptable.
You can enjoy most of them raw in salads or as a snack, lightly steamed as a side or main dish and added to soups or stir-fries. But however you do it, it’s vitally important that you lean to love the healthiest vegetables!
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Some tell to avoid potatoes. Does that include sweet potatoes?
And what about using olive oil?
Great questions Lillian. I don’t believe that potatoes need to be avoided, however, if you’re choosing between a potato and a sweet potato, the sweet potato (or yam) is the clear winner. In fact, the sweet potato is #8 on my list of 10 Healthiest Vegetables (see above). Calorie for calorie, the nutrition in a sweet potato far outweighs the nutrition in a potato.
I’m not sure what your question is about olive oil, but I’m a big fan of extra virgin olive oil. You may be interested in this article Extra Virgin Olive Oil Health Benefits.
Sweet-potatoe has higher glycemic index than potatoe ; hence should be avoided if trying to lose weight especially if diabetic.
I’m going to have to disagree with you on this. According to the American Diabetes Association, “Sweet potatoes also have a lower glycemic index compared to regular potatoes and are so full of nutrients that they made our top 10 Diabetes Superfoods list.” To see the American Diabetes Association’s list of “superfoods,” simply copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/making-healthy-food-choices/diabetes-superfoods.html
I just tried to look at the referenced web site but it “could not be found”. There is so much information on your site that is so helpful. Thanks a bunch!
Sorry, Nancyann! I fixed the link…well, sort of at least. I couldn’t get it to work either, but it does work if you copy the link and paste it into your web browser. Try it again! And, thanks for your kind words. I’m glad you find the site helpful.
Thank you so much for your continued articles on living and eating healthier. There is so much information out there on eating healthy, but I have found your articles to be most beneficial. I am grateful for the time and effort that is put in to each and every article. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you Jessie! I’m thrilled to hear that my work is making a difference.
In New Zealand we have a vegetable called a Kumera which we refer to as a sweet potato.Do you know if this has similar qualities to a yam?
Hi David. I had never heard of a Kumera, but Wikipedia provided the following info: “In New Zealand English, the Māori term kūmara is commonly used.” Sounds to me like a sweet potato and a Kumera are the same thing.
I agree these are all healthy but could add a rider
To your article, they are not if you are sulphite and or
salicylates intolerent
I ate all those before this occurred to me, now
they can make me ill.
Sorry to hear about your salicylate sensitivity, but I’m glad to hear that you’ve researched it enough to know what foods aggravate the condition. Although there are numerous food sensitivities and/or allergies that people must contend with, most of them are rather rare within the entire population so I seldom put riders in my articles. In my experience, most people with these types of sensitivities are researching info specific to their own dietary needs. And, as with any dietary suggestions, one must adapt the recommendations to fit their pre-existing health conditions.
With all that said, WebMD has a good list of foods containing salicylates that should be avoided: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/salicylate-allergy
I have trouble regulating my potassium…runs high…have been tested and all is fine. I love most of the above and being type ii diabetic try to eat them but they all contain high potassium. I get very confused on what I can eat and what I should be careful of. Any suggestions.
Hi Carol and thanks for your question. This article, List of Foods High in Potassium will help you to see the foods you need to limit. And, The National Kidney Foundation has put together a nice selection of low potassium food choices at this page – http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.cfm. You can find it about halfway down the page.
Hope that helps!