Vegetables are parts of plants that are seen as food and consumed by humans or animals as food. Vegetables can be eaten either raw or cooked and it plays an important role in human nutrition. Vegetables are mostly low in fat and carbohydrates, but high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber is of utmost nutritional benefits for man. Many nutritionists encourage people to consume plenty of vegetables, five portions or more a day often being the recommended prescription.
Nutritional Benefit Of Vegetables
Vegetables play an important and essential role in our nutrition. Most veggies are low in fat and calories but are bulky and filling. They supply dietary fiber to the body and are important sources of essential vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. The important nutrients are the vitamins A, C, and E. In a diet that makes ample room for vegetables, there is definitely going to be a reduction in the incidence of cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic ailments.
Researches proved that, when you compare a constant eater of vegetables with individuals who eat less than three servings of vegetables and fruits each day, those that eat more than three servings have an approximately twenty percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease or stroke. The nutritional content of vegetables varies considerably based on it’s type; some contain useful amounts of protein though generally, veggies contain little to no fat, and varying proportions of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B6; provitamins; dietary minerals; and carbohydrates.
However, vegetables often also contain toxins and antinutrients which may interfere with the absorption of nutrients by the body. These antinutrients include a-solanine, a-chaconine, enzyme inhibitors (of protease, cholinesterase, amylase, and it’s like), cyanide and cyanide precursors, tannins and others. These toxins are natural defenses for the plants, used to ward off the insects, predators and fungi that might attack the plant. Some beans contain phytohaemagglutinin, and cassava roots contain cyanogenic glycoside as do bamboo shoots. These toxins can be deactivated by adequately cooking the vegetables. Green potatoes contain glycoalkaloids and should be avoided by all means.
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Health Benefits Of Vegetables
Vegetables are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that provide the body with many important health benefits. Veggies offers health benefits like improved digestion, lowers blood pressure, lowers risk of heart diseases, diabetes controlling and others
Health Implications of Vegetables
Vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables, have been roped into in nearly half the gastrointestinal infections caused by norovirus. These are vegetables that are commonly eaten raw and may become contaminated during their preparation by an infected food handler or hygiene. Hygiene is important when handling foods to be eaten raw, and such exposed food needs to be properly cleaned, handled, and stored to limit contamination by exposure to an unhygienic atmosphere.
Preservation of Vegetables
The objective of preserving vegetables is to extend their availability for consumption. The aim of preserving is to harvest the vegetable at its maximum state of palatability and nutritional value, and preserve these qualities over an extended period of time. The main causes of deterioration in vegetables after they are gathered are the actions of naturally-occurring enzymes or the decay caused by microorganisms. Canning and freezing are the most common techniques used in preservation, and vegetables preserved by these methods are generally similar in nutritional value to their fresh counterparts with regards to carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals. and dietary fiber.
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Types Of Vegetables
Vegetables are available in many varieties and can be classified into biological groups these groups include:
- Leafy Green: These are plant leaves that are eaten as vegetables. E.g lettuce, spinach, kale, watercress, turnip green and silverbeet
- Cruciferous: Cruciferous vegetables are veggies of the family Brassicaceae with many genera and species being raised for food production. E.g cabbage, land cress, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli
- Marrow: marrow is a vegetable, the mature fruit of certain cultivars, e.g squash, aehobak, pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini
- Root: root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food, e.g potato, turnips, radishes, fennel and sweet potato.
- Edible Plant Stem: these are plants with stems that are eaten as vegetables, e.g celery green onion, rhubarb, Brussels sprouts and asparagus
- Allium: allium is a monocotyledonous flowering plant that is edible, examples are onion, garlic, scallions, leeks and shallot.
Are Vegetables Ketogenic?
Considering that some vegetables are regarded to be low in carbohydrates makes them one of the best food groups to be added to a ketogenic diet. While one has to be careful about which vegetable to stock up on that are keto friendly, the nutrient and medical benefits gotten from them makes them an essential part of our diet.
While all food items are made up of macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat). On a strict ketogenic diet, with fewer than 5% of calories from carbs, it’s important to know which best Keto veggies are the lowest in carbs, particularly if your goal is to consume fewer than 20 grams of carbs per day.
Keto vegetables with less than 5 grams of net carbs may be eaten relatively freely. It is hard to overeat spinach, zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, asparagus and kale on a keto diet as they are considered to be among the ketogenic vegetables list.
If you are doing a more moderate or liberal low-carb diet that allows more than 20 grams of carbs a day, you can eat as many above-ground keto friendly vegetables as you desire.
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What Vegetables Are Keto Friendly?
Above-ground vegetables are generally lower in carbs and are usually the best keto options while root vegetables (also known as below-ground vegetables) contain more carbs and are great choices, especially potatoes and sweet potatoes. The Carbs counts in above ground vegetables for keto are provided as net carbs per 100-gram serving.
Carb counts represent net carbs for a standard serving size of 100 grams for each vegetable which is about the weight of an average tomato. For example, 100 grams of asparagus contain 2 grams of net carbs while 100 grams of broccoli contain 4 grams of net carbs. A word about onions: while they grow below ground and are higher carb, they can be added to foods as a seasoning because you generally wont eat too many at once. Green onions, or scallions, can be used to top salads or other dishes in modest amounts.
Vegetables That Are Keto Appropriate
One thing should be clear about Vegetables, despite being carbohydrates, are good for you. You should always add vegetables to your meal planning. But if you’re on the ultra-restrictive keto diet—which demands that you follow a high-fat, low-carb eating plan, you might want to avoid certain higher-carbohydrate vegetables that could potentially kick you out of ketosis.
While vegetables are among the most nutritious things you can eat, there are a few starchy and carbohydrate-dense items that can definitely throw off your keto diet and in small servings, too. ( potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots.)
Even if you aren’t on the keto diet, the vegetables that follow on this list are great for you. Many of them are rich in gut-filling fiber and they’re all loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants. Plus, many of them also possess a high water content, which in addition to helping you maintain good hydration can also help you with your feelings of fullness (and thereby help you eat less at mealtime and avoid mindless snacking after mealtime). All these vegetables are incredibly flavorful on their own with no ranch dressing needed, and are easy to work into healthy meals.
You can fill up your plate with these keto-friendly vegetables, all of which have few net grams of carbs and bring some more of the good stuff to your meals.
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower has a similar nutrition profile to broccoli. It also has a mild flavour and is so versatile. It’s also a great cruciferous veggie to choose when you are on keto, as it has 1.5 grams of net carbs per half a cup. It’s bland in taste, but that’s the beauty of it, use it as base of staples like cauliflower rice and cauliflower mash, as you can adapt it to whatever you are making with the right spices and sauces.
- Cabbage: Cabbage is delicious when stuffed into keto fajitas, sautéed in butter, used in soups, used in our popular Asian cabbage stir fry, or made into coleslaw with a rich, creamy high-fat dressing that’s keto-friendly. It has 2 grams of net carbs per cup shredded, so you can eat a lot in one sitting without falling out of ketosis.
- Broccoli: With just 2 grams of net carbs per ½ cup, broccoli is a major superfood that should be a staple on the keto diet. It’s high in fiber and protein to keep you full and you can use it in just about anything (stews, soups, and keto makeovers of your favorite foods like casserole). Swap it for pasta, rice or potatoes. It can be steamed, fried in butter, drizzled in cheese sauce, roasted with bacon, baked au gratin and more.
- Spinach: Another super green, spinach is packed with vitamin A, C, calcium and iron. It’s very low in carbs and makes for an amazing addition to any meal. It’s a great vegetable to always have on hand in the fridge for easy weeknight meals when you’re pinched for time. A cup has a mere 2.5 grams of net carbs. It can be used raw in salads, baked into chips, sautéed, or creamed.
- Asparagus: Asparagus has just 2 grams of net carbs per 1 cup chopped, very low in carbs. It is highly nutritious and super versatile. This green veggie is high in fiber and folate. Add it to stir-fry, grill it, or use it in your slow cooker for hearty stews. Asparagus was made for a high-fat sauce such as hollandaise or béarnaise.
- Kale: Although slightly higher carb than spinach, kale is a flavorful veggie. This super green is one of the few vegetables that is a good source of protein (3 grams per cup), and it’s also low in carbs, although slightly higher in carb than spinach, and high in other nutrients like vitamin A, C and K. It’s really versatile—you can use it for omelets, keto air fryer kale chips, salads, soups, sauté in lard, or use as a base instead of pasta, and more. It has just 3.4 grams of net carbs per cup.
- Bell Peppers: Use these multi-colored peppers in a variety of ways, like in stir-fry, eggs, and fajitas, or as a dipper for keto spreads. They are packed with vitamin C and potassium, which is great for active bodies. There are 5.9 net grams per half a cup chopped.
- Arugula: Do not underestimate this power green and just reserve it for garnish. This peppery green is a little different from kale and spinach, but like them, is low in carbs and high in nutrition. It’s also a good source of folate, calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are great for your blood pressure, says Michalczyk. There are 0.4 grams of net carbs in a full cup.
- Celery: Take advantage of celery’s high water content to prevent the dehydration that’s often associated with keto. With just 1 gram of net carbs in a large stalk, it’s a great addition for soups, or as a crudité for a dip (or with nut butter on top).
- Green Beans: Green beans can be roasted, steamed, or stewed, but may taste even better cooked in bacon fat or butter. with just 4g net carbs.
- Brussels sprouts: This is also referred to as Baby cabbages’ : are excellent roasted until crispy or served in a creamy sauce.
- Pumpkin: This orange-hued vegetable is allowed on ketosis in moderate amounts. Don’t put pumpkin in a fall-only category! Pumpkin puree is low in carbs and a good source of fiber. Plus, it’s a great ingredient for keto-compliant desserts when you want something sweet and satisfying, she says. There are 7 grams of net carbs.
Reading more:
- 13 Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet
- 5 Types of Ketogenic Diets – Are Ketogenic Diets for Everyone?
Conclusion
In general, keto-friendly veggies are those with leaves (all types of lettuce, spinach and other greens are good ketogenic options). Green vegetables tend to be lower in carbs than veggies with a lot of color. For example, green cabbage is lower in carbs than purple cabbage. Green bell peppers are also somewhat lower in carbs than red or yellow peppers.
