Anyone know a good list of the top healthiest veggies?

[SaltyNuts]

I hate veggies, but I want to start eating healthier. So I want to add some veggies to my diet, but not many, so I'd prefer to eat the healthiest ones possible. Anyone have a list of the top healthiest ones? You google the varioues veggies and all these health sites have glowing positive reviews on each veggie. But surely there has to be some hierarchy as to which ones are truly the healthiest. I'm pretty darned sure iceberg lettuce is not worth wasting my time on! I'd guess broccoli and kale are at the top, but I don't know.

Thanks!

 

[Capt Caveman]

Google - 'top healthiest veggies'

/thread

 

[chitwood]

anything green

 

[dullard]

Too many variables to make one list. Do you want maximum nutrients per gram? Maximum nutrients per calorie? What type of nutrients do you care about? Are you counting fiber and resistant starches or just the standard minerals and vitamins? Do you believe in antioxidants? Etc.

I personally like this list of maximum nutrients per calorie, although it doesn't include the very important (but under-studied) group of resistant starches:
https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0390.htm

In general though, just pick a variety of bold colors. Dark green spinach, deep red beets and beet greens, red peppers (spicy or not), etc. Those bold colors tend to be the nutrients that your body needs. You don't want to just eat broccoli as that is leaving out many other nutrients. White fruits and vegetables tend to have the lowest amount of nutrients and/or tend to be the most calorie dense.

 

[Crono]

Whfoods

I wouldn't try and just eat the "top" vegetables, though, just consume a good variety of vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and fruits (by color is an easy rule of thumb to get good variety for fruits, and green vegetables making up more volume).

 

[dullard]

Also, I doubt that you hate veggies. I think instead you hate the way the veggies have been cooked. There is a very important difference there.

I'd start with this:
1) Buy a beet (with the green leafy bits still on it if possible)
2) Cut off the green leafy bits and set them aside.
3) Bake (in aluminum foil) or microwave the beet until tender. It will take longer than you think.
4) Set the beet out to cool.
5) While the beet is cooling, saute the beet greens in a pat of butter or any oil.
6) Add walnuts or similar nuts to the saute pan.
7) Dice the beet and add to the saute pan and turn off the heat.
8) Add a bit of chevre cheese.
9) Stir in a little bit of Italian dressing.

I have yet to find a veggie hater who won't gobble that up. Protein + leafy greens + beet + calcium + just enough fat to let your body absorb all of the nutrients. And it is all very tasty.

 

[KMFJD]

broccoli,kale,carrots, spinach, cauliflower, beans

 

[RichUK]

https://www.amazinggrass.com/

 

[MrSquished]

I have heard of no list about the best veggies, though I will wager it's definitely out there on google. I just know of lists about the worst veggies you can have, based upon how many pesticides it takes on average to raise them non-organically. My sister uses that list, and while she buys veggies that are mostly organic, there are a few on the list that rank low on pesticide use where those are ok for purchase non-organic.

 

[tynopik]

let's just say you can't get fat eating celery

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Broccoli, Kale, Spinach, green beans.

 

[bbhaag]

I'm kind of curious. What do you hate about veggies? Is it the taste? Is it the texture? Is it a psychological block? Why do you hate veggies?

Do you hate fruit too or is it just vegetables?

 

[Newbian]

As long as you eat some they are all healthy.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Veggies are not the enemy! Learn how to prepare them. Approaching nutrition from a purely scientific perspective is an exercise in futility. An individuals metabolism, nutritional efficiency and, lifestyle make too big a difference to be followed for specific results. Learn (keyword) to eat a variety of vegetables.

 

[kage69]

The general rule of thumb is the darker the pigments involved, the better it is for you. Antioxidant wise the most dense is the chagga mushroom. Wild blueberries are very high up the list. Kale is probably top 5, and has the curious characteristic of becoming more nutritious after cooking IIRC.

 

[ponyo]

The key to eating more veggies is to add meat toppings. Wife told me to eat more veggies and fish. So I made tuna salad and added dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pickled jalapenos.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The key to eating more veggies is to add meat toppings. Wife told me to eat more veggies and fish. So I made tuna salad and added dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pickled jalapenos.

Where are the cranberries, pumpkin seeds and, jalapenos? You might try searing for longer than 30 seconds too.

 

[ponyo]

Where are the cranberries, pumpkin seeds and, jalapenos? You might try searing for longer than 30 seconds too.

Under the tuna. And any searing for longer than 30 seconds is too long. I only sear to kill the potential surface bacteria. If you want to eat overcooked tuna, eat the can tuna. If I had caught and cut the tuna myself, I would have skipped the searing and ate it completely raw.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Under the tuna. And any searing for longer than 30 seconds is too long. I only sear to kill the potential surface bacteria. If you want to eat overcooked tuna, eat the can tuna. If I had caught and cut the tuna myself, I would have skipped the searing and ate it completely raw.

You're missing the texture and flavor created by longer searing while still keeping the tuna raw in the middle as well as the additional crunch from adding more cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Eating well is more than just nutrition.

 

[ponyo]

You're missing the texture and flavor created by longer searing while still keeping the tuna raw in the middle as well as the additional crunch from adding more cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Eating well is more than just nutrition.

And you're missing the point of different people have different likes. Just because you like your tuna more cooked and done doesn't mean anything to someone like me who like theirs rare and raw. What you call added texture and flavor I call overcooked. My preference is completely raw tuna and light sear is the closest I can get with store bought tuna. If it was tuna I caught, I wouldn't dare ruining it with any kind of sear. It would be completely raw.

 

[darkswordsman17]

The answer is: the ones you actually eat. Small caveat, the ones you eat that don't require other parts that are detrimental to your health. If the only way you can eat veggies is some cut peppers on top of a pizza, or a tomato slice or some onions on a 1000 calorie hamburger, or a bunch of fried chicken and dressing on a salad, or a small amount of veggies/fruit with a lot of ice cream/sugar/etc in a smoothy, you'll defeat the point unless you also get drastic with cutting out other forms of calories/sugar. Oh, fried veggies (fried taters, onions, chips, etc) is another one, although the real problem there is how easy it is to overeat them.

Actually, I'd add a caveat and say start there, by adding veggies to food you like, and slowly work towards adding more (basically start shifting it so the veggies make up larger part of the meal). Or just start by eating raw the veggies you like and then slowly work to widen your palate by trying similar ones. Another trick is to combine them (pair veggies with sweet fruits, or other healthy things like nuts that will overpower the flavor of the veggies but aren't chock full of calories/sugar/sat fat). Smoothies aren't a bad way, just be sure not to go overboard adding sweetness/sugar (which is very easy).

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

And you're missing the point of different people have different likes. Just because you like your tuna more cooked and done doesn't mean anything to someone like me who like theirs rare and raw. What you call added texture and flavor I call overcooked. My preference is completely raw tuna and light sear is the closest I can get with store bought tuna. If it was tuna I caught, I wouldn't dare ruining it with any kind of sear. It would be completely raw.

Hey, don't blame me because you're doing it wrong.

 

[ponyo]

Hey, don't blame me because you're doing it wrong.

And you wonder why you're a chef at a school cafeteria and not a real chef.

 

[MrSquished]

And you're missing the point of different people have different likes. Just because you like your tuna more cooked and done doesn't mean anything to someone like me who like theirs rare and raw. What you call added texture and flavor I call overcooked. My preference is completely raw tuna and light sear is the closest I can get with store bought tuna. If it was tuna I caught, I wouldn't dare ruining it with any kind of sear. It would be completely raw.

Used to be a back waiter in a rather nice seafood joint in NYC. Anytime anyone would order a beautiful piece of fish well done, the cooks in the back would holler 'They wan't varnish on it?'

 

[Mai72]

Use a Nutribullet in the morning.

Like clockwork, every morning at 6:30am I drink a spinach/kale drink with 1/2 cup frozen fruit. I'll then add one scoop of Amazing Grass, 1 banana, and a teaspoon of grapeseed powder.

That right there is 90% of my green intake for the day. At night, I'll add 1 cup of brocolli with a protein like chicken breast.

Use hot sauce on top of your veggies if you don't like the taste. I like kicking BBQ hot sauce by Frank's. Don't overdue it. The sodium can be quite high.

**Buy some type of green powder. It will boost your green intake for the day. It's so easy and if you mix it with your Nutribullet you can't even taste it. I like Amazing grass because the price is very reasonable, they use organic greens and they have a large selection.