Vegetables

Beans and lentils are sometimes forgotten as food cures because they are not the most exciting or tasty foods around but they are extremely nutritious and should be included as a part of a healthy diet. Both beans and lentils are packed full of fiber and protein and contain very little fat. Beans and lentils are rich in both antioxidants as well as phytochemicals and they are beneficial in fighting a number of diseases deemed as chronic such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, inflammatory diseases, osteoporosis and depression. Read the rest of this entry »

Peppers come from the genus “Capsicum” and the variety among peppers are tremendous. There is mild flavored, to sweet to dangerously hot. No matter whether you enjoy the taste of the mild Anaheim or bell pepper, the medium cascabel or the fiery jalapeno or Tabasco, enjoy peppers on a regular basis as they are delicious tasting and also are virtually fat free. Peppers come in a wide range of colors such as light, medium and dark green; gold; orange; bright red and all the way up to dark red; yellow peppers from pale to bright; browns from medium to extremely dark and some peppers are even purple in color. Read the rest of this entry »

The body enjoys the richness of raw vegetables, as cooking foods tends to destroy much of the nutritional value in regards to the vitamins and minerals inherent in the food. One option that is delicious and simple to do, not to mention convenient on those days when a person is short on time, is to turn your vegetables into drinks by juicing them. In case you are concerned that the high quantity of fiber will be lost by breaking down the vegetables in a juicer, that will not happen, as plenty of fiber will be retained even in the juice state. In fact, there is enough fiber in vegetable juices to more than supply the body’s need for it. Read the rest of this entry »

Veggies boast so many nutritional benefits that it is difficult to isolate which ones are better than others. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember your mother used to always tell you as a child to eat your veggies so you would grow to be healthy and strong? Mom was not far off the mark as vegetables are a food group that you can never eat too many of. Vegetables are chocked full of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Let’s take the time to look at some of the most nutritious of all of the vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »

Becoming a vegetarian does not have to be permanent. While it is true that many people become vegetarians for the health benefits, not all of them remain vegetarians. Most enjoy the lifestyle enough to never return to eating meat, but that is not a requirement. In fact, it may be healthier for you not to remain a vegetarian, but to gain some of the health benefits from a temporary trial. If your doctor has recommended a vegetarian diet for you and you are afraid of leaving meat behind, don’t worry. You can reap the benefits of a vegetarian diet and then, for the most part, return to your accustomed eating style. Read the rest of this entry »

Becoming a vegetarian can be difficult if you don’t inform yourself of many of the facets surrounding the diet and the lifestyle of the vegetarian. In this article, we’ll answer some questions that many people have about vegetarianism when they are first looking into the lifestyle in order to give you a better idea of how one can successfully live as a vegetarian. Read the rest of this entry »

Putting a salad on the table is not a bad thing to do. Salads are especially important in a vegetarian diet and are a great way to eat a tasty variety of vegetables with dinner. Salads are colorful and nutritious. With the endless combinations of vegetables you can make, I hope that you aren’t bored with salads.

You may however be bored with putting the same old dressing on the table with the salad every night. It doesn’t matter how creative you are with vegetable combinations. If you dress your salads with the same old dressings time and time again, they will all taste the same.

When it’s time to get some variety into your salad routine, it’s time to break out of the salad dressing mold. Here are some fun things to do to dress up your vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »

For the Hummus:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons Greek natural yogurt
Juice of one lemon
Pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Place the chickpeas, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice and paprika in the blender or food processor and mix on high until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and season with salt and pepper if desired.

For the Roasted Vegetables:

1 Eggplant, sliced
2 zucchinis, cut into matchstick strips
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Flour tortillas to serve

Place all the vegetables in a non stick roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 45 minutes or until tender and roasted.

Warm the tortilla wraps according to package instructions, then spread with hummus and fill with roasted vegetables, wrap and serve.

We are constantly being told to include as many servings of vegetables as possible in our diet to achieve a balanced diet. So what’s so important about striking the right balance? Well for starters a healthy diet with antioxidant rich vegetables could save your life. We are what we eat and to be healthy.

Research increasingly points to antioxidant vegetables to prevent a range of degenerative diseases and repair cell damage. It is inevitable that our bodies undergo considerable cell damage due to the excessive amounts of pollution we are exposed to in our everyday life. So to undo this damage it is important to consume an adequate amount of antioxidant vegetables.

Vegetables That Will Do You Good

New research suggests that not all foods have equal amounts of antioxidants. Some antioxidant vegetables have a higher content of antioxidants than others. Cooking vegetables can also influence the amount of antioxidants found in them. Cooking tomatoes actually increases the amount of antioxidants. Other vegetables such as potatoes however decrease in antioxidants after cooking.

The rule of thumb however is that the redder the fruit is the richer it is in antioxidants. Fruits that are bright coloured usually have high antioxidant properties. So include carrots, apples, oranges and tomatoes on your list of antioxidant rich vegetables.

There are other antioxidant rich vegetables that do not follow this rule. Spinach, artichoke hearts, eggplants, and russet potatoes are also vegetables that are rich in antioxidants. Beans are also a surprisingly rich source of antioxidants. All sorts of beans such as red, pinto, kidney, and black beans pack a powerful antioxidant punch.

Cook The Right Way

As mentioned earlier cooking greatly influences the amount of antioxidants found in vegetables. Besides tomatoes, there are also other vegetables that increase in antioxidants after cooking. Yellow onions, red cabbage and broccoli all increase in antioxidants after cooking. It appears that baking and steaming are the best ways to go about cooking these vegetables. And just as with any other vegetables, overcooking antioxidant rich vegetables will destroy any benefits you may get from the vegetables.

Mix It Up

There are of course other vegetables and even fruits that are rich in antioxidants, blueberries for example are full of antioxidants. The idea is to include as many of these fruits and vegetables in your diet and if possible to combine the vegetables in a meal. It is ideal to have as many antioxidant rich vegetables as possible every time you sit down to eat. This is because the body does not absorb all antioxidants as well as it might others. So the idea behind mixing up what you eat is that you will be able to get the maximum amount of antioxidants.