A nutritionist friend once told us something that’s hard to forget: Vegetables are like men. In general, they’re good for us. But as with anything, there are bound to be some dead beets in the lot. So next time you’re heading to the grocery store, keep these hints in mind.
Iceberg lettuce. This is the vegetable equivalent of air. Even if you ate an entire head, you’d only get 90 calories, 6 grams of fiber, and 36% of your RDA for vitamin C. It’s on all the restaurant salad bars simply because it’s cheap. As with all of the vegetables mentioned here, it’s a nice low-calorie choice but just doesn’t pack much nutrition.
Celery. This is what’s known as a “negative-calorie” food; it actually takes more energy to chew and digest than it serves up. (Imagine that!) It’s useful for temporarily holding off cravings (it keeps your mouth busy) and reminding you that you’re on a diet, but not much else.
Alfalfa sprouts. Although these contain some essential nutrients, you’d have to eat handfuls to get any significant benefit. Plus, because sprouts are difficult to wash and keep crisp, many people eat them right out of the box—putting you at a higher risk of salmonella.
Cucumbers. Their fresh crunch is a nice addition to sandwiches and salads. But once you peel away the skin (as most of us do), you peel away the fiber and there’s mostly just water left.
Mushrooms. The white button kind that you see at salad bars has little nutritional value. And since they’re grown primarily in manure and are a bit tedious to scrub…well, you get the idea.
Notice that all the vegetables named so far are pretty bland looking. That’s key. As a general rule, the most nutritious veggies are the most colorful ones. So choose spinach over iceberg, carrot sticks over celery, yams over potatoes.
But beyond garden veggies, there are a bunch of food products using the good name and reputation of vegetables to masquerade as healthy. Watch out for…
Vegetable chips. These are the latest snack rage, but don’t be fooled. If you read the labels closely, you’ll see that they aren’t much different from regular chips. Many contain corn products, potatoes, artificial coloring, and largely inconsequential vegetable extracts.
Vegetable tempura. A sugared batter, a deep fryer—who are you kidding?
Vegetable juice. Although the marketing is irresistible (get a full day’s dose in one glass), what it doesn’t mention is that you’ll also be ingesting loads of sodium and missing out on much fiber, which is one of the biggest health benefits of vegetables. Unless you’re juicing yourself, stick with the real thing.
Vegetable soup. Same predicament. Although it sounds healthy, most store-bought varieties are high in sodium and you’ll have to search pretty hard to even find a limp veggie or two in them. If you’re going the store-bought route, choose low-sodium brands and add lots of your own frozen vegetables. But better yet: just call home for Mom’s secret recipe.
Comments from Members
Good info!
I agree with you on most of these, but did you know that celery can lower blood pressure? And the 6 grams of fiber in lettuce are a great start to all of the fiber needs that your body has. Most of us don't get enough fiber in our diets, and it's often because we shun veggies of any kind. Just thought you'd like to know. There's so much more to good nutrition than just vitamins and minerals - and that goes for the water in the cucumbers, as well!
You only get the 6 grams of fiber in the iceburg lettuce if you eat the whole head. Who can do that!
Thank-goodness! I never did like celery.
I heard that a long time ago that iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value at all. That is why I switched to spinach which took me a while to get used to but now I love it.
I am vegetarian so I already knew this. However, I actually like alfafa sprouts on a veggie sub along with mushrooms and cucumber (with skin)...I guess it is a personal taste.
Don't care - I still love my mushrooms!
Although cucumbers and celery may not have as much nutritional value to them, they are great for curbing hunger. But if you are going to use cucumbers, I would recomment the Japanese or Lebanese variety - they have smaller seeds, are crisper, and you can keep the skin on because it is thin and not waxy. And I love using celery in soups and sauces because it adds a really nice flavor. And if you put peanut butter on them, it's a great snack. And even though button mushrooms may not have much nutritional value, mushrooms in general can add a lot to a dish with their distint texture. I just don't agree with this article. There may be other vegetables that have greater nutritional value, but I think that variety is key along with moderation. So don't opt out of these vegetables because sometimes the alternative (chips, cookies, etc) are much, much worse. And not that this matters a ton but I don't think that mushrooms are a vegetable - they're a fungi, more closely related to animals than plants a great substitution for vegetarians.
I'm certainly no expert, but I have a family full of people with a history of stomach disorders. (Crohn's, Celiac, IBS) Sprouts/greens, are loaded with minerals and vitamins. DId you know that sprouts contain, pound for pound, nearly as much protein as meat? Not to mention, "Raw Foods" (we tend to cook all the nutrients out of all our vegatables) of any kind, when eaten and thein enzymes have a definate effect on the digestive tract and the entire body's response to diet. So, even though it may not have that much value in it, it may be doing something important to you just the same that you didn't know about! As for the soups and vegatables drinks, yes, lots of sodium and unwanted toxins. I mean come on, it comes in a can! lol Just an important reminder to everyone...always REMEMBER! WASH your fruits and vegatables well!!! Thanks for letting me share. I so love this site! By Lis on 09/22/09 12:34 P.M.
VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE
VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE!
All five veggies serve some purpose in salads, soups and many other recipes. They are not the only vegetables I eat, with everything I enjoy a good variety, but I'm not going to stop eating them.
Well I'm not to sure about this article. I agree that Iceberg lettuce really has no nutritional value, but a mother trying to feed a family of 4 might need it to stretch out a meal. But besides that I'm a vegetarian and we love using all vegetables for flavor, color and zest!!! I'm also Italian too!!! So we love using everything!!! But seriously it is vital to eat the vegetables that give you the most nutrition. Try juicing, it's great and you get so much raw nutrition, I love it!!!! My favorite is 8 carrots and a wedge of pineapple, ummm delicious!!!
Even though many of these veggies don't have as much nutritional value as others, I definitely think they still have a place in the refrigerator! If one of the few veggies your kid will eat fall in this list, well, at least they're still eating some veggies! You can always add more colorful veggies to your iceberg salad, just don't load it with hi cal dressing!
This article is a dis-service to your readers. I am very disappointed in your website. Vegetables of any variety are good for you. And the key word is variety, no one just eats the pale vegetables you have reviewed. I agree about the chips and drinks.
I am very convinced no reasearch was put forth by this writer. Due to the fact that all the vegetables mentioned do contain more nutrition than the author has credited, most people do not realize our means of measurring nutrition is only as good as we understand every element in nature and how it affects the human body as well as how it's presence affects the bodies ability to use other nutrients.This type of research is still being conducted to this day. It's proven that isolating a vitamin or mineral can actually have a negative impact on the human body without other needed nutrients to aid in the body using them.Please gets your facts straight before posting such misleading statements.
Do better research.Iceberg lettuce nutritionals facts
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2476/2Celery
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2396/2Mushroom
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2485/2
I don't recall what show I recently saw this on, but new research is showing that mushrooms, including the simple button mushroom, are good for fighting off the stomach flu...so it isn't always about vitamins and minerals!
While there may not be much nutrional value to Iceberg Lettuce, creating a wrap with it instead of a tortilla, filled with sliced and diced veggies, shredded cheese, chicken or tuna happens to be one of my kids favorite lunces! As with most any vegetable, Variety is what will help your system. I do not use any of the listed "Bland" veggies alone. Well, maybe celery....um w/peanut butter. O.K. I grow cucumbers and the kids love to pick them, wash them, and just eat them as a quick snack, expecially during the summer, refreshing! These veggies work best when paired and or blended with other veggies. Combined in dishes, or in a wonderful mixed green and veggie salad. Feel the author is doing a disservice by suggesting that there is nothing of value with "Bland" veggies. As for the chips etc, make your own, baked veggie strips, juice your own and make your own soups. That is what we do - controls the sodium, eliminates most of the fats and excess sugars and you know exactly what is in it.
I think this article hurts more than it helps. Just helps people justify not eating vegetables. How about positioning it as how to improve the nutritional value of what you are eating....this is better than that.....rather than this is worthless.
there are some people like myself that have sugar issues and need to be able to get something down before going into "shock" and can't eat. tomato soup has been a life saver to me at times as well as the vegatables listed. they actually help me be able to eat. you are sending a very negative message. i have 2 boys that took me some serious work to have them eat something with color..it's a stepping stone to trying new vegetables. why on earth would you put this on a site our children can read just making it harder for us to do our job?
I am not a fan of really leafy lettuce, or fresh spinach - I feel like I'm eating tree leaves! I use Iceberg as my salad base but load it up with other healthy veggies and some good dressing spritz. I don't care about the other veggies not having nutritional value - as long as they're not harmful I will eat them anyway!
I use the veggies mentioned above as one part of a bigger meal. Yes, cucumbers are mostly water, but they are great for rehydration. Cutting out the inside of sliced cucs and filling them with cream cheese, topped with a green olive is an all time snack in for my family. Mushrooms can be sauteed in wine and olive oil with some onions to add to a steak dinner. We dont do iceberg lettuce as the main leaf in our salad, but when the whole family comes for dinner, it seems to work nicely as a filler along with fresh spinach and romaine. Celery is a wonderful substitution for bread with tuna, or to dip into healthy hummus. As far as veggie soup, adding some chick peas or lentils can make it healthier by adding fiber, carbs, and protein. So, I agree that these veggies by themselves are lacking in some way, but we need them for the basic structure of our meals.
Good info. I didn't know some of these. You could argue that since you can eat so much iceburg lettace...at least you would feel like you got to eat a LOT of food! LOL
I will still eat my mushrooms......yum, yum!!!
