Why do we need green vegetables?

[makedah]

I know this sounds like such a weird and elementary question, but sometimes I wonder why we bother eating "green" (as in non-starchy) vegetables that don't seem to have much nutritional content? I'm speaking here of those veggies that aren't the dark green leafies or the cruciferous kind. I'm speaking of veggies like radishes, asparagus, celery and green beans.

In terms of veggies, I mostly eat sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach and carrots -- nutritional powerhouses! And of course potatoes, which have fiber and tons of potassium. I also buy the occasional bagged romaine salad (I know, I know 50 lashes with a wet noodle!) and add some cucumber, sweet onion and sunflower seeds. I try to eat more non-starchy veggies because i think I should, but I'm not quite sure WHY anymore. Other than the fact that some of them (like yellow crookneck squash!) are quite yummy, why should we eat "green" veggies?

Your encouragement/advice/persuasion will be appreciated!

[This message has been edited by makedah (edited 04-16-2001).]

[sneezles]

Aside from the simple pleasure of eating asparagus? Same could be said for Haricot Vert, if prepared correctly. Radishes I could do without. But all in all- Variety is the spice of life?

[BosunsWife]

Mmmmm. I couldn't do without green beans, love em', especially my dad's fresh out of the garden cooked in the pressure cooker.

[schuh]

My reason:
Scientists keep finding substances in fruits and veggies that nourish our bodies in a variety of ways. We are far from knowing everything there is to know about such substances. Eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies increases our chances of getting the full range of the good things that nature provides for our bodies.
As an example, apples were not known as being that beneficial a few years ago. Now they are considered very healthy as a result of a substance in them -- I forgot the name but I'm sure someone on this board can provide it. I'm sure that there are many more waiting to be discovered, perhaps in one of the veggies you mentioned.
Then there's the idea that food is one of the great pleasures of life ... so if you like 'em, eat 'em!

[Ohioan]

Most vegetables are rich in the B vitamins (except B12) and fiber, as well as varying amounts of anitoxidants, phytochemicals, and various minerals and other nutrients. They're all different, and all distinct in what they offer. The yellow vegetables in particular (e.g., the crookneck squash you mention) have a lot of vitamin A. And, as schuh says, science keeps discovering new things about our foods every day, including not just the individual nutritional content of each individual food, but how they all work together with each other.

For example, as many people here have pointed out, we need a certain amount of fat in order to metabolize the fat-soluble vitamins such as A. Different kinds of iron (heme and non-heme) metabolize differently, both in themselves and in combination with other foods. Conversely, the spinach you love so much may inhibit absorption of calcium, whereas other dark leafy greens, which themselves are also loaded with calcium (among many other things, such as C and iron), don't contain the oxalic acid that keeps the calcium in spinach from being absorbed. And so on.

Besides, if we approach eating as a chore or a duty -- if we brace ourselves and eat what we "must," but don't "bother" with anything anything that isn't listed on the latest chart of what we "must" eat -- it's possible that even those things on the chart won't do us much good.

Three cheers for earth's infinite variety! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Cheer, cheer, cheer,
Phoebe

[emilycat]

Hear ye, hear ye!

(Ditto, Phoebe http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif )

[makedah]

Thanks all,

Don't get me wrong, I like vegetables. I just find myself in a rut with certain ones from time to time. (About a year ago, it was either french fries, canned corn or canned green beans. Blegh!)

Ohioan -- can you recommend a good chart for nutrients in vegetables? I've seen food charts that include veggies, but the information in them is very limited (fat, protein, carbs, but not a good list of vitamins).

[LGBurns]

makedah, here is some more nutritional info on the vegetables you mentioned:

asparagus: contains vitamin A and C, niacin, potassium and some iron and has a natural diuretic effect.
radishes: contain potassium and some iron but not much else in the way of essential nutrients
celery: good source of potassium, kind of high in sodium (151 mg of sodium per cup)
green beans: vitamin A and potassium, some protein, iron, calcium and vitamin C.

This information is from Jane Brody's Good Food Book. She does not have a table of nutrients but she has a great section on fruits and vegies that not only gives the above info for each fruit or vegetable but also where they were first cultivated, how to choose them, cooking suggestions, amount of calories and approximate yields per pound (e.g., "2 pounds serves 4-6 people" or "one medium avocado yields about 1 1/2 cups of cubes"). It's a very useful book.

[SandyM]

Didn't spinach give Popeye strong muscles?

I don't know what it does for me, but I can't imagine not eating it at least twice a week!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

(ok ok I re-read the post. No you weren't talking about spinach....eesh)

[This message has been edited by SandyM (edited 04-17-2001).]