The Full Plate Diet PDF eBook Free Download Slim Down - Look Great - Be Healthy eBook PDF | Page 53

Top 5 Vegetables for Your Diet
50
1
2
3
4
5
Avocado
6.7 g fiber
/ 2 medium
1
Broccoli 5.1 g fiber
1 cup
Spinach 4.3 g fiber
1 cup
Sweet
Potatoes 3.8 g fiber
1 medium
The varieties of vegetables are too broad to fit into
a single botanical category, so it’s not a scientific
term. Vegetables are any flowers, seeds, leaves,
buds, stems, tubers or roots that can be eaten. A
diet high in vegetables reduces the risk of chronic
diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes,
hypertension, stroke, Alzheimer’s, digestive
disorders, cataracts, and cancer. Vegetables are rich
sources of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates
and fiber and contain a relatively new category of
nutrient called phytonutrients or phytochemicals.
These are found in all vegetables and have
antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and
anticarcinogenic properties depending on the plant.
The largest concentrations of phytochemicals are
found in vegetables with rich colors, intense flavors,
and enticing aromas. Brief steaming or rapid boiling
in the least possible water causes the smallest loss
of nutrients. Notable exceptions are tomatoes and
carrots—their nutrient levels are increased with
cooking.
Honorable Mentions
Carrots
2.3 g fiber
1
/ 2 cup
Beets, fresh, cooked
Kale, cooked
Zucchini, sliced, cooked
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Tomato
3.4 g fiber/1 cup
2.6 g fiber/1 cup
2.5 g fiber/1 cup
2.0 g fiber/2 cup
1.5 g fiber/1 medium