When setting up a healthy diet there are optional foods that you can – but don’t have to – include and then there are essential foods that have to be included. Vegetables are essential and you will see them included in any healthy diet around the world.

 

The main benefit of vegetables is that they are packed with vitamins and minerals while being low in calories, which will keep your weight under control while also promoting healthy hair and skin. Getting enough of them will benefit not only your immune system but also your digestive and skeletal system, cardiovascular health and blood pressure.

 

 

 

Also, vegetables have high levels of antioxidants that can even the growth of cancerous cells in check. This is especially the case for cruciferous vegetables like broccoli. What’s even better is that these antioxidants will also boost your immunity and help you fight off infections and diseases.

 

Especially, leafy green vegetables like spinach are high in quercetin, a nutrient that acts anti-inflammatory while also helping with allergies.

 

 

 

Green, orange and yellow vegetables are especially full of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium; all minerals that many people especially athletes are deficient in. Next, we need to talk about dietary fiber in vegetables. Fiber is natures broom and is extremely important for proper digestion. But besides its the benefits of an efficient bowel, high-fiber foods are also linked to reduced risk of stroke, hypertension, and heart disease.

 

Fiber comes in two sorts, soluble and insoluble, which are both found in most vegetables. The soluble fiber becomes sort of a gel in the GI tract and slows digestion while helping to lower cholesterol and blood glucose. The insoluble fiber, on the other hand, doesn’t change at all but makes waste heavier and softer preventing constipation.

 

This is why its so important that you get your daily dose of fiber, with vegetables being a great option for that. Also due to its volume fiber helps went wanting to lose weight because it literally makes you feel fuller faster without contributing to your calorie balance.

 

 

 

When we look at cancer prevention, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage have high amounts of indoles, which help protect the body against different types of cancer like breast cancer, skin cancer and colon cancer.

 

 

 

Another benefit is the protein and amino acid content in certain vegetables. While animal proteins are generally seen as better absorbed and more complete in regards to essential amino acids, combining different vegetables with other plant-based foods can also give you similar results. A common example is beans with rice or spinach.  

 

 

 

And lastly, vegetables naturally have high levels of water. This makes them more voluminous while still being low in fat and calories.

 

It is very difficult to overeat to vegetables, which is why they are great for fat loss diets. Also, the more you consume vegetables, the more the water you will take in which can help flush out waste products and toxins.