We all grew up with our parents telling us to eat our fruits and veggies, but most of us never really understood why. As we got older, this may have caused some of us to cut back on the veggies since mom and dad weren’t there to remind us. There are reasons that your mom told you to eat your vegetables, and in today’s post, we’d like to explore a few of those vegetables and their benefits.
Carrots
Almost everyone can agree on the carrot- just give it some ranch and it’s an easy snack, simple to throw into a salad, and easy to eat in other ways, as well. But what makes carrots healthy? First of all, it contains high amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which are proven to help your vision. Some studies have shown that carrots also can reduce your likelihood of getting cancer. While these are the benefits carrots are most known for, you might not have known that carrots can also help your skin, prevent heart attacks and strokes, and give you healthier teeth and gums. Not bad for a little orange vegetable, eh?
Green Beans
Green beans have healthy qualities similar to carrots, and on top of that, they’re excellent for antioxidants! It also contains a mineral called “silicon”. (Don’t worry- this isn’t plastic!) This mineral help promotes bone strength and health. Green beans are good for your heart, too!
Kale
Kale is full of benefits, and some speculate that it might be the healthiest vegetable in the world. Kale contains high amounts of fiber (promotes healthy digestive system), iron (spreading nutrients throughout your body), vitamin K (preventing cancer), vitamin A (helping vision, lung health, among other things), vitamin C (strengthening immune system and metabolism), and antioxidants. Kale also has many benefits for your heart. It’s also a great food if you’re going for a detox to clean out your body.
Broccoli
Broccoli holds a wealth of health benefits. If you’re looking for a good detox, you can consider broccoli to be a great item to add to your list. It’s also been known to be an anti-inflammatory. Broccoli is full of vitamins that help your bones by assisting your body process its consumption of vitamin D. Like corn, broccoli is also high in fiber. Other things you may not have known: broccoli can help your skin and can also help your eyes, too!
So what do you think? Experts recommend two to three servings a day of vegetables. But are you getting that much of these nutrients? Imagine the healthy impacts on your body by consuming just a little bit more of these beneficial vegetables every day. Make a goal to eat more vegetables throughout your week, and after a while, you will see it becomes a habit!
Sources
10 Benefits of Carrots
WH Foods
Health Benefits of Broccoli