Eating colorful food is healthy and green vegetables in particular have it all. Whether spinach, kale, lamb’s lettuce or broccoli – green vegetables are not only delicious and versatile, but also rich in valuable nutrients that make them an important part of a balanced diet.
What ingredients make green vegetables healthy?
Fortunately, every child now knows that vegetables are healthy. But why are green vegetables of all things given a special mention in many recommendations? There are several important reasons for this special status:
- The green pigment chlorophyll: This substance helps plants with photosynthesis. In human nutrition, it is a sign of freshness and vitality. Chlorophyll is also often associated with antioxidant properties.
- Bitter substances and phytochemicals: Green vegetables contain a particularly high amount of phytochemicals. These are being investigated in studies, including in connection with the cardiovascular system, metabolism and cell protection.
- Vitamins and minerals: Many green vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. These include, for example, vitamin K, folic acid, magnesium and calcium. All of these nutrients perform important functions in the body.
- Lots of fiber, few calories: Typical of green vegetables is their high fiber content and low energy density. This makes green vegetables very filling.
Green vegetables: a short list of favorites
There are countless types of green vegetables and you probably don’t know them all. These varieties are among the favorites:
- Spinach: quick to prepare, versatile and classic; rich in folic acid, iron, magnesium and vitamin K
- Broccoli: crunchy and mild in taste; provides vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and phytochemicals
- Kale: traditionally hearty, today also popular as an ingredient in green smoothies; has a high content of vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium and fiber
- Swiss chard: colorful stems, delicately spicy taste; contains lots of vitamin A, vitamin K, magnesium and iron
- Lamb’s lettuce: aromatic and nutty, ideal for light dishes; scores with folic acid, vitamin C and iron
- Zucchini: versatile, light and rich in water, contains potassium and vitamin C
- Peas: crunchy and sweet, popular with children; good source of vegetable protein, fiber, vitamin B1 and folic acid
- Green beans: fresh and classic; provide fiber, vitamin K, folic acid and manganese
Green vegetables score points for their versatility, freshness and lots of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Depending on the variety, it goes well with hot and cold dishes and can be both a main ingredient and a side dish. A green plate also makes you want to eat healthily.
Tips for eating green vegetables: nutrients and variety
The German Nutrition Society recommends eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Ideally, this should be three portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit.
If you want to eat more vegetables now, these tips will help you:
- Diversity counts! Use the whole range of green vegetables you can get! This increases the likelihood that you are well supplied with all the important nutrients. You’ll also expand your taste palette and perhaps discover completely new favorites.
- To ensure that the vegetables retain their high dose of nutrients, you should prepare them as gently as possible. It’s best to eat some of the vegetables raw and otherwise choose gentle cooking methods!
- To preserve even more nutrients from the vegetables, you can use the cooking water in sauces or dressings.
SILICIUM LIQUID for a balanced lifestyle
For some nutrients, it can be a challenge to cover them through the diet. With vitamin D, for example, this can be difficult under certain conditions, such as increased physiological stress or an unbalanced and unhealthy diet. In addition, this vitamin is mainly produced by sunlight. Unfortunately, this does not always work optimally in our latitudes.
However, you can support your balanced diet with high-quality food supplements, such as liquid SILICIUM LIQUID. It contains vitamin D3, vitamin K2 and, of course, silicon.
