Importance of Green Vegetables

“Mom, I don’t like this vegetable, I won’t have it. Give me something else.”

“It’s good for your health, be quiet and eat it.”

Once in a while, we all have such silly arguments with our moms, but have you ever wondered why our parents want us to eat green vegetables? Why do they always demand that we eat healthy food instead of packaged junk?

Let’s know today, we all have heard that green vegetables are healthy and important for a fit and disease-free lifestyle.

Green vegetables, which are also called greens, green leafy vegetables or leafy greens, are the vegetables which are either edible plant leaves or the fruits of those green plants. While some of these vegetables can be eaten raw, some require cooking.

A healthy lifestyle needs a balanced diet and good food. In today’s generation, many people are grappling with issues like poor health, poor digestion, weight management, obesity, extra fat, easy fatigue etc… The prime reason behind such issues is an imbalanced diet along with junk food. People run behind taste and leave health aside. Rather, it is important to find taste within the healthy part. 

Green vegetables help a person to maintain a great lifestyle in numerous ways, some of which are given below,

• Ideal source of nutrition

Green vegetables are one of the most beneficial sources of nutrition, the other being fruits. Vegetables like kale, peas, spinach, etc provide sufficient nutrition that your body requires. It contains lots of fiber and minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium.

• Plant-based vitamins

Natural extracts from plants in the form of plant leaves or vegetables are packed with Vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, K and Folate.

• Improves bowel movements

Green vegetables contain great fiber, which helps in digestion and helps in pushing waste out of the body easily.

• Anti-oxidants

Compounds of anti-oxidant effects are present in green leafy vegetables. Spinach and kale contain antioxidant properties like lutein and zeaxanthin that help prevent strokes and cardiovascular diseases.

• Improves eye-sight

Vegetables like spinach, kale, Arugula, coriander leaves, are rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A contains retinal which helps to protect the surface of eyes. Studies suggest that people with weak eye-sight must consume green vegetables in their daily diet routines.

• Healthy skin

With great health for the body, vegetables also help maintain a healthy and glowing skin. Vegetable juices, salads, cooked meals and even raw vegetables are packed with beta-carotene for a fresh and clear skin. Skin issues like premature ageing, wrinkles, acne, skin damage, can be avoided by daily consumption of green vegetables.

• Weight management

Junk food adds fat and hampers the cholesterol levels in the body, but green vegetables can help manage those. Weight has always been a big issue and maintaining a healthy weight has been tough, but adding green vegetables to your meals can really help a balanced diet; fiber, water, nutrients, and will prove to be a perfect addition to a weight-loss diet.

• Good mood with sound sleep

While it sounds random and false, green vegetables actually promote the quality of sleep and enhance one’s mood. A substance called choline affects the sleep cycle and helps your mood to be happier. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the brain and their neurological functioning and thus, green vegetables promote excellent memory.

• Treatment of health issues

Doctors suggest green vegetables for treatment of anemia alongwith medication, as they carry nutrients like iron and vitamin C. Other benefits such as maintenance of hemoglobin, reduction of anxiety and stress, improvement of bone density are also available in green vegetables.

Here’s a list of a wide variety of green vegetables to choose from:

• Kale

• Cabbage

• Peas

• Brocolli

• Lettuce

• Spinach

• Watercress

• Celery

• Spring onion

• Swiss chard

• Arugula

• Iceberg

• Parsley

• Leafy greens like drumstick leaves, basil leaves, coriander leaves, Fenugreek leaves, moringa leaves, mint leaves, amaranth leaves, curry leaves etc…

The bottom line, as we can see the amazing benefits of green vegetables and a great variety of them to choose from, why skip greens as a part of your meals? A pretty skin, good health, and a clean environment call for green vegetables, so add them to your daily diet. Taste can be consumed in any form, but making green vegetables tasty and flavoursome is important. Eat green, stay clean!