But what about the other vegetables that are so often overlooked, passed up or simply ignored? There are many cruciferous, leafy and vitamin- and mineral-packed options for creating a healthy and varied diet -- yet many of us veer away from some very important players in the vegetable genre. Even though many people are aware that a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables is the most effective way to stay healthy and maintain an ideal weight, the tendency is to stick to tried-and-true selections, avoiding anything that may have held that “ick” factor in childhood or simply seems unappealing.
Exploring once-detested vegetables or adding in never-before-tried options is a great way to expand your menu selections for each week and allows you the opportunity to take in vital nutrients you otherwise might not get.
There is a long list of unpopular vegetables, and some popular magazines have even run polls to try to nail down the least-eaten of these vegetables. For example, Consumer Reports conducted a survey that was designed to identify the most commonly rejected veggies. The results included artichokes, bok choy, eggplant, parsnips, Swiss chard, turnips and rutabagas. Other health and fitness magazines, such as Men’s Health or Eating Well also ran similar polls with varying results.
In this article, we’ve identified five important veggies that you should be eating but probably aren’t. Consider adding these to your rotation and sharing them with family and friends. In some cases, even if you still find one or more still possess the “ick” factor, trying a new recipe can help make the vegetable more palatable.
Five Vegetables You Should Be Eating
These five veggies certainly do not comprise an exhaustive list of what you should include in your diet. They do make up a list of unpopular and frequently overlooked sources of valuable nutrients though -- and if they are missing from your diet, you should find a way to include them.