Eating nutritious food such as vegetables should be a staple for healthy living. Vegetables are a low-calorie, high-fiber food that can help control cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Research indicates that vegetables offer a wide range of antioxidants to help decrease cancer and heart disease vulnerability. And most importantly, vegetable consumption has been shown to affect longevity and overall physical health positively.

Furthermore, winter is a season that provides the opportunity to enjoy an abundance of healthy vegetables. Since winter produce is harvested a little later than in spring, we can enjoy these vegetables as long as they are fresh. If you want to know what vegetables are best during winter, then you are in so much luck. Here are some of the best winter veggies that you can try.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are the best winter veggies because they help lower LDL (bad cholesterol), increase HDL (good cholesterol), and contain beta-carotene, a type of antioxidant that helps fight cancer. You can have Brussels sprouts for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and you should include them in your family’s daily diet.

Carrots

Carrots are another excellent winter vegetable. They can simultaneously boost your mood, improve digestion and metabolism, boost your immune system, and promote detoxification of the liver. One carrot is all you need per day to get all these benefits.

Celery Root

Celery root is suitable for a wide range of health problems, including anemia, arthritis, and osteoporosis. It can help lower blood sugar levels if they are too high. What is more, one medium-sized celery root contains more than half a day’s worth of vitamin C.

Cabbage

Cabbage is an essential part of our diets because it contains many essential vitamins like C, K, B1, B2, and protein. It also helps us maintain healthy cholesterol levels, making it an excellent choice for people with high cholesterol problems.

Celery

Celery is filled with fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. It helps improve digestion, fight against cancerous cells, reduce your risk of heart disease, and prevent inflammation and ulcers. Plus, celery has anti-aging properties that can keep you young for a long time. You can eat straight celery sticks or mixed with yogurt or cottage cheese.

Kale

Kale has been associated with many health benefits. It helps reduce inflammation in your body, improves digestion and metabolism, and can reduce your risk of cancer. Kale is also known for lowering LDL oxidation (bad cholesterol) to HDL (good cholesterol), making it an excellent choice for high cholesterol issues. Furthermore, kale is an excellent source of beta-carotene that offers significant protection against cancer and heart disease risks.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are extremely rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene that can help fight against free radicals in your body. Free radicals are chemical substances that damage healthy cells in your body. They are formed when you eat foods like processed snacks, red meat, and fried food. To get rid of these free radicals, get sweet potatoes into your diet, as they can help control the development of some types of cancers and heart diseases.

Spinach

Spinach is an excellent source of iron, folic acid, vitamin K1, vitamin A (as beta-carotene), vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. It is so good for your body that Popeye was able to eat spinach and get superpowers! Remember him? Spinach is known for strengthening bones and lowering cancer risks such as prostate cancer. It also helps prevent anemia by boosting red blood cell production in your body.

Sweet Onions

Sweet onions are rich in flavourful compounds called phytonutrients that offer several health benefits. For instance, they can help decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering cholesterol levels. Besides, sweet onions contain polyphenols that can make you feel calmer and improve your mood. You can eat sweet onions raw or grilled.

Turnips

Turnips are also known for their health benefits. Turnips help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in your blood and improve your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. They also increase the absorption of some vitamins, especially vitamin A (as beta-carotene). One turnip contains 7% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin A.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, including vitamin C, K1, B6, and potassium. It is rich in fiber, too, that can keep your bowel clean and will help prevent colon cancer and heart diseases as well. Cauliflower can also help you lose weight because of its low calories content.

Radishes

Radishes have beneficial components that can help fight against cancer and heart diseases. They contain radioprotective compounds that can protect the cells from oxidative damage. Besides, radishes help regulate blood pressure and reduce inflammation in your body.

Rutabagas

Rutabagas are high in fiber content and can help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in your blood and improve your overall health. Unlike other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli, Rutabagas are neither starchy, acidic, or gooey in flavor, making them a better choice for individuals who dislike these vegetables.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. It contains many nutrients like beta-carotene, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C. Swiss chard also contains omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties that make them a healthy food choice for people living with arthritis.

Furthermore, it is used in many recipes as an alternative to lettuce because it has a mild flavor with tender stems and leaves. When you buy Swiss chard leaves, check its color to be sure that it is fresh. It should not have dark spots or yellowish patches on the leaves or stems.

Takeaway

Winter vegetables are essential to a healthful diet because they provide necessary vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients during the winter months when few fresh vegetables are available due to colder temperatures. Furthermore, you can use the list above for the best winter vegetables.