The phrase “healthy eating” is by default considered synonymous to vegetables. These eternally trusted edibles have always been at the forefront of good all-around nutrition and fitness, hatever form they come in: green and leafy, root (beets, turnips, parsley), stalk (asparagus, celery, fennel), fruit (tomatoes, eggplant, okra, squash), inflorescent (artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower), and many more.
Despite this reputation, vegetables are not immune to a number of more-fiction-than-fact beliefs that have until now persisted. And considering their otherwise favorable contribution to health, vegetables can be subjected to the wrong perception that brings forth mistaken understandings that have clouded their real benefits. And, much like with any similar situation, getting down to the straight and solid facts is essential in taking advantage of these edible agents of health and fitness.
Fiction: Potatoes are fattening.
Fact: The calorie count on a medium-sized potato is actually just 161 – not really that threatening. Potatoes are also high in fiber, which makes you feel fuller for a longer time – great for those trying to lose weight. The culprit in this myth? It’s how you cook potatoes that makes them unhealthy. Frying or adding loads of condiments will indeed load these spuds up with unnecessary fats and calories; however, steamed or boiled potatoes are virtually harmless.
Fiction: Fresh instead of frozen is the way to go.
Fact: Frozen vegetables are equally healthy because they are harvested and packed frozen at the peak of their freshness. The freezing part locks in all the nutrients.
Fiction: Bagged salads are uncontaminated.
Fact: Despite the sealed packaging and labels claiming of a double or triple wash, packaged greens still need rinsing and cleaning before eating. Contamination is likely to happen during packaging, and once sealed, germs and microbes might actually be sealed in too. Give the packed greens a good rinse.
Fiction: Dark green veggies are the best kind
Fact: White cauliflower and iceberg lettuce deserve the same amount of respect given to the darker, greener ones, simply because they have been proven to contain the same type and almost the same amount of nutrients. Leafy green and dark green may be extremely beneficial, but lighter ones naturally have good nutritional value as well, and must not be considered inferior in any way.
Fiction: Pesticides in vegetables can harm the body
Fact: Whether commercially or organically grown, vegetables’ health benefits far outweigh the setbacks when it comes to nutrients and other elements that are believed to compromise them (including pesticides). Fiber, phytochemicals and vitamins are what matters and will definitely be absorbed by the body, generally making you better and healthier.
Fiction: Cooking wipes out the nutrient amount
Fact: As an example: the heat produced when cooking tomatoes releases lycopene, which is an essential and effective antioxidant. Although overcooking can indeed wipe out the nutrients vegetables, cooking them the right way not only effectively seals in a significant amount of natural healthy nutritional elements, but releases natural minerals as well.
Fiction: Local vegetables are always cheaper
Fact: This myth can be debunked by simple, logical economics. Any vegetable is valued not by its origin, but by the season during which it is sold. The math is simple: vegetables in season produce higher production, and availability. This means increased competition for farmers and distributors, thereby leading to a price war: farmers will slap on lower prices in order to sell more. This is a general, constant, and persistent rule that has nothing to do whatsoever with where a vegetable is grown, or shipped from.
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