As a kid, there were so many things that I didn’t like, and would try any and every excuse to avoid them, but as you can imagine all too well, I hardly ever got away with it. All mothers have a standard and unwavering response, all vegetables are good for you and you have to eat them. Eat your vegetables! Well now as a grown-up, I don’t have to throw a fit, I can easily combat this by stating a fact that not all vegetables are as nutritious and there are some you can avoid. Ah! I see I have captured your interest, so here goes, our list of not so nutritious vegetables and the ones you can leave (disclaimer: they may not be the ones that you really wished to avoid):
- Corn: You have probably already heard that corn oil, corn fructose syrup, products spell danger and unhealthy, but those are processed items. Nothing really wrong with corn as a vegetable, in fact, it is so versatile in salads, as a snack, however, the truth is that corn is not really high on any nutritional value, doesn’t have much fiber or any other nutrient. What it is high on is carbohydrates that are easily digested by our body and broken into sugar, which spikes the sugar level. And you don’t need me to spell what that means. Not to mention that most of it is now genetically modified and dangerous.
- Eggplant: Classic example of big-name (known as king of vegetables owing to the crown on its head) but no real merit. It contains solanine which is bad for people with inflammatory conditions, and hits hard on your joints. Additionally, after preparation thanks to its texture it absorbs the oil, fats, and turns out unhealthier than it was in the beginning.
- Potatoes: I can feel the raised eyebrows, I know that especially in our cuisine and worldwide potatoes are probably the most used vegetable. It is so multipurpose, even I can’t imagine never eating them again. Unfortunately, they are mostly starchy, high in carbohydrates and hence fattening (thanks to the way they are prepared mostly fried and junk). And all that is equivalent to bad health. But as we know it may not be possible to eliminate them completely, so I suggest portion control and better ways to prepare them, baking or steamed.
Of course, these are not the only veggies that aren’t all that nutritious, but fact remains mostly they are all okay to consume, and better than any processed item. What has made most of then unsafe is the amount of pesticides in them that do more damage to the health. So, on that front try and use organic and keep checking the EWG list for the topmost toxic items.
In hindsight this might not have been the respite you were looking for, Alas! moms are right. Just don’t tell my mom.