Those (often flavorless) vegetables staring at us between our protein and standing in the way of our desert. We never fully questioned it, “just because” seemed like a good enough reason then.
I’ve always been curious about the reasons behind this, it is difficult to understand why in the world we should eat them. Vitamins, yes, Fiber, yes. It is tricky to narrow down.
A REVIEW ON HEALTH BENEFITS AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF VEGETABLES by Mishra et al. (2022), the benefits are outlined as such:
- Eggplant: anti-oxidants, reduces inflammation (cell protection).
- Chillies: immune system strength and inflammation reduction (Vitamin K and C).
- Potato: dietary fiber (increases bathroom frequency; expelling toxins and carcinogens), reduces fat storage (passes large intestine causing body to burn fat instead of storing it) — surprisingly, Protein.
- Cruciferous Vegetables (petaled flowers): fibers, Vitamin C (collagen production keeping skin, bones, and joints healthy), Vitamin E (immune function, protecting cells from free radicals — causing DNA damage).
- Alliums (onions, garlic): flavonoids, reduces risk of heart disease (antioxidant)
- Tomato: minimized prostate cancer risk of 35% (lycopene).
This being said, benefits are not guaranteed, despite this, the clear vitamin richness and fiber make vegetables crucial for fighting of all kinds of diseases.
It might be that vegetables do not inherently taste bad to children (and some adults), but the alternatives of more caloric dense and available, affordable, addictive, unhealthy foods often win.
Sources:
Mishra, A., Prusty, A. K., Tamang, A., & Manoj, G., S. (2023). A review on health benefits and nutritive value of vegetables. Plant Archives, 23(1), 066. https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2023.v23.no1.066
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