MyPlate’s Vegetable Group

MyPlate’s Vegetable Group
Hello and welcome to today’s discussion of the MyPlate vegetable group. A flavor exploration

Vegetable Subgroups The vegetable group is made up of 5 subcategories:
Dark Green Red and Orange Starchy Beans and Peas Other MyPlate has 5 vegetable subgroups: dark green, red and orange, starchy, beans and peas, and other.

Vary your veggies! The nutrient content of each vegetable determines which subgroup it fits into. The theme of MyPlate’s vegetable group is “Vary Your Veggies,” with a recommendation to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal. MyPlate has also made it clear that “Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke […and] may protect against certain types of cancers.”

Let’s Explore the Subgroups!
What’s in Each Vegetable Group? What Nutrients Do Those Vegetables Contain? What are the Health Benefits Associated with Each Subgroup? How Can You Add Vegetables from Each Subgroup to Your Diet? In order to make it easier and more fun to eat a variety of vegetables every day, I want to offer this closer look at each subgroup. We will discuss what vegetables fit into which subgroup and why, covering what key nutrients each type of vegetable contains. We’ll also talk through the health benefits that are associated with eating enough from each vegetable subgroup. It turns out that different veggies can affect your health in very different ways. Finally, each section will end by addressing ways that you can add more of each subgroup to your diet. All right, let’s get started!

Let’s start with dark green vegetables!
All right, let’s start with dark green vegetables, the first MyPlate vegetable subgroup.

What’s In It? Arugula Bok Choy Collard Greens Dark-Green Leafy Lettuce
Endive Escarole Kale Leeks Mesclun Mixed Greens Mustard Greens Radicchio Romaine Lettuce Spinach Swiss Chard Turnip Greens Watercress The dark green vegetable subgroup contains arugula, bok choy, collard greens, dark-green leafy lettuce, endive, escarole, kale, leeks, mesclun, mixed greens, mustard greens, radicchio, Romaine lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, and watercress. That’s a lot of vegetables! Which ones are you most familiar with? Which are your favorites? Why?

What Nutrients Are In It?
Vitamins A, C, and K Vitamin E Folate Dark leafy greens rock the vitamin count, with excellent supplies of vitamins A, C, and K. Some greens are also good sources of vitamin E and many dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of folate.

Health Benefits: Vitamins A, C, and K Protect Your Bones
Support Cell Growth and Development Support Vision Boost Circulatory System Improve Immune Function These vitamins protect your bones, decrease inflammation, support cell growth and development, protect vision, support your circulatory system, and improve immune function. You’ll be seeing a lot of these nutrients in other subgroups too!

Health Benefits: Vitamin E
Protects Your Cells from Free Radicals Boosts Immune System The next big vitamin in this group is vitamin E, which protects your cells from free radical damage while boosting your immune system.

Health Benefits: Folate
Aids the Synthesis of DNA Key to Cell Growth Folate is key for several vital functions in the body. It’s especially important during early pregnancy. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Due to its role in the synthesis of DNA and other critical cell components, folate is especially important during phases of rapid cell growth.” Unfortunately, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has found that “many women capable of becoming pregnant still do not meet the recommended intake for folic acid.” Don’t be one of those people!

Eat More Dark Leafy Greens
Salads Raw Salad Greens Romaine Lettuce Arugula Spinach Watercress Dark green vegetables are as versatile as they are healthful. There’s simply a ton of ways to eat them. When it comes to salads, we love a mix of raw greens, whether they’re crunchy Romaine or peppery arugula. Try mixing a few different types of greens for side salads and see which ones are your favorites. You can also throw in some broccoli or endive for extra crunch.

Stem and Steam Them! Collard Greens Chard Kale Turnip Greens Stemming and steaming collard greens and chard is a quick and simple way to soften their tasty leaves into a fun side dish. Top the steamed greens with a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of salt or grated Parmesan.

Try a Sauté! Bok Choy Spinach Mustard Greens Of course, there’s lots to be said for sautéing too. Spinach is super tasty when cooked with sliced garlic in just a teaspoon of olive oil, as are mustard greens and bok choy. There are lots of possibilities when it comes to preparing dark green vegetables – which is most interesting to you?

It’s time to move on to red and orange vegetables!
Now that we’ve wrapped up our discussion of leafy greens, let’s move on to red and orange vegetables.

What’s In It? The red and orange vegetable group is made up of…
Acorn Squash Butternut Squash Carrots Hubbard Squash Pumpkin Red Peppers Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes The red and orange vegetable subgroup features acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, hubbard squash, pumpkin, red peppers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.

Vitamin A Carrots Sweet Potatoes Pumpkin Red and orange veggies are full of vitamin A. A single cup of raw, chopped carrots contains 408% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin A, and carrots aren’t alone. Sweet potatoes have 377% DV vitamin A, while butternut squash has 298% DV vitamin A. Pumpkin weighs in with 171% DV vitamin A too. Even red peppers, hubbard squash, and tomatoes have vitamin A to offer, with 58%, 32%, and 30% DV, respectively. This vegetable subgroup is a vitamin A powerhouse!

Vitamin C Red Peppers Butternut Squash Acorn Squash Vitamin A isn’t the only nutrient that these veggies have to offer. Many are also amazing sources of vitamin C. Red peppers, for example, have 196% of the DV for vitamin C in a single cup. Butternut squash offers 49% DV, and acorn squash deserves a mention for its 26% DV of vitamin C as well. Oh and don’t forget about tomatoes, which contain 38% of the DV for vitamin C.

Potassium Acorn Squash Butternut Squash Sweet Potatoes All of these vegetables contain potassium. Here’s the breakdown of potassium content in a single cup of raw and cubed red and orange veggies. There’s 15% of the daily value for potassium in acorn squash and butternut squash. There’s 13% in sweet potatoes, and 12% in tomatoes. Carrots, hubbard squash, and pumpkin all have 11% of the daily value for potassium, and red pepper rounds out the group with 6% of the daily value in a single cup.

Vitamin K Carrots Tomatoes Sweet Potatoes Carrots are the vitamin K winners here, with 20% of the daily value for this nutrient in a single serving. Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash also earn honorable mentions in this category

Manganese Folate Vitamin B6 Of course, there’s much more to the nutrient story of orange and red vegetables. Many of them contain manganese, folate, and vitamin B6, though in smaller amounts than the nutrients explored before. These foods are loaded with healthful nutrients!

Health Benefits: Vitamin A
Good Vision Healthy Skin Healthy Teeth Immune Support Let’s take a look at what the particular nutrients in these red and orange vegetables will do for your health. Since vitamin A is such a large part of so many red and orange vegetables, we’ll start there. The National Institutes of Health assert that “Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, and mucus membranes. It [also…] promotes good vision, especially in low light. It may also be needed for reproduction and breast-feeding.” A diet that is poor in vitamin A can lead to vision issues and a weak immune system, so stock up on those red and orange veggies!

Health Benefits: Vitamin C
Maintains Healthy Teeth and Gums Promotes Iron Absorption Boosts Wound Healing Vitamin C is another nutrient that does wonderful things for your health. It promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps the body absorb iron, and promotes wound healing. What’s not to love? It’s a good thing that so many red and orange vegetables are loaded with vitamin C. Plus, vitamin C is great for the immune system.

Health Benefits: Potassium
Maintains Healthy Blood Pressure Reduces Risk of Kidney Stones Decreases Bone Loss Of course, we can’t forget about potassium! Since every single veggie in the red and orange vegetable subgroup contains potassium, let’s take a minute to explore its health benefits. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans have named potassium a nutrient of concern, which means that most Americans don’t get enough potassium in their diets. MyPlate reveals that “Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure.” The Dietary Guidelines for Americans build on this assertion, explaining, “Dietary potassium can lower blood pressure by blunting the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure. Other possible benefits of an eating pattern rich in potassium include a reduced risk of developing kidney stones and decreased bone loss.”

Health Benefits: Vitamin K
Essential to Proper Blood Clotting We’ll end today’s discussion of the health benefits of red and orange vegetables with a closer look at vitamin K. Vitamin K is most well known as a clotting vitamin, because it is absolutely essential to proper blood clotting. Its name even comes from the German “Koagulationsvitamin.” How fun is that?

Eat More Red and Orange Veggies
Grilled Pureed Raw Roasted Sautéed All right, here comes the fun. Now that we’ve discussed all the reasons people should eat red and orange vegetables, it’s time to talk about how to make those veggies a part of any eating pattern.

Eat Some Raw! Carrots Tomatoes Red Peppers
Carrots, tomatoes, and red peppers are all quite delicious when raw. Throw a few handfuls into your next salad for a serious nutrient boost!

Or Cook These Veggies! Acorn Squash Butternut Squash Hubbard Squash
Pumpkin Sweet Potatoes Acorn squash, butternut squash, hubbard squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes all benefit from a little cooking. So the next time you feel like adding a hearty side dish to your meal, cube up a bunch of these veggies and roast them with some oil and spices for a simple and delicious way to round out any repast.

Let’s talk about starchy vegetables next!
All right, let’s move on to starchy vegetables.

What’s In It? The starchy vegetable group includes… Cassava Corn
Fresh Cowpeas (a.k.a. Field Peas or Black-Eyed Peas) Green Bananas Green Peas Green Lima Beans Plantains Potatoes Taro Water Chestnuts If you’re looking for starchy vegetables, try cassava, corn, fresh cowpeas – also known as field peas or black-eyed peas – green bananas, green peas, green lima beans, plantains, potatoes, taro, or water chestnuts. Oh, and let me offer a quick note about peas and beans. The ones featured on this slide are fresh, not dried, which makes them a part of the starchy vegetable group instead of the bean and pea vegetable/protein group.

Potassium Lima Beans Plantains Water Chestnuts You are not going to believe all the nutrients that these vegetables contain. For example, each and every vegetable listed in the starchy veggie subcategory contains potassium. The top three sources are featured on this slide, and the full breakdown is as follows. Lima Beans: 21% daily value (DV), plantains: 21% DV, water Chestnuts: 20% DV, potatoes: 18% DV, cowpeas: 18% DV, taro: 18% DV, cassava: 16% DV, corn: 12% DV, green Peas: 10% DV.

Fiber Lima Beans Green Peas Cowpeas The other nutrient that is featured in every member of the starchy vegetable subgroup is fiber. Now some starchy vegetables have more fiber than others, but all have at least 14% of the DV in a single cup. The top 3 veggies that contain the most fiber in this category are lima beans, green peas and cowpeas, with 31%, 30%, and 29% DV of fiber, respectively.

Manganese Lima Beans Cowpeas Cassava Many starchy vegetables are also sources of manganese. Fresh lima beans lead the charge with 95% of the DV for manganese in a single serving, but cowpeas and cassava are also good sources, with roughly 40% of the DV in one small cup. Even green peas carry their weight in the manganese department, with a respectable 30% DV of manganese in a serving.

Vitamin C Green Peas Cassava Lima Beans Speaking of large daily values, vitamin C makes itself known among starchy vegetables as well. Here’s the rundown… Green peas: 97% DV, cassava: 71% DV, lima beans: 61% DV, potato: 50% DV, plantains: 45% DV, and corn: 17% DV.

Magnesium Thiamin Vitamin B6 Folate Niacin The nutrient fun doesn’t stop there! Many of these vegetables are also good sources of magnesium, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, and niacin. What amazing veggies!

Health Benefits: Vitamin C
Improves Iron Absorption Boosts Health of Teeth and Gums Promotes Wound Healing Features Lots of Antioxidant Activity It’s time to discuss the health impact of these nutrients. Let’s start with a review. Vitamin C was also a big player in the Red and Orange Vegetable Subgroup, so we can begin with a rundown of its health benefits. As we mentioned before, vitamin C helps your body absorb iron while improving the health of your teeth and gums. Plus, it promotes wound healing. Did you know that vitamin C is an antioxidant too? It’s true. Vitamin C can help your body protect itself from free radical damage. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Free radicals may play a role in cancer, heart disease, and conditions like arthritis,” so it’s very important that you get enough vitamin C in your diet to protect your health.

Builds Proteins Breaks Down and Uses Carbohydrates Builds Muscle and Maintains Growth Controls Electrical Activity of the Heart Maintains Acid-Base Balance Reduces Blood Pressure Reduces CVD Mortality The review continues with the next big nutrient from the starchy vegetable group: potassium. Potassium is vital to a wide range of body functions, yet most Americans don’t get enough of it in their diets each day. The U.S. National Library of Medicine asserts, “Your body needs potassium to: build proteins, break down and use carbohydrates, build muscle, maintain normal body growth, control the electrical activity of the heart, and control the acid-base balance.” Potassium is especially important to the health of your heart. The study Beneficial Effects of Potassium on Human Health revealed, “Much evidence shows that increasing potassium intake has beneficial effects on human health. Epidemiological and clinical studies show that a high-potassium diet lowers blood pressure in individuals with both raised blood pressure and average population blood pressure. Prospective cohort studies and outcome trials show that increasing potassium intake reduces cardiovascular disease mortality. This is mainly attributable to the blood pressure-lowering effect and may also be partially because of the direct effects of potassium on the cardiovascular system.”

Health Benefits: Fiber
Reduces Blood Cholesterol Lowers Risk of Heart Disease Improves Bowel Function Boosts Satiety Now let’s end the nutrient review portion with fiber. According to MyPlate, “Dietary fiber […] helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods […] help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.” Fiber is a health powerhouse, yet many people don’t get anywhere near the daily recommended dose of fiber.

Health Benefits: Manganese
Strengthens Bones Fights Anemia Now it’s time to move on to a new nutrient that you can find in the starchy vegetable subgroup: manganese. Manganese is a mineral that could help strengthen bones and fight anemia. Your body does not make manganese, which means that you need to get it from the foods you eat. Too much manganese can be toxic, so keep your intake below 11 milligrams per day.

Eat Starchy Vegetables
Roast Them! Simmer Them! Boil Them! Add Them to Stir Fries! So, how can you make starchy vegetables a part of your diet? Many of these starchy vegetables are super tasty when roasted, especially potatoes and taro. Top them with a little butter and nonfat plain Greek yogurt for a tasty side dish. Of course, simmering is also great. Toss sliced cassava, fresh green peas, or fresh cow peas into boiling water and cook until tender, tossing with a little oil and some fresh herbs for another fantastic side dish. Or use boiled fresh peas or beans to bulk up your next salad. Peas are great in stir-fries too, as are those water chestnuts.

Are you ready for beans and peas?
Let’s keep moving! It’s time to talk about the bean and pea subcategory of the MyPlate vegetable food group.

Beans and Peas Are Unique
Beans and peas can belong to 2 different MyPlate groups. They have enough fiber and potassium to qualify as vegetables. They also have enough protein to be considered part of the protein group. Beans and peas are unique because they can belong to 2 different MyPlate groups — protein foods or vegetables. Basically, you can count them as whatever you need them to be the most. If you get plenty of vegetables, count beans and peas as protein foods. If you’re looking to increase your veggie consumption, then count them as part of the veggie group. As part of our exploration today, beans and peas are going to be part of the vegetable group — they’re even their own veggie subgroup!

What’s In It? Here are the members of MyPlate’s beans and peas vegetable subgroup… Black Beans Chickpeas (a.k.a. Garbanzo Beans) Kidney Beans Lentils Mature and Dried Black-Eyed Peas Navy Beans Pinto Beans Soy Beans Split Peas White Beans Here are the members of MyPlate’s beans and peas vegetable subgroup – black beans, chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, mature and dried black-eyed peas, navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, and white beans.

Folate Lentils Chickpeas Black Beans Beans and peas are nutrition powerhouses. Here are some of the top nutrients in these foods. Beans and peas are fantastic sources of folate. Take lentils, for example. A single cup of cooked lentils has 90% of the daily value for folate. That’s huge! Many other beans and peas have over half the daily value of folate in a single cup — think chickpeas, black beans, black-eyed peas, white beans, and kidney beans. Even soy beans, with the lowest folate content of the bunch, still weigh in at 23% of the daily value.

Protein Soy Beans Lentils Split Peas In addition, these beans and peas are great sources of protein. Here’s a rundown of the daily value of protein that you can find in these beans: soy beans: 57%, lentils: 36%, split peas: 33%, kidney beans: 31%, black beans: 30%, chickpeas: 29%, navy beans: 29%, black-eyed peas: 28%, and pinto beans: 23%.

Dietary Fiber White Beans Split Peas Lentils Dietary fiber is also a serious contender in the beans and peas MyPlate vegetable subgroup. White beans have the most fiber, with 74% of the daily value for fiber in a single cup, but split peas, lentils, and black beans are also of note with 65%, 63%, and 60% of the daily value, respectively. Navy beans have 53%, while chickpeas have 50%. The roundup continues with kidney beans – 45% -- pinto beans – 44% -- soy beans – 41% -- and black-eyed peas – 25%.

Iron Soy Beans Lentils Black-Eyed Peas While all beans do contain at least 14% of the daily value for iron, the top 5 sources in this subgroup are soy beans with 49%, lentils with 37%, black-eyed peas with 29%, white beans with 28%, and navy beans with 27%.

Potassium Soy Beans White Beans Navy Beans If you need a potassium boost, then soy beans are perfect for you. With 25% of the daily value for potassium in one cup, these beans are a great way to get more of this nutrient of concern. Soy beans aren’t the only sources of potassium, however. Here’s a look at the potassium content of the other beans and peas… White Beans: 24% Navy Beans: 22% Lentils: 21% Kidney Beans: 20% Split Peas: 20% Black-Eyed Peas: 18% Black Beans: 17% Pinto Beans: 17% Chickpeas: 14%

Zinc Black Eyed Peas Chickpeas Lentils Finally, there’s zinc. Who could forget zinc? Black-eyed peas are the best source of zinc in the beans and peas group — they have 21% of the daily value in a single cup. Chickpeas and lentils are next in line, with 17% of the daily value, and the rest of the beans and peas have between 13% and 11% of the daily value.

New Cell Creation Prevents Anemia These nutrients do more than just make impressive statistics. They also offer health benefits. Take folate, for example. Folate is a B vitamin that is soluble in water. It’s vital for the creation of healthy new cells and is especially important for women of childbearing age. It also keeps the blood healthy. If people don’t get enough folate, they could develop anemia.

Health Benefits: Iron Prevents Anemia Helps Create Red Blood Cells
Aids Muscles in Storing and Using Oxygen Iron is also vital for the prevention of anemia, a condition that results in low energy levels and fatigue. Luckily, beans and peas are great sources of iron, which is also vital for the creation of red blood cells. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Iron is a part of all cells […] as part of the protein hemoglobin [iron] carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. […] Iron also helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Iron is a part of many enzymes and is used in many cell functions. Enzymes help our bodies digest foods and also help with many other important reactions that occur within our bodies.”

Sodium Regulation Normal Growth Heart Health Food Processing Preventing Bone Loss Plus, these beans and peas are excellent sources of potassium. We’ve discussed the health benefits of potassium at length in the red and orange and starchy vegetable sections, so let’s just hit the highlights here. Most people don’t get enough potassium, which is vital for sodium regulation, normal growth, heart health, food processing, and preventing bone loss. Beans and peas are great sources of potassium, so add them to your diet today!

Health Benefits: Protein
Building Blocks for Bones, Muscles, Cartilage, Skin, Blood, Enzymes, Hormones, & Vitamins Protects Against Chronic Degenerative Diseases But wait, there’s more! Beans and peas are chock-full of protein, a macronutrient that is very important to a balanced diet. MyPlate has pointed out that “Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. They are also building blocks for enzymes, hormones, and vitamins.” Numerous studies have been done that explore the impact of protein from plant foods on health. Shall we take a look at one of them? The Health Benefits and Risks of Plant Proteins, led by M. Krajcovicova-Kudlackova, K. Babinska, and M. Valachovicova, found that “A sufficient consumption of plant proteins has the protective effects against chronic degenerative diseases.”

Health Benefits: Fiber
Reduces Blood Cholesterol Lowers Heart Disease Risk Aids Proper Bowel Function Helps with Satiety You know what else protects against chronic disease? Fiber. And since fiber is such a key part of beans and peas, let’s take a moment to explore its health benefits. As you may remember from the starchy vegetable section, MyPlate has asserted that “Dietary fiber […] helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods […] help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.” By providing a feeling of satiety without requiring a ton of calories, fiber can help with successful weight control, which in turn can help people lower their risk of a variety of chronic diseases. Plus, by reducing constipation and diverticulosis, fiber can stave off damage to the colon, and let’s face it, no one wants anything to go wrong with that!

Eat Beans and Peas Cook with Aromatics in Boiling Water
Drain and Rinse Canned Beans to Add to Soups, Salads, Rice, etc. Here’s where the fun really begins. These beans and peas aren’t great raw — they’re dried and hard. Cook them with some aromatics in a pot of boiling water until they’re tender, or get canned/frozen varieties for a speedier way to add beans and peas to your meals. Just be sure that the canned/frozen ones are low in sodium and other added ingredients.

And last, but not least, we have the other vegetable group
This is the last installment of the MyPlate vegetable subgroup flavor exploration! Today we conclude with a bang, exploring the uses and flavors of the vegetables in MyPlate’s Other Vegetables category.

What’s In It? Artichokes Asparagus Avocado Bean Sprouts Beets
Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Cucumbers Eggplant Green Beans Green Peppers Iceberg Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Onions Turnips Wax Beans Zucchini The other vegetable subgroup includes artichokes, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, green peppers, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, turnips, wax beans, and zucchini. That’s a lot of vegetables. For brevity’s sake, we’re going to narrow the list down to 10 vegetables to explore: artichokes, asparagus, beets, cabbage, celery, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, onions, and zucchini. These are some of the most common “other” vegetables, and they are representatives of their vegetable families. For example, since cabbage and Brussels sprouts are related, we’ve chosen just one of the two to study. Does that make sense?

What Nutrients Are In Them?
Artichokes: Dietary Fiber Vitamin K Vitamin C Manganese and Magnesium Since this vegetable group is so diverse, we’re changing the structure of this section to feature each vegetable individually, highlighting each one’s top 5 biggest nutrients. Let’s start with artichokes: These tasty plants are edible only when they’ve formed flower buds. Those flowers are actually the artichokes that you’re familiar with. Once the buds start to bloom, the artichokes are no longer edible. So put together a bouquet for dinner tonight! The nutrition data below is for one medium artichoke, boiled without salt. They have 41% DV fiber, 27% DV folate, 22% DV vitamin K, 15% DV vitamin C, 13% DV manganese and magnesium.

Asparagus: Vitamin K Vitamin A Folate Iron Copper, Thiamin, Vitamin C Did you know that asparagus used to be classified in the same plant family as onions and lilies? Now it’s part of the asparagaceae family. Here are its top 5 nutrients. 70% DV vitamin K, 20% DV vitamin A, 17% DV folate, 16% DV iron, 13% DV copper, thiamin, and vitamin C

Beets: Folate Manganese Fiber Potassium Vitamin C Beets get their deep red color from betacyanin. Although there are many different varieties of beets, the rich red ones are perhaps the most well-known. Their top 5 nutrients are: 37% DV folate, 22% DV manganese, 15% DV fiber, 13% DV potassium, and 11% DV vitamin C.

Cabbages: Vitamin C Folate Manganese Fiber Potassium and Calcium Now let’s talk cabbage. Cabbage is chock-full of glucosinolates, sulfur compounds that could reduce a person’s risk of cancer. Glucosinolates are also responsible for much of the flavor of a cabbage. In terms of nutrients, a cabbage has 48% DV vitamin C, 10% DV folate, 6% DV manganese, 6% DV fiber, 4% DV potassium and calcium.

Celery: Vitamin K Folate Vitamin A Potassium Fiber Aaaaand here are the to 5 nutrients that you can find in celery: 37% DV vitamin K, 9% DV folate, 9% DV vitamin A, 8% DV potassium, and 6% DV fiber.

Eggplant: Fiber Manganese Folate Potassium Vitamin K Let’s not forget about eggplant! Did you know that eggplant is technically a fruit? However, like the tomato, MyPlate treats eggplants as vegetables. The top 5 nutrients you can find in eggplant include 11% DV fiber, 10% DV manganese, 5% DV folate, 5% DV potassium, 4% DV vitamin K.

Green Beans: Vitamin C Vitamin K Fiber Vitamin A Manganese Now we can move on to green beans. Green beans have been around for a long time, and now there are well over 100 different varieties. When it comes to nutrients, you can find 30% DV vitamin C, 20% DV vitamin K, 15% DV fiber, 15% DV vitamin A,12% DV manganese.

Mushrooms: Riboflavin Niacin Copper Pantothenic Acid Selenium Mushrooms are another fun member of the other vegetables category. These fungi do not contain any chlorophyll, which means that they don’t need sunlight in order to grow. Mushrooms are also the only plant sources of selenium, which is key to good health. Here are the top 5 nutrients that you can find in mushrooms: 17% DV riboflavin, 13% DV niacin, 11% DV copper, 10% DV pantothenic acid, 9% DV selenium.

Onions: Vitamin C Fiber Vitamin B6 Manganese Folate Okay, we’re almost there! Next on the docket are onions, which are quite bitter when raw, but which soften to a mellow sweetness when cooked. They’ve got 20% DV vitamin C, 11% DV fiber, 10% DV vitamin B6, 10% DV manganese, 8% DV folate.

Zucchini: Vitamin C Vitamin B6 Manganese Riboflavin Folate, Potassium Zucchini are the grand finale of this vegetable rundown. Let’s take a look at what nutrients they’ve got: 35% DV vitamin C, 14% DV vitamin B6, 11% DV manganese, 10% DV riboflavin, 9% DV folate and potassium. Phew! That was a lot of data! Let’s take a look at what all this means.

Creates New Cells Vital for Women of Childbearing Age May Reduce Cancer Risk I know we’ve talked about folate before, but it’s another big hitter of the other vegetable group. After all, 7 out of the 10 featured vegetables in this group had folate in their top 5 nutrient list. Folate is critical for the creation of new cells. Everyone needs enough folate, but it is especially vital that women of childbearing age get enough folate. Look for it in foods like beets, asparagus, and artichokes. And remember, folate may reduce your risk of cancer. Check out what the National Institutes of Health assert, “Several epidemiological studies have suggested an inverse association between folate status and the risk of colorectal, lung, pancreatic, esophageal, stomach, cervical, ovarian, breast, and other cancers.”

Health Benefits: Copper
Forms Red Blood Cells Protects the Health of Blood Vessels, Nerves, Immune System, and Bones Now let’s talk copper. You can find copper in mushrooms and asparagus. According to the National Institutes of Health, “Copper works with iron to help the body form red blood cells. It also helps keep the blood vessels, nerves, immune system, and bones healthy.”

It’s time to review! Whew, that was a lot of information. Let’s review what we learned…

MyPlate Vegetable Subgroups
Dark Green Red and Orange Starchy Beans and Peas Other All right, let’s talk veggies. MyPlate has 5 vegetable subgroups. Vegetables are sorted into these groups based on their nutrient profiles. The subgroups include dark green, red and orange, starchy, beans and peas, and other vegetables.

Top Nutrients Fiber Potassium Vitamin A Vitamin C
While the nutrients in the MyPlate vegetable subgroup are widely varied, a few heavy hitters kept showing up over and over. The top nutrients include fiber, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Vary Your Veggies Reduce Chronic Disease Risk
Cancer Heart Disease Diabetes Lowers All-Cause Mortality All of these nutrients feature tons of health benefits. Let’s wrap things up with a closer look at why eating a varied diet rich in vegetables is important. Research published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute has revealed that “high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a modest reduction in major chronic disease risk.” Furthermore, the study “Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study,” published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found “An inverse association of fruit and vegetable intake with the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the general US population.” And finally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain, “Consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risks for numerous chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.” So, eat a variety of veggies every day in order to reduce your risk of disease!

The End Well, that’s our show! Does anyone have any questions about what we discussed today?

MyPlate’s Vegetable Group

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