Green, juicy vegetables are recommended by modern nutritionists for those who want to lose weight painlessly without harming their health, so you should pay special attention to the list of these unique healthy products to include them in your regular family diet.
Kinds
Green vegetables, the list of which is published in this article, can saturate the human body with energy and a lot of useful vitamins, which is very important for maintaining a person’s slimness and health:
- Due to the high content of magnesium necessary for the myocardium, they help maintain the functioning and tone of the heart muscle at a normal level.
- Due to the rich content of fiber and healthy dietary fiber, greens have a beneficial effect on intestinal motility and the development of beneficial microflora, which allows for better elimination of waste and toxins, and for better absorption of food and nutrients in the body.
- Chlorophyll in green cells serves as a natural antioxidant, saturates the blood with oxygen, and accelerates metabolic processes.
- Regular consumption of fresh green herbs and vegetables has a pronounced detox effect, helps cleanse blood vessels, lower blood cholesterol levels, and prevents the formation of plaques and increased blood pressure.
- Psychologists have found that it is the green color that, at the subconscious level, can reduce appetite and does not cause painful cravings for food, which helps you feel full with less food and does not cause overeating.
- Low calorie content, almost complete absence of sugars and an almost zero glycemic index promotes smooth healthy weight loss, due to rapid saturation with large amounts of food and a long-lasting feeling of satiety, and also reduces the risk of diabetes.
- Leaves and greens have a fairly high iron content, so regular long-term consumption of them helps prevent anemia, reduces feelings of weakness, and improves stamina.
- The rich complex of minerals and vitamins in green vegetables has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails, improves complexion, and relieves puffiness.
- The inclusion of these healthy foods in a regular diet is an effective prevention of nervous disorders, depression, improves the overall psycho-emotional background and mood, improves vitality and reduces the negative consequences of stressful situations.
Green vegetables. Photo
The list of all green vegetables can be divided into the following types:
| Group | Examples of the most common representatives |
| Fruit | Zucchini, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, pepper, peas |
| Leaf crops | Chinese cabbage, arugula, types of lettuce, chard, spinach |
| Escapes | Asparagus, broccoli, celery, rhubarb, green onions |
| Herbs | Dill, leaf parsley, basil, cilantro, leaf celery |
Local seasonal ground vegetables and herbs have the greatest benefits, but due to their limited growing season in most areas, they can be harvested for future use and used in various forms in winter:
- frozen;
- sauerkraut;
- dried;
- canned;
- salty;
- pickled.
A certain part of the beneficial vitamins and minerals is retained in each type of preparation, although preference, if possible, should always be given to fresh green vegetables that have not been subjected to heat treatment. Greens and fresh vegetables can be consumed not only in the usual salads, but also in interesting cold soups, smoothies, juices and cocktails.
Authorized Products
As mentioned above, you can eat all green fruits and vegetables.
- Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, sorrel);
- Cabbage;
- Green pepper;
- Avocado;
- Kiwi;
- Pears;
What is a green diet?
- Green grapes;
- Cucumbers;
- Zucchini;
- Asparagus;
- Pistachios;
- Broccoli;
- Green pea;
- Sea kale;
- Green apples.
Artichoke
Green vegetables, the list of which is very diverse, can be found on store shelves at any time of the year. A not very popular and rather rare phenomenon on the tables of the population of the middle zone is the Mediterranean artichoke, the unopened flower buds and young cones of which are actively used for food by many nations, and its use is especially popular in American cuisine, where it is credited with the unusually beneficial properties of a super product.
In cooking, young raw vegetables are often used as a snack, for which small cones are cut into thin slices or crumbled into a salad. Its taste resembles unripe walnuts and adds originality to dishes.
Larger fruits become coarser and acquire stiffer fibers, making them suitable for frying or stewing. The peeled, fleshy core is used to make risotto, soups, purees or sauces. It is not advisable to store fresh artichokes for more than a week, as they begin to lose their beneficial properties and pleasant aroma.
When choosing fruits in a grocery store, you should pay attention to its appearance:
- uniform green color without spots;
- elasticity;
- no dry or rotten dents.
The calorie content of a dietary artichoke per 100 g of weight is only 47 kcal, due to the fact that a large proportion of all substances is water and there are no fats. The product contains just over 3 g of protein, and 10.5 g of carbohydrates.
The vegetable is also rich in substances such as:
- ash;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- calcium.
Artichoke pulp contains a lot of B vitamins, ascorbic acid, carotene and organic acids, balanced nutrients, essential oils, inulin and active glycosides add benefits to this vegetable.
The vegetable can be recommended to diabetics or those losing weight as a satisfying replacement for starchy foods. In addition, regular consumption of artichokes in food can reduce the symptoms of gout, has a choleretic and diuretic effect, cleanses the body of toxins, drains the kidneys and liver, relieves inflammation of the gastric mucosa, has a beneficial effect on the intestines, is beneficial for atherosclerosis, reduces blood pressure and bad cholesterol .
Stuffed artichoke
Polyphenols contained in artichokes provoke active production of bile in the body, so the vegetable should be introduced with caution and in limited quantities into the diet of patients with impaired biliary tract function and cholecystitis. People with low blood pressure should also refrain from uncontrolled consumption of artichokes.
Broccoli
Broccoli inflorescences are a unique healthy green vegetable, from which medications are made to treat various diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, heart, metabolic processes and diabetes. The positive effect of broccoli in the prevention of many types of cancer and tumor formation has been scientifically proven.
Per 100 g of product it contains no more than 35 kcal, but it contains easily digestible vegetable protein, a huge amount of vitamins, a lot of potassium, sodium, a high content of phosphorus and calcium, there is also magnesium, zinc, iodine and iron.
What sets broccoli apart from other types of cabbage is its low level of purine substances, which turn into uric acid, which causes gout, and is deposited in the kidneys.
This dietary vegetable contains more dietary fiber and fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the state of the intestinal microflora, rids the body of waste and toxins, and also promotes rapid and healthy weight loss. In addition, broccoli cells contain tartronic acid, which has an inhibitory effect on the transformation of incoming carbohydrates and sugars into fat deposits, which prevents excess body weight gain and prevents obesity.
The most favorable way to prepare asparagus cabbage is to treat it with hot steam or eat it raw, but it is also possible to quickly boil it in a minimum amount of boiling water, which allows you to preserve the set of vitamins and nutrients as much as possible. This type of cabbage has virtually no contraindications. It is not recommended to overuse broccoli if you have high stomach acidity, a tendency to flatulence and irritation of the intestinal mucosa.
Persons taking medications to reduce blood clotting, as well as those with pancreatic disease or hypothyroidism should limit uncontrolled consumption of vegetables.
It is necessary to choose inflorescences in the store with a dense structure of a bright green saturated color, without yellow buds on the surface, which indicate overripeness and unsuitability of the vegetable. Before cooking, it is recommended to soak the head of cabbage for half an hour in cold water to remove all dirt, insects and traces of nitrate compounds.
Brussels sprouts
A variety of kale was the Brussels variety bred by Belgian vegetable growers, which quickly spread first in Holland, Germany and France, and then became widely cultivated throughout Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Russia.
Light green small heads of cabbage, located on the stem in the leaf axils, are eaten not only due to their sweet-nutty taste, but also because of the extraordinary benefits of the vegetable.
A low-calorie dietary product has an energy value of 36 to 43 kcal, therefore it is recommended for people with obesity and an excess body mass index. Brussels sprouts contain a lot of vegetable protein, few carbohydrates and virtually no fats and sugars, which makes this vegetable especially useful and necessary in the diet of diabetics. And the rich vitamin and mineral composition improves immunity and will be beneficial during high loads and increased fatigue.
The vegetable has antioxidant properties, prevents the formation and growth of cancer cells, and reduces the risk of heart disease. And folacin contained in the cells of Brussels sprouts has a beneficial effect on hematopoietic function and increases the level of red blood cells, therefore it is recommended in the menu after undergoing surgery and to eliminate the consequences of blood loss.
The delicate sweetish-nutty taste of young heads of cabbage is widely used in fresh vegetable salads, side dishes and soups. Contraindications to eating Brussels sprouts include gout, some stomach diseases and high acidity, as well as weakened intestinal motility.
Pros of the diet
- Available products;
- A fairly easy option to lose some excess weight in a short period;
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: Pexels
- Eating foods rich in vitamins;
- Nutritionists already recommend eating fruits and vegetables every day.
A huge advantage of this diet is that all foods are low-calorie and you can eat them in healthy quantities. But this does not mean that your body will not experience stress. Therefore, you need to get out of this diet gradually. After finishing the diet, other foods should be introduced into the diet within two to three weeks.
The green diet is another fashion trend, but that doesn't mean it's not worth paying attention to. Yes, it really isn’t suitable as a regular diet and you won’t get all the nutrients from it, no matter how hard you try. But eating vegetables and fruits for a week can be very useful.
Green onions
Green onion stalks are the first most accessible vitamin supplement that can be easily grown in early spring, even on a home windowsill.
Feathers can be obtained from bulbs of different varieties:
- onion;
- batun;
- chives;
- shallot;
- slime
Delicate bright greens contain a lot of ascorbic acid, carotenoids, selenium and sodium, as well as a whole complex of vitamins and valuable substances that increase immunity, strengthen gums, slow down aging, have a beneficial effect on intestinal function, accelerate metabolism and are involved in the regulation of water-salt metabolism , eliminating excess fluid from swelling.
In addition, green onion feathers have a very low calorie content, about 19 kcal per 100 g of product, which is actively used in the preparation of various diets, including dishes with available greens in small quantities in a regular menu 2 times a day. These vitamin-rich stems are recommended to be eaten fresh, adding them to salads, as well as at the end of preparing any soups, meat dishes, vegetable stews or appetizers.
It is only necessary to take into account that the pungent taste of the vegetable stimulates the appetite, so you should monitor the size of the portions consumed. It is also recommended to limit or eliminate the consumption of green onions for people with gastritis, enteritis, gastric or esophageal ulcers, bronchial asthma and hypertension.
Zucchini and zucchini
Green vegetables, the list of which would be incomplete without the popular zucchini and zucchini, can be part of a mono diet or a very varied healthy diet. This common vegetable is native to Central America, where it was first grown as an ornamental crop. Today, zucchini and zucchini can be easily grown by anyone in their own garden or bought in the vegetable section of the nearest supermarket.
This affordable fruit consists of 94% water, has a very low calorie content from 16 to 27 kcal, is rich in vitamins B, C, PP, nicotinic and folic acid, potassium and phosphorus, contains quite a lot of magnesium and calcium, and also zinc and iron. The minimal amount of coarse fiber allows tender zucchini to be consumed by children and people with diseases of the digestive system, and the diuretic effect is used for kidney diseases and gout.
Pectin helps eliminate waste and toxins, lowers cholesterol levels, strengthens the heart muscle and vascular walls.
Zucchini also promotes the removal of bile, is useful for liver diseases and diabetes, serves as a prevention of atherosclerosis and cancer, and prevents a decrease in visual acuity. It is recommended to consume the tender fruits with the peel. For medicinal purposes, juice is squeezed out of the fruits, and decoctions are prepared from flowers and seeds.
The low glycemic index of zucchini and zucchini increases when cooked. They are consumed raw, baked, boiled and stewed, preparing vegetable caviar, stews, casseroles, various salads, canned and even added to baked goods. A contraindication to the use of these healthy dietary vegetables may be a violation of the excretion of potassium by the kidneys and the formation of stones, as well as acute forms of peptic ulcers and pancreatitis.
Bok Choy
Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage.
It has thick, dark green leaves that make a great addition to soups and stir-fries.
Bok choy is one of the few leafy green vegetables that contain the mineral selenium. Selenium plays an important role in cognitive function, immunity, and cancer prevention ().
Additionally, selenium is important for proper thyroid function. This gland is located in the neck and produces hormones that play a key role in metabolism ().
An observational study has linked low selenium levels to thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, and thyroid enlargement ().
Summary:
Bok Choy is popular in China and is often used in soups and stir-fries. It is one of the only green vegetables that contains selenium, which benefits your brain and thyroid health, as well as strengthening your immune system and protecting against cancer.
Leaf salad
Various varieties of leaf lettuce are distinguished by a variety of spicy or neutral tastes and a crunchy structure, mostly consist of water, have a very low energy value of about 10-15 kcal, which can be widely used when creating a diet menu for weight loss.
In addition, leaf salads have a unique complex of vitamins, beneficial macro and micro substances, phosphorus, iron, iodine and essential acids. Leaves with chlorophyll cells saturate the human body with dietary fiber, promote the elimination of waste and toxins, cleanse the body, increase immunity and hemoglobin levels in the blood, stabilize metabolic processes and blood glucose levels.
All varieties of leaf lettuce perfectly satiate for a long period of time with a minimum amount of calories. These healthy and tasty greens can be eaten raw, making various interesting snacks and sandwiches, and also added to smoothies, cocktails, and green puree soups. You should limit your consumption of leafy greens if you have hepatitis, gout, enterocolitis, or urolithiasis.
Common beetroot (watercress)
The watercress is an aquatic plant in the Brassica family and thus similar to arugula and other mustard greens.
It is known for its healing properties and has been used medicinally for centuries.
Studies have shown that watercress extract is beneficial in targeting cancer stem cells and impairing cancer cell reproduction and invasion (,).
With its bitter and slightly spicy taste, watercress is an excellent addition to neutral-tasting foods.
Summary:
The watercress has been used in medicine for centuries. Some studies have shown that watercress may be beneficial in treating cancer.
Chard
Beautiful large and bright chard leaves with thick, fleshy, juicy stems are very common in the cuisine of the Mediterranean peoples. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, low in calories and have a pleasant earthy taste. Eating chard in your daily diet makes it easy to lose extra pounds, lower blood sugar levels, strengthen bone tissue, normalize the nervous system, and increase the body's protective functions.
A variety of salads, cabbage rolls, soups and side dishes are prepared from leaf beets, added to vegetable and meat dishes, omelettes and pies, and mixed with juices or cocktails. It is worth including it in moderation in the menu if you are prone to stomach upsets and diarrhea, and use it carefully if you have increased stomach acidity, gastritis, ulcers and urolithiasis. Gout is a categorical contraindication for eating chard leaves.
Cucumber
Green vegetables, the list of which would be incomplete without the well-known and beloved cucumber, perfectly diversify a healthy diet or any low-calorie diet. This closest relative of melon and zucchini belongs to the pumpkin family, and ranks 4th in global vegetable crop cultivation.
A cucumber consists of 95% water, and its calorie content ranges from 11 to 15 kcal per 100 g. The juice and pulp of the fruit contains a lot of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium, there is also sodium, iron and zinc, as well as a whole complex of mineral salts and biological substances, folic acid, small amounts of vitamins.
This vegetable is useful for diabetics and those losing weight, it ferments insulin, promotes the absorption of protein, cleanses of toxins, relieves constipation, normalizes blood composition and the activity of the cardiovascular system.
It is recommended to eat seasonal cucumbers with their peels, which can be made as an independent side dish or included in vegetable salads and appetizers, prepared in cold soups and juices, added to a variety of sauces, as well as salted, fermented and pickled for future use. People with exacerbation of peptic ulcers, acute chronic gastritis, nephritis, cholecystitis and hepatitis should avoid this useful dietary product.
Menu for a green diet for a week
This is a strict menu option designed for maximum weight loss results. If you understand that you can’t handle this, then you can add a little low-fat cottage cheese and boiled lean meat. Vegetable salads can be seasoned with vegetable oil, and fruit salads can be seasoned with low-fat yogurt.
Photo: @pixabay
- Monday
Make yourself a vegetable smoothie in the morning. You can add avocado, cucumbers, spinach, zucchini and herbs.
For lunch, steam some green peas with green peppers. Make a salad with lettuce, greens, cucumbers and avocado. You can season the salad with olive or sunflower oil.
For dinner, bake zucchini with spinach or make green bean soup.
Snack: pistachios and green apples.
- Tuesday
For breakfast, cook yourself some steamed beans and eat a couple of kiwis.
Have lunch with cucumber or onion soup and boiled vegetables.
In the evening, vegetable salad or grilled zucchini.
Snack: green apples.
- Wednesday
Start your morning with a vegetable smoothie and a couple of kiwis.
For lunch, sauté cabbage with green onions, eat a few green apples and a vegetable salad with avocado.
Dine on onion soup and a salad of leafy greens with cucumbers.
Snack: green grapes.
- Thursday
Make a fruit salad for breakfast
For the second meal, grill zucchini and make a salad with avocado and cucumber.
In the evening, broccoli soup.
Snack - kiwi.
- Friday
In the morning, drink a glass of fruit smoothie.
For lunch, prepare a salad of green peppers and boiled peas.
For dinner, eat stewed vegetables, green apple, pear and mint salad.
Snack: green pears.
- Saturday
Start your day with a vegetable smoothie.
Photo by Jacqueline Howell from Pexels
Lunch on coleslaw and sautéed zucchini with pesto.
In the evening, bake green apples with cinnamon in the oven.
Snack: green grapes.
- Sunday
Vegetable smoothie for breakfast.
For lunch, prepare a vegetable salad and green lentils. You can boil it as porridge or make soup.
For dinner, eat a salad with spinach and apple.
Snack - kiwi.
Asparagus
Long asparagus shoots belong to the lily family and are relatives of onions, are rich in mineral complex and vitamins, and also contain unique substances: asparagine and saponin, which synthesize protein. Also, asparagusic acid is considered indispensable for kidney diseases, which, together with potassium, promotes the removal of decay products, has a diuretic property, normalizes the functioning of the genitourinary system, and increases male potency.
The active substance asparagine increases vascular permeability, which helps lower blood pressure and serves as a prevention of thrombosis and phlebitis. Young tender shoots are eaten raw, and can also be steamed, baked or grilled as an independent dish, soup, omelet or as part of a complex side dish, added to a salad or vinaigrette. Asparagus is also often canned and pickled, and then used throughout the year.
The calorie content of shoots is 20 kcal, most of which is water, so asparagus is often included in cleansing diets. But this hypoallergenic healthy product has its contraindications for diseases or ulcers of the stomach and intestines, diabetes, cystitis, articular rheumatism and prostatitis, as it can provoke acute attacks or exacerbation.
Microgreens
Microgreens are young shoots of vegetable and herb seeds. They are usually 2.5-7.5 cm in length.
Since the 1980s, they have often been used as a garnish or decoration, but they have many more uses.
Despite their small size, they are full of color, flavor and nutrition. In fact, one study found that microgreens contain 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts. Some of these nutrients include vitamins C, E, and K ().
Microgreens can be grown at home all year round, making them an easily accessible product.
Summary:
Microgreens are the young shoots of vegetable or herb seeds that have been popular since the 1980s. They are delicious and rich in nutrients such as vitamins C, E and K. Moreover, they can be grown all year round.
Spinach
Spinach leaves have a huge amount of iron, vitamins K, C and E, carotene, folic acid, pectin and fiber, so this vegetable is considered a leader in healthy eating. It helps to reduce weight and maintain it at a certain level, since a substance has been found in spinach cells that promotes the production of the satiety hormone in the human body.
In addition, this vegetable has a low energy value, which is 23 kcal per 100 g of product, so it saturates for a long time with a minimum amount of calories. But spinach leaves contain a lot of oxalic acid, which, when crystallized, can settle in the kidneys, causing gout and arthritis.
In cooking, spinach is often used to prepare delicate sauces, soups, omelettes and pies, add leaves to salads and casseroles, and prepare vegetable cutlets, soufflés, purees, puddings and pies.
When frozen, it practically does not lose its beneficial properties, so bright green spinach is available for regular moderate consumption throughout the year. It can be added to vitamin cocktails and smoothies. The list of green vegetables that are beneficial for health and weight loss is not exhausted by this article; you can expand it according to your own taste and preference by choosing any juicy, vitamin-rich, low-calorie foods, and be sure to include them in the healthy diet of the whole family.
Beet tops
Since the Middle Ages, beets have been considered beneficial for health.
Indeed, they have an impressive nutritional profile, but while beets are commonly used in a variety of dishes, the leaves are often overlooked.
This is unfortunate, given that they are edible and rich in potassium, calcium, riboflavin, fiber and vitamins A and K. A 144 gram serving of cooked beet tops contains 220% of the RDA for vitamin A, 37% of the RDA for potassium and 17% of the RDA for fiber ( ).
They also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene and lutein, which have been shown to prevent eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts (,).
Beet tops can be added to salads, soups, or fried and eaten as a side dish.
Summary:
Beet tops are the edible green leaves of beets. They are full of nutrients, including antioxidants, that can support eye health.
