When we look at vegetables we often consider them all to be healthy, which of course they are, but some more so than others. Here I want to share with you all about the best vegetables you can enjoy and get your vitamins!
My favourite vegetables
I like most vegetables to some degree but my favourites are most definitely carrots, butternut squash, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms.
What are your favourite vegetables? Are there some you don’t like? I am not a fan of cabbage or peas but like pretty much everything else. If you don’t like onions but want to use them in recipes be sure to check out my hiding onions guide!
How many vegetables do we need?
I would like to think I get all the vitamins and minerals I need in my diet as I have fortified breakfast cereals and have vegetables every meal except breakfast when I have fruit. I do wonder though if everyone gets their recommended daily allowance, especially as so many ready meals and quick meals available seem to be low in vegetable content!
It is really easy to find out how much vitamin a, c and d you need with a simple calculator on the Beko website. I found that as a woman between 19 and 64 I need the equivalent of a small carrot for my vitamin a every day, 40mg of vitamin c which is a little over 100g of strawberries and for vitamin d I simply need 10-30 minutes of midday sunlight several times a week. Of course children, men and older people have different needs.
Do you waste fruit and vegetables?
We used to waste odd bits when they had gone soft in the fridge or I had bought more than we needed but meal planning has made a big difference to this as now I only buy what we need.
Alongside that, I bought a new fridge freezer (Beko HarvestFresh) which actually claims to help preserve your vegetables and fruit in the salad draw for longer and preserve the vitamins in them using different colour lights to simulate the natural daylight cycles! I must admit I was pretty sceptical but actually have found it is making a massive difference and my peppers last well past their best before date whereas before they were lucky to make it to that date! the light is blue in the photo below!
Which vegetables are highest in vitamin a?
If you are looking to increase your vitamin a intake then just one cup of cooked carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato or spinach is over your recommended daily value! It is as easy as that.
A cup of cooked peppers is just 22% of your daily value, lettuce 23% and broccoli 13% so, of course, they are all good but not the healthiest vegetables so you will need to eat more!
Which fruits are highest in vitamin a?
Fruit generally has a little less vitamin a than vegetables but one cup of mango is over half your recommended daily amount and a cup of cantaloupe melon is a third of your daily recommended so still pretty good and they are so sweet and easy to eat!
Which fruits are best for vitamin c?
Whilst exotic and not often enjoyed in the UK, guavas contain over four times your daily recommended intake in just a cup full! when it comes to vitamin c they are one of the healthiest vegetables you could choose. Kiwi is also a good option and much more readily available with a cup full providing almost double what you need daily. Strawberries, oranges and papaya will all provide around the amount you need by eating a cup full too!
Which vegetables are best for vitamin c?
A few good choices for vegetables are broccoli with a cup of broccoli providing 90% of your daily needs for vitamin c and tomato with a cup providing two thirds. Both of which are really easy to integrate into any meal! Kale is not so high in vitamin c with a cup of cooked kale providing only a quarter of the vitamin c you need daily. So, the lesson is, if you don’t like kale and prefer broccoli, don’t worry!
Are you getting enough vitamin a and vitamin c?
Beko has found that only 20% of 18-24-year-olds eat most of the fruit and vegetables they purchase! Whereas 69% of over 65’s eat most of their vegetables.
People in London have the highest intake of vitamin a with an average of 57% whereas Yorkshire and the Humber are at just 31%.
Vitamin c intake is rather varied across the country too with wales having an average intake of 79% of the daily recommended intake and the North East at 59%.
