Vegetables are rich in vitamins, substances your body needs to stay healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, eating generous amounts of vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and certain cancers. The CDC also notes most Americans don't eat enough vegetables. To get the most vitamins, eat a variety of vegetables. The CDC recommends trying new vegetables regularly.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction and immunity, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, or ODS, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Some studies suggest that a diet high in vitamin A may lower the risk of many types of cancer, according to the ODS. The best vegetable sources of vitamin A are carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach and kale, registered dietitian Elisa Zied stated in an interview conducted in September 2010. The ODS notes that canned, chunky vegetable soup is also an excellent source of vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, helps heal wounds and protect the body from infections and viruses, according to the ODS. The ODS says that vegetables, as well as fruits, are the best sources of vitamin C. Vegetables that contain vitamin C include red and green peppers, broccoli, baked potatoes and tomatoes, the ODS says. Although peppers and tomatoes are technically fruits, they're used in cooking as vegetables and are often considered vegetables, notes Zied, who is author of the book "Nutrition at Your Fingertips."
Folate
Folate is a B vitamin that is needed to produce and maintain new cells and prevent birth defects. Women who are folate-deficient when they become pregnant are more likely to give birth to premature or underweight infants or babies with neural tube defects, according to the ODS. In addition, both children and adults need folate to prevent anemia. Leafy green vegetables, like spinach and turnip greens, are the best sources of folate, but this nutrient is also found in black-eyed peas and asparagus, the ODS says.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin because without it blood wouldn't clot, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. People with a vitamin K deficiency are more likely to have bleeding and bruising. Vitamin K is found in cauliflower, cabbage, spinach and other leafy green vegetables. If you take the blood thinner warfarin, the U.S. National Library of Medicine recommends that you ask your doctor how much vitamin K you should consume because vitamin K affects how this medicine works.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects the body from infection and helps new blood cells grow, according to the ODS. Over time, not getting enough vitamin E may prevent you from fighting off infections, the ODS says. Vitamin E comes mostly from nuts, seeds and oils, but it's also found in vegetables. Spinach and broccoli are good vegetable sources, according to the ODS. "Avocados, which are technically fruits but eaten as vegetables, also are rich in vitamin E," Zied adds.
Additional Information
Because vitamin C and folate are water soluble vitamins, they can leach into cooking water and be lost. To conserve these vitamins, use cooking methods that don't use much water, such as steaming, stir frying and microwaving, Zied recommends. She also advises cooking potatoes in skins to conserve vitamin C. Since raw vegetables have more of the water soluble vitamins, Zied suggests adding raw broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and spinach to salads.
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