A cucumber is a healthy food. Keep some cucumbers in the refrigerator for a cooling snack. Eating a cucumber will also keep you hydrated. Each cucumber is about 96 percent water, notes Harvard Medical School, Center for Health and the Global Environment. Cucumbers may be added to salads or eaten as a snack plain or spread with some salsa or hummus.
Potassium
A half cup of cucumber has 80 mg of potassium, notes the National Institutes of Health. A small bowl of plain yogurt mixed with sliced cucumbers will be a healthy lunch that provides your body with a strong supply of potassium and calcium. Foods containing these minerals can prevent hypertension.
Low-Calorie Food
The cucumber is also a low-calorie food. There are only around 16 calories in a cup of cucumber slices, notes the Harvard Medical School. Thus, carrying around a bag of sliced cucumbers is an easy way to always have a healthy, nonfattening snack on hand.
Low-Sodium Food
Cucumbers are a low-sodium food. Seven slices of cucumber have 2 mg of sodium, notes Colorado State University Extension. Cucumbers are healthy to eat without worrying that you are eating too much salt. Eating some cucumber slices instead of salty snacks such as potato chips ensures that your snack adds nutrition rather than salt and fat to your diet.
Vitamin C
Cucumbers contain vitamin C. This vitamin is important to your overall health. The vitamin C in cucumbers will help you maintain your energy and will also help your body to heal any wounds.
A Bland Food
Cucumbers are also popular with teens who are picky eaters as the food does not have any unpleasant aroma or taste. One way to get a fussy teen to eat cucumbers is to add them to the top layer of a sandwich, notes Healthy Children of the American Academy of Pediatrics. You may want to serve an open-faced sandwich with a slice of pita bread with a smear of hummus or peanut butter topped with cucumber slices. This healthy snack or lunch will provide protein and carbohydrates. Check with your doctor to see what age it is safe for your child to eat cucumber slices.
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