Why Is Eating Vegetables Important?

It's normal to think of a plate full of vegetables a bit less favorably than a warm chocolate brownie or a gooey slice of cheese pizza. However, veggies have serious benefits for health, weight control and disease prevention that other foods simply can't offer. Peas may never taste quite as good as dessert, but learning more about the valuable properties of vegetables may entice you to take an extra serving or two.

Nutrition Facts

To put it simply, vegetables have superior nutritional profiles. They are high in vitamins and minerals, low in calories and fat and free of cholesterol. If you want a lot of volume for few calories, vegetables are your best bet. According to the USDA, 1 cup of raw broccoli has just 31 calories, 6 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber and 81 mg of vitamin C, which is more than the amount of vitamin C in a typical orange. A cup of raw spinach has nearly 1 g of fiber but only 7 calories.

Antioxidant Properties

All of the rich colors you see in vegetables, from the verdant green of spinach and peas to the vibrant orange of peppers and carrots, indicate the presence of antioxidants. Antioxidants are disease-fighting compounds that can neutralize free radicals, which may cause cell damage in the body. High antioxidant levels are among the main reasons eating veggies is more beneficial than taking a multivitamin, since supplements can't provide the same compounds.

Health Benefits

Those antioxidants are also part of what gives vegetables such a powerful capacity to prevent disease. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, including more veggies in your diet can cut your risks of cancer, kidney stones, stroke, bone loss, heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Energy Density

Vegetables have energy density levels that are among the lowest of all foods. Items with low energy density, which are high in fiber and water and low in fat and calories, are the best foods for weight maintenance and weight loss. Non-starchy vegetables are typically close to 90 percent water and contain about only one-third the calorie count of fruits.

Considerations

While veggies are one of the most important components of a healthy diet, they're not the only component. To fulfill all of your nutritional needs, it's also important to have regular servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy, lean proteins, grains and fruits. Before you make any big changes to your diet, get approval from your physician.