5 Everyday Vegetables That are Packed with Antioxidants!

12th June 2018 Posted in Community News

We’re crazy about vegetables here! After all, vegetables are a massive part of what we do. With that in mind, we want to share some of our knowledge and encourage our employees, our followers and the rest of the population to reap the benefits of introducing a few of our favourite vegetables into their diet! If you feel good on the inside, it will have a huge influence on the way you feel in your day-to-day life. We would all like a little more energy and to know that the foods we are consuming are benefiting our bodies as opposed to attacking them, wouldn’t we?

Here’s our list of 5 super healthy vegetables that you can easily introduce and include into your diet:

1) Onions! Red to be exact. Whilst we have nothing against the white or brown varieties, the red onion (distinguished by its deep red/purple outer layers) contains a higher number of antioxidants. These antioxidants provide many benefits, including stronger protection against cancer.

Be sure to get the most out of your onion and avoid over peeling! This is because the outer layers have been found to have the most antioxidants. Like most vegetables, onions are better eaten raw – HealthExtremist (2018) suggests eating at least 3 per week!

2) Peas – a classic! Perhaps not smothered in butter and served with a giant pie, but hey, any effort is progress. Green peas are tiny little balls of goodness and we love them. Their long list of antioxidant properties contributes to a plethora of amazing health benefits, which include; anti-aging properties, a stronger immune system, more energy, stomach cancer prevention, blood sugar regulation and more!

Of course, if you can get fresh peas, brilliant! But if not, don’t worry – frozen options retain their colour and nutritional content pretty well too.

3) Spinach. It was good enough for Popeye and it’s good enough for us. Okay, so Popeye’s use of spinach was slightly over-exaggerated when it came to his need for bulging biceps, but it does have a lot of health benefits and it’s super tasty too. Spinach has various vitamins and minerals which include; zinc, magnesium, iron and calcium! As a result, it is good for your eyesight, your skin, it has anti-cancerous benefits and is also said to aid healthy foetal development.

So why not a few extra leaves to your salad or cook in the pan with a bit of lemon juice and ginger for fresh twist on the perfect side dish!

4) Kale. We’ve all heard pretty much any Social Media influencer or health addict TV chef, rave about their kale smoothies but the benefits of kale go far beyond a seemingly new food trend. Kale is believed to have alkaline properties and powerful antioxidants, meaning that kale is a great anti-inflammatory food that is good for fighting autoimmune disorders. Kale is also high in vitamin K – this is good for bone health, blood clotting and can help people suffering from Alzheimers disease.

5) Watercress. Genuinely. This small leafy bunch, certainly packs a punch (on the nutritional scale that is). To start with, the vitamin C content of watercress is higher than an average orange! It also contains more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk and more folate than bananas. Health benefits include; increased immunity, lower blood pressure and improved thyroid gland function (Natural Food Series: 2016).

You can do a lot with watercress if you were keen to add it to your diet, including; soups, garnish, salads, blend into your pesto, add to a sandwich or sauté in the same way you would spinach!

Of course there are many more delicious, nutrient dense vegetables that are widely available, but these are just some of our favourites!