If you’re wondering how many green vegetables are out there and hoping to find a comprehensive list of everything they have to offer health-wise, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll be exploring a select few of the green vegetables readily available at your local market or greengrocer. Of course, there are a substantial number more green vegetables than we can list here, but we’ll try our absolute best to get through them!
Green Vegetables
What Are Green Vegetables?
Green vegetables are exactly as they sound like they are. They’re vegetables (edible plants) that are green in color. The health benefits that such vegetables provide are second to none! You’ve got to be including these in your diet if you want to get a healthy balance with the micronutrients you can get from them!
List of Green Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Bitter gourd
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Calabash
- Celery
- Chayote
- Coriander
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Grape leaves
- Green bean
- Green capsicum
- Green chili pepper
- Green pumpkin
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Microgreens
- Mint
- Okra
- Pea
- Perilla
- Ridge gourd
- Romaine lettuce
- Snake gourd
- Spinach
- Watercress
- Zucchini
Green Vegetables And Their Benefits
Kale
Kale is easily one of the most nutritious green vegetables you can get affordably at your local market. They’re filled to the brim with so many useful and healthy nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The most important antioxidants to mention in kale are known as lutein and beta-carotene, which are used by the body to help reduce the risk of certain oxidation-related diseases.
Spinach
Another green vegetable, not too dissimilar in taste to kale. It’s easy enough to bring into all kinds of dishes you make in the kitchen and is host to all kinds of fantastic nutrients when consumed. Spinach is most well-known for its folate contents. Folate is used by the body to promote red blood cell production and has various pregnancy-based benefits too.
Cabbage
One of the most common sources of green vegetables in the market, the cabbage also comes with a wide variety of health benefits to consider when you eat it! It belongs to the same family as kale and provides similar nutrient-dense benefits too. Most specifically, cabbage is packed full of something called glucosinolates, which are in short a cancer-protective compound found in plants.
Watercress
Watercress is a type of microgreen that is believed to have healing properties upon consumption like no other green vegetable available. Herbal doctors and practitioners have been using watercress since they first found out about it, so there must be some merit to it. If we’re looking at it scientifically though, watercress has been shown to contain compounds that work to target and eliminate cancer stem cells in the body as well as reducing cancer cell reproduction.
Romaine Lettuce
A popular type of lettuce, commonly found in everyone’s favorite caesar salad, the Romaine lettuce comes with plenty of health benefits, which is a win-win since it adds a nice crunch to most meals it’s found in too. It’s a great source of vitamins A and K and is incredibly powerful at reducing the risk of heart disease by improving the levels of blood lipids in the body.
Artichoke
Artichokes are an interesting little vegetable, that contains vast amounts of antioxidants within their leafy bodies. They work to help with anti-aging and have been linked with decreasing the chances of breast cancer in developing women. It’s also filled to the brim with iron and fiber, which are two very important micro-nutrients that everyone should be consuming.
Broccoli
There are plenty of benefits involved with broccoli, which also happens to be one of the most commonly consumed green vegetables out there. Broccoli is packed with folate and fiber, which helps reduce the risk of countless diseases. Most notably, broccoli has been shown to help prevent obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Arugula
Just like most other green vegetables on this list, arugula is a great source of protein and vitamins. When consumed it helps to prevent the effects that lead to the development of diabetes. It has also been linked to improving vision, heart health and aids in digestion (which incidentally helps with weight loss too).
Edamame
Perhaps a more rare form of green vegetable, but one that you’ll find all too common at a Japanese or Oriental restaurant, edamame is a great source of protein, calcium, and vitamin C. It’s basically just a soybean that hasn’t been matured and they’re often enjoyed as a light snack before the main meal in Asian cuisine.
Green Vegetables | Image
Last Updated on June 3, 2021
What about turnip greens and collard greens ?
Turnip greens and collard greens are both leafy green vegetables that are common in Southern cuisine. Turnip greens are the leaves of the turnip plant and are slightly bitter and peppery in flavor. Collard greens are the leaves of the collard plant and have a milder taste than turnip greens. Both greens are packed with vitamins and minerals and are a great addition to a healthy diet. They can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéed, boiled, or steamed, and are often seasoned with bacon or ham hocks for added flavor.