Vegetables

Sweet potatoes are one of the most versatile and delicious foods out there — and they’re incredibly healthy to boot. From their origins in the highlands of Peru to their place on the festive tables of England’s King Henry VIII, societies have long had a love affair with these colorful tubers. So let’s find out how to choose, store, and prepare sweet potatoes to eat them on a regular basis.

Summer squash is a versatile and abundant vegetable. But sometimes, it can be difficult to know how to deal with the sheer volume that comes from the garden. Or even what to do with it when it’s available at the grocery store or farmers market. How do you select, store, and prepare summer squash for maximum nutrition and culinary value? And what are some creative ways to cook it and make the most of a summer harvest?

Asparagus may be a weird-looking vegetable that makes your pee smell funny, but it’s also a nutritional powerhouse and a culinary giant. What’s in asparagus that’s so good for you, and what health benefits does it provide? How do you select the best spears, and how do you store them for maximum flavor and nutrition? Find out below!

Asparagus can be an intimidating food to tackle if you’re not familiar with this regal vegetable. Uncooked, parts of it are tough and fibrous, and yet it can turn to mush when overcooked. But thanks to its delicious taste, varieties, versatility, and nutritional profile, it’s well worth getting to know — and love — asparagus. Discover how to cook and use asparagus with seven delicious plant-based recipes.

Cucumbers are a refreshing and versatile vegetable used in salads, sandwiches, and as a healthy snack. They’re high in water and low in calories, yet some people question whether cucumbers actually provide any significant nutritional benefits. In this article, we explore the truth about cucumbers and their role in a healthy diet.

Most of us don’t think of lettuce as a super-nutritious food. Sure, it makes up the bulk of “ordinary” salads, and iceberg accompanies fast food meals — but in terms of raw nutritional value, we tend to think of it as a sideshow. But should we reconsider our tepid view of lettuce? Might it turn out to be a nutritional powerhouse after all? And are there ways to enjoy it that don’t just involve salad dressing?

Olive oil gets a lot of great press as a health food. And olives are popular staples of Mediterranean cuisine, which is considered by many to be the world’s healthiest way of eating. But olives are very salty, and olive oil is basically 100% fat. So what’s the truth about this savory fruit? How can we separate fact from myth?

Turnips may not be cool like cucumbers or sexy like cauliflower, but they’re humble and hardworking root vegetables that have sustained human civilizations for millennia. And the more we know about turnips, the more impressive their nutritional and health benefits become. So why are turnips so good for us, and how can we prepare them in ways that make us look forward to seeing them on our plates?

Kale is one of those so-called “superfoods” that totally lives up to the hype. And when you discover all the ways kale can support your health and prevent disease, you may want to double down on your efforts to bring it into your diet on a regular basis. In this article, we’ll review the science around kale and share easy and delicious ways to get more kale into your life.

We hear about superfoods all the time — amazing, exotic berries harvested from over 17,000 feet up in the Himalayas, or rare roots found only on Tuesdays three days before a full moon. I’m exaggerating, of course, but the functional food industry loves to sell us extremely expensive products that they claim contain health-promoting powers that don’t exist in “ordinary” foods. It turns out, though, that many of the inexpensive, readily available foods right under our noses are unappreciated “superfoods” in their own right.

Pumpkins are known for their association with the fall holidays. Once September comes around, fall decor and Halloween decorations have already hit stores, and it’s officially “pumpkin spice season.” But pumpkins are so much more than a seasonal decoration or a flavoring for processed and packaged foods. In this article, we’ll explore the health benefits and nutrition of pumpkins and their seeds. And we’ll look at some of the best and healthiest ways to use them in recipes.

Peppers, from sweet to wickedly hot, became staples of cuisines around the world almost as soon as they arrived from their original homes in South America. Both mild bell peppers and 5-alarm chili peppers provide significant health benefits. In this article, we’ll look at what those benefits are, whether the hottest of peppers are safe, and how to prepare peppers to please the palates of the people you love.