The 10 Healthiest Vegetables That You Can Eat 

The 10 Healthiest Vegetables That You Can Eat

Here are the top 10 healthiest vegetables:

1. Avocado
2. Lettuce
3. Broccoli
4. Cauliflower
5. Bell Pepper
6. Cabbage
7. Tomatoes
8. Onion
9. Garlic
10. Spinach

Healthiest Vegetables:number 10

Healthiest Vegetables: Number 10 on the list is garlic. Garlic has been used for thousands of years because of its very broad medicinal properties. To this day, a lot of people eat extra garlic whenever they need an immune boost. I certainly eat a lot of garlic, not necessarily for those reasons, but because I just love garlic. There's a compound in garlic called allicin that gives garlic its characteristic smell and taste, but also many of its health benefits. Allicin is only one of 33 sulfur-containing compounds in garlic. A lot of plant foods, especially vegetables, are known to provide health benefits, and people have been able to reverse diseases like multiple sclerosis because they choose vegetables that are often high in these sulfur compounds.

One more important compound is called cysteine. If you've heard of N-acetyl cysteine or NAC, a very popular supplement, it’s because cysteine gets converted into glutathione, the body's number one antioxidant and one of the main ways to detoxify and cleanse the body. Of course, garlic also contains a bunch of vitamins and minerals, but you're not likely to eat enough of it to rely on garlic for those. However, like I mentioned, the biggest reason I eat it is that it's delicious. I put garlic in just about everything. You can eat it raw or cooked.

A lot of people prefer it cooked because they can eat more of it, and it’s a little milder. But allicin is mostly active when garlic is fresh, undisturbed, and raw. So, it might be a good idea to eat some raw and some cooked. And of course, there are some side effects to garlic, namely body odor, but it’s also been known to keep away vampires and mosquitoes.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 9

Number nine on the list is onion, which belongs to the same family as garlic. Like garlic, onions contain sulfur and cysteine, which gets converted into glutathione. They also offer a range of vitamins and minerals, and that's one of the main reasons we should aim to eat plenty of vegetables—especially for their mineral content. We primarily get these essential minerals, like potassium and magnesium, from consuming large amounts of vegetables.

Onions have about 7.5 grams of net carbohydrates per 100 grams, which is relatively high compared to other vegetables on the top ten list. Why limit carbohydrates? It depends on your carbohydrate sensitivity. Many people today, especially those who are overweight or have poor metabolic health, have a carbohydrate intolerance, meaning their bodies don’t handle carbs as well anymore. For these individuals, a low-carb diet can be beneficial, and limiting carbohydrate intake becomes key. So while onions are borderline high in carbs, having about 100 grams (roughly a medium onion) per day is generally fine, but you don’t want to consume them without awareness of their carb content.

Another thing to note about onions and garlic is their effect on people with SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). SIBO occurs when bacteria grow in the small intestine, where they shouldn’t be, leading to gas, bloating, and digestive issues. This is often exacerbated by consuming foods high in FODMAPs. FODMAP stands for Fructooligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols—various forms of short to medium-sized carbohydrates and sugar alcohols. Both onion and garlic contain a lot of fructooligosaccharides, which are poorly absorbed in the body. When not absorbed, these carbohydrates travel to the small intestine and feed the bacteria there, worsening the symptoms of SIBO.

If you think you might have SIBO, it’s worth reading up on FODMAPs. For people with SIBO, soaking garlic and onions can help reduce the amount of fructooligosaccharides, making them easier to digest.

The reason I chose these vegetables, including onion, is because they are low in carbs and sugar while still providing tons of nutrients. You don’t want to load up on sugar to get your nutrients. The nutrients we’re especially looking for are potassium and magnesium. There are, of course, many other micronutrients to consider, and another important one is sodium, which we mainly get by adding salt to our food.

We also have to consider serving size. For instance, I love parsley, but you can only eat so much of it. I make a salad called Tabbouleh, and when I prepare it for two people, I use about 35 grams of parsley. That’s about 17 grams per person, providing a good amount of nutrients, but it’s still not as much as you could eat of vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli. Most of the vegetables I’m discussing are liver-cleansing for two reasons: they either contain organo-sulfur compounds that help the body detox and produce glutathione, or they belong to the cruciferous family, which offers phytonutrients and chemicals that assist the liver in detoxification.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 8

Healthiest Vegetables: Number eight is brussels sprouts and they are in the cruciferous family so they'll help the liver they contain one more specific compound that they're known for called Kaempferol that has been studied in detail and known to be an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even have some positive impact on getting rid of cancer.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 7

Number seven is tomatoes. I love tomatoes because they’re incredibly versatile—you can cook with them, eat them raw, enjoy them as a snack, or slice them onto just about anything. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and two key antioxidants: lycopene and lutein. These compounds have been heavily studied for their health benefits, including disease prevention and reversal. But I don’t want to dive too deep into the specifics of these chemicals. It’s great that research shows their benefits, but it’s important not to overcomplicate things. Focus on the bigger picture: know which vegetables are good for you, and eat a variety of them.

There are several other reasons I picked tomatoes and the other vegetables on this list. One factor is availability—can you easily find them in most places, and are they affordable year-round? Another consideration is my personal taste preference—I chose vegetables I enjoy eating and know how to prepare. I also kept in mind something called the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15, which is a list that measures the amount of chemicals and pesticides found on produce.

Now, one of my pet peeves is the terminology: organic versus conventional. The term "conventional" makes it sound like spraying pesticides on crops is the normal way things have been done for ages, and that organic is the exception. But that’s not how it works. Organic farming reflects how the planet has been for most of its history—without added pesticides and chemicals. What we call "conventional" is actually a relatively recent development, where we spray poisons on food. So when I see “organic vs. conventional” in stores, I think they should call it “conventional” and “poisoned” to reflect what’s really going on.

The Clean 15 are the produce items that consistently have the least pesticide residues. Examples include avocados, onions, eggplants, and asparagus. If you're concerned about the cost of organic produce, these are great options because you don’t necessarily have to buy them organic. Other vegetables with low pesticide residues include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and mushrooms.

On the other hand, the Dirty Dozen lists foods with the highest levels of pesticide residue, which includes spinach, kale, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes. If you regularly eat these, it’s worth spending a little extra money to buy organic, since these vegetables are more likely to be contaminated with pesticides.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 6

Healthiest Vegetables: Number six on the list is cabbage, and it's incredibly useful in so many ways. One of the best things about cabbage is that it's cheap, cheap, cheap. I can’t think of another food that’s so affordable—you can basically make a meal for just a few cents. Beyond being budget-friendly, cabbage is also part of the cruciferous family, meaning it helps support liver detoxification. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, which is very high in cabbage. Many people believe they need to eat fruits like oranges or drink orange juice to get their vitamin C, but you'd be much better off having some cabbage.

Cabbage is versatile too—you can eat it raw, cooked, or in dishes like coleslaw. If you’re making coleslaw, though, avoid adding a lot of sugar. Instead, try a simple recipe: drizzle a little olive oil, some vinegar, salt, pepper, and maybe a few herbs like basil, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, healthy salad.

Cabbage is also great for your gut biome, the collection of 40 trillion microorganisms in your digestive system that help keep you healthy. A major way to support your gut bacteria is by consuming fiber. When you eat carbohydrates, the fiber is subtracted from the carbs because your body doesn’t digest it. Instead, the fiber continues down to feed your gut bacteria. In general, fiber tends to feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut, while sugar tends to feed the harmful ones. Eating too much sugar and too little fiber creates dysbiosis, or an imbalance in your gut flora.

If you ferment vegetables like cabbage, you not only get fiber but also beneficial probiotics—good bacteria that help support your gut health. Cabbage is commonly fermented into sauerkraut, but you can ferment all kinds of vegetables. The more fermented foods you eat, the better you’ll be able to support your biome.

A common question I get is whether people need probiotics. Many people do, but I’m not a huge fan of how they’re often used. I use a lot of probiotics in my practice, but here’s how to think about them: probiotics are like seeds. When you buy a capsule with 20 billion units of probiotics, you're getting seeds. But for seeds to grow, they need good soil. If you plant flower seeds in rich, fertile soil, they’ll bloom. But if you throw those seeds on concrete, they won’t grow—no matter how many seeds you use. Similarly, if your gut is unhealthy or out of balance, probiotics won’t do much because the environment isn’t right for them to thrive.

To create that healthy "soil" in your gut, you need to look at the bigger picture. That means eating whole foods, cutting out sugar, increasing your fiber intake, and consuming fermented foods. Once you do that, you’ll be able to support a healthy gut environment, and probiotics will actually work and do their job.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 5

Number five on the list is bell pepper, and like cabbage, it’s packed with vitamin C—even more so than orange juice, and with much less sugar. Bell peppers contain about 3-4% net carbs, so you can eat plenty of them without worrying about carb intake. They’re one of my favorite vegetables, and I eat them almost every day.

Bell peppers are incredibly versatile—you can eat them raw or cooked. They’re great in salads, and I love stir-frying them with onions for fajitas. You can even enjoy them as a snack. Pair a piece of bell pepper with a little ham, a chicken wing, or a hard-boiled egg, and you’ve got a quick, nutritious snack that's full of flavor.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 4

Number four on the list is cauliflower, which is packed with vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. Being part of the cruciferous family, cauliflower is excellent for liver detoxification. What makes it particularly popular in the low-carb community is that it contains only about 3% net carbs, allowing you to eat plenty while still getting tons of potassium. In fact, you could easily eat 300-400 grams of cauliflower and get close to half of your daily potassium needs. This makes it a fantastic alternative for people trying to reduce carb intake without sacrificing nutrition.

Cauliflower’s versatility is another big draw. You can turn it into mashed cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes, or make riced cauliflower as a low-carb alternative to rice. You can steam, bake, or roast it—it’s incredibly easy to eat a lot of cauliflower without getting bored of it.

However, here’s a pet peeve of mine. Cauliflower has become so popular in low-carb circles that companies have started producing all sorts of "low-carb" products, like cauliflower pizza crusts. The issue is that these products often say "made with cauliflower," but if you read the fine print, you'll see that 90% of the ingredients are still other forms of starch. So, while it may be marketed as a cauliflower product, it could still contain as many carbs as a regular pizza crust. Always read the labels carefully—just because it says "made with cauliflower" or "gluten-free" doesn’t automatically make it healthy.

I also want to mention a few honorable mentions that didn’t make this list but are still excellent choices: mushrooms, green beans, celery, asparagus, parsley, and eggplant. These are vegetables I eat regularly. There are others that I don’t eat as often but are still fantastic, such as zucchini, radishes, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens.

Regarding pesticide exposure, it's good to be aware of which vegetables fall into the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen categories. For example, mushrooms and asparagus are on the Clean 15 list, meaning they are least likely to contain pesticides. On the other hand, celery, spinach, and kale are on the Dirty Dozen, so it’s worth investing in organic versions of those. Eggplant and zucchini should also be bought organic if possible, as they are often genetically modified.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 3

Number three on the list is broccoli, an incredibly nutrient-dense vegetable from the cruciferous family. It contains only about 4% net carbohydrates, making it a great low-carb choice. Broccoli is easy to prepare and tastes great whether you steam, grill, or roast it.

One of the things I love most about broccoli is its simplicity and versatility, but here's a pet peeve of mine: when people talk about the benefits of broccoli (or other nutrient-rich foods), they often say that it can "treat" various conditions, like cancer, diabetes, or osteoporosis. The problem is that "treat" is a medical term, and it gives the wrong impression. In medicine, treatment usually refers to interventions like medications that suppress symptoms or interfere with physiological processes. Medications typically stop the body from doing something in order to alleviate symptoms.

But that’s not what food does. Food doesn’t treat conditions in the way medications do. Instead, food supports the body by providing it with the nutrients and raw materials it needs to function properly. When the body has what it needs, it can return to balance, and that’s when health improves. So, when people say things like "broccoli treats cancer" or "food treats disease," that’s an oversimplification and a bit misleading.

What food really does is promote health by helping the body maintain balance. When the body is balanced, and it has the nutrients it requires, many conditions—like cancer, diabetes, or osteoporosis—can improve because the body is better able to heal and repair itself. But the food isn't "treating" the disease; it’s helping the body get back to a state where it can handle the challenges on its own.

So, let’s keep the focus on health and balance. The goal is to give the body what it needs and reduce the things that interfere with its natural processes. When we understand that, the whole idea of nutrition becomes clearer, and it keeps us on the right track without getting bogged down by the confusion of treating conditions with food.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 2

Number two on the list is lettuce, which comes in many varieties, but the ones I use most often are romaine, green leaf, red leaf, and the pre-packaged spring mix. All these varieties are great because they provide nutrients and fiber, and you can eat a large volume of them without consuming many carbs or calories.

Lettuce is perfect as a filler—you can make a huge, satisfying salad that’s low in calories but keeps you full. I personally love salads and have them several times a week. You can also use lettuce as a low-carb alternative in other ways, like rolling up slices of cheese and ham in it for a snack or even using lettuce to make lettuce-wrapped burgers. I often place a layer of lettuce on a plate, put my burgers on top, and load them with all the toppings I enjoy—just without the bread.

Lettuce is incredibly versatile, and whether you’re eating it in salads or using it to replace higher-carb ingredients, it’s a fantastic way to keep meals light and nutritious.

Healthiest Vegetables:number 1

And number one on the list is avocado, which might just be the most perfect plant creation ever. Avocados are incredibly low in net carbs—only 2%—because even though they have about 9% total carbohydrates, 7% of that is fiber. That makes them a fantastic source of healthy fiber, which supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

One of the standout features of avocados is their high potassium content. With 500 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams, eating just two or three avocados can provide the majority of your daily potassium needs. On top of that, avocados are one of the few non-starchy, water-rich plant foods that are truly filling due to their abundance of healthy fats.

What I love most about avocados is their versatility. You can enjoy them in practically every meal. I often slice avocado on top of omelets, chili, or even as a quick snack by removing the pit and drizzling a bit of dressing in the center. Guacamole is another go-to for me—I make it several times a week to accompany whatever else we're having.

Lastly, avocados are also ranked number one on the Clean 15 list, meaning they have the least pesticide contamination of any produce. So, if you're mindful of your budget and feel like avocados are a bit pricey, you can take comfort in knowing that you don’t need to buy them organic to avoid pesticides. Avocados are not only delicious and nutritious but also incredibly clean and versatile, making them the perfect top choice!

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