Nutritional Values of Vegetables

Abstract

The incidence of chronic and incurable diseases ravaging humanity today has awakened a resolve for healthy eating and natural living. Mankind generally cultivates diverse foodstuff for survival, multiplication, replenishment, and commercial purposes. Vegetables are a variety of food that provide nourishment of essential vitamins and minerals to the body. The various categories of vegetables cut across leafy, bulb, flower, seed, root, fruit to stem. The variety of colors from different array of vegetables are evidence of the numerous phytochemicals present in vegetables. These phytochemicals have been recorded to help the body fight against diseases and reduce the incidence of occurrence. Metabolic activities of the human body are enhanced when vegetables are consumed in large quantities. Vegetables can be eaten either raw or cooked and play an important role in human nutrition. They are mostly low in fat and carbohydrates, but high in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Due to the short shelf-life of many vegetables, it is pertinent to handle them in a most hygienic way to prevent the loss of essential nutrients especially the easily volatile group like essential oil, vitamin B, and vitamin C. Handling process of vegetables include canning, freezing, dehydrating and blanching.