5 Healthy Veggies You Think Are Bad For You—But Definitely Aren't

November 3, 2011
white potatoes are healthy


MYTH: White potatoes make you fat



Fight disease

Help maintain healthy blood pressure
Potatoes are loaded with kukoa-mines, plant chemicals that help lower blood pressure, found the USDA researchers. In addition, one medium baked potato (including the skin) provides 20% of your daily potassium, a known hyper-tension fighter. (Learn how you can get your numbers in check with Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally.)


MORE: 10 Mind-Blowing Baked Potato Recipes

MYTH: Iceberg lettuce has no nutrients
FACT: It has plenty of good-for-you compounds

Iceburg lettuce is healthier than it looks!Photograph by Mitch Mandel

Just because darker varieties have a few more is no reason to banish it! Iceberg also: 

Boosts bones
Just 1 cup of shredded iceberg lettuce delivers nearly 20% of your daily dose of vitamin K, a nutrient many women don't get enough of. When Harvard University researchers tracked the diets of more than 72,000 women, those who ate one or more servings a day of any type of lettuce (they're all rich in the vitamin) had the lowest rates of hip fracture. (Here are 12 ways to get break-proof bones for life.)

Protects your sight
Iceberg lettuce is a good source of vitamin A (just 1 cup supplies 15% of your daily dose), needed to keep your vision sharp. 

Inches you toward "five-a-day"
If iceberg is your favorite lettuce, don't hesitate to use it as the base of a tossed salad. "Any lettuce that keeps you eating salads is a great vehicle for getting more produce into your day," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Remember: Even the most nutrient-rich lettuce does you no good if it ends up in the trash. 

Try it: Grilled! For a unique, smoky flavor, halve or quarter a head of lettuce and grill just long enough for the telltale marks to form (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat, core, chop, and dress. For an Asian twist, toss with sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and rice wine vinegar. 

MYTH: Carrots are loaded with sugar
FACT: One cup of chopped raw carrots contains just 52 calories and a mere 12 g of carbohydrates

Carrots are not as high in sugar as you thinkPhotograph by Thomas MacDonald

Only half of the carbs are from natural sugar (the rest are from heart-healthy fiber and complex carbohydrates). That's fewer than you'd get in a cup of milk or a medium-size piece of fruit. Plus, the sugar in carrots comes packaged with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, unlike the excessive empty calories you'd get from foods with added sugar, such as a candy bar or cookies. They also: 

Benefit blood sugar
Fiber and beta-carotene, which are both linked to improved blood sugar control, are abundant in carrots. Improve your eyes A half-cup has more than four times the amount of vision-boosting vitamin A that you need in one day. 

Promote colon health
Carrots are packed with falcarinol, a phytochemical that may help protect you against colon cancer

Try this: Toss grated carrots into marinara sauce and simmer for added depth and a meaty texture (minus the fat found in beef), shred into tuna salad, or roast slices and add them to pizzas or sandwiches. 

MORE: 7 Pizza Recipes You Can Grill 

MYTH: Celery is just water
FACT: Before the 1500s, celery was used as a medicine to treat a laundry list of ailments

Celery is more than just waterPhotograph by Getty Images

Its devotees were on to something—the crunchy veggie has a unique combination of disease-preventing vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. It also: 

Keeps your blood pressure down
Celery contains pthalides, rare compounds that lower your blood pressure by relaxing artery walls. 

Lowers cancer risk
This veggie packs a dose of apigenin, a potent phytochemical that protects against cancer by inhibiting gene mutations.

Helps you stay slim
Celery sticks can satisfy an urge to munch with virtually no calories—one large rib has just 10 calories and 1 g of filling fiber. (For more ways to stay slim, check out these 25 best diet tips of all time.)

Try this: Make a mirepoix—a flavorful base for soups, stews, and sauces often used in French cooking. Combine equal amounts of finely chopped celery, onions, and carrots. Sauté in olive oil until just softened, and proceed with your recipe.  

MORE: The 8 Most Overhyped Superfoods On The Internet

MYTH: Corn is nothing more than carbs

Corn is more than just starch.Photograph by Getty Images


Helps your heart

Gives you energy

Preserves your vision
