Vegetables you might as well skip, according to this article

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  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    I love it when a magazine that is devoted to a "healthy lifestyle" pretty much tells you that something is not good, or as good, as something else. Well of course there are probably other things "more" healthy, or that have more nutrients, but any vegetable is better than no vegetable! Sometimes I think these people run out of things to write about so they have to pull something out of their *kitten*. Next month they'll come up with something else off the wall, like exercise is bad for you because it stresses the joints or something. And the very next page will have a "6 week to the best abs" workout or something like that! :explode:

    Edit: At first I didn't read the whole article, but first they tell you why it's not "as good" as something else, then they turn right around and have an "expert" tell you all the good things about it. Really?!?!?!!!! :explode: :explode:
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Definitely agree with iceberg. It has to be one of the few things that is nutritionally crap, and tastes like crap.

    Nothing else is really as crunchy as iceberg lettuce (although Romaine comes close). Sometimes I want crunchy greens in a salad, rather than tender ones. It's not a taste thing, it's a texture thing. For example, I think baby spinach would make a terrible taco salad - spinach is too delicate for the hearty toppings.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    Definitely agree with iceberg. It has to be one of the few things that is nutritionally crap, and tastes like crap.

    Nothing else is really as crunchy as iceberg lettuce (although Romaine comes close). Sometimes I want crunchy greens in a salad, rather than tender ones. It's not a taste thing, it's a texture thing. For example, I think baby spinach would make a terrible taco salad - spinach is too delicate for the hearty toppings.

    Exactly.

    I'm eating a taco salad (homemade) with iceberg lettuce as I type this.

    It's delicious. So...yeah.
  • circusmom
    circusmom Posts: 662 Member
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    Definitely agree with iceberg. It has to be one of the few things that is nutritionally crap, and tastes like crap.

    Agree!!! It tastes awful! There are so many choices for lettuce that are so much better.
  • Dnsnyder
    Dnsnyder Posts: 263 Member
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    I started my "lifestyle" with Iceberg lettuce because that is all I knew. My friend told me how unutritional it is and I have attempted to make the shift. For now I am at half and half and still have to have iceberg.. Maybe one day I will make the leap.


    BUT I LOVE MY CUCUMBERS AND WILL NOT COMPROMISE : )

    I would highly recommend trying Boston lettuce (or even Bibb lettuce) if you haven't already. Boston is a darker lettuce but has a very nice flavor to it. It is probably my favorite lettuce! My next two favorite greeens are baby spinach and romaine lettuce. =)
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    Well I don't like carrots and I love celery so there will be no change in that one!

    I also love cucumbers and find them to be very refreshing on a hot day and excellent in my salads or even added to a smoothie so I guess I won't be getting rid of those anytime soon either.

    And I already prefer romaine lettuce but if iceberg is on something I'm eating I'm certainly not going to pick it off because of the nutrition profile.

    Now if these were super high calorie foods with no nutritional value I can see ditching them (like I've done with chips and things along those lines!) but to ditch a very low calorie vegetable that you actually like to shave 2 calories off is just a little silly to me. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    ::sticks tongue out::

    I found this to be a ridiculous article from a great magazine.

    There's no way I'm going to stop growing cucumbers in my garden. We grow rare heirloom cukes and they are amazing to mix into salads or eat mixed in with other summer local veggies.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    ::sticks tongue out::

    I found this to be a ridiculous article from a great magazine.

    There's no way I'm going to stop growing cucumbers in my garden. We grow rare heirloom cukes and they are amazing to mix into salads or eat mixed in with other summer local veggies.

    I want some heirloom cucumbers D:
  • cupotee
    cupotee Posts: 181 Member
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    While I don't think you should skip them, as all three provide fiber, I kinda see where the article is coming from. I wouldn't consider any of them a full serving of vegetables, because the nutrition density is so low.
  • tracivee
    tracivee Posts: 56 Member
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    I think articles like this are silly. Neither one of those items are bad for you, and the things they offer in place are usually more expensive. Iceberg is good and cheap and it fills me up for less. Keep eating these foods as long as you want....I think they just look for goofy stuff to print to change things up...one minute something is healthy and great, the next minute it's a dieter's No-No...whatever it takes to get people to read their baloney...
  • starracer23
    starracer23 Posts: 1,011 Member
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    iceberg = water
    cucumbers = ok seedless in my salad
    celery = tasty with peanut/almond butter

    I eat mostly romaine and baby spinach in a salad...loaded down with tons of veggies and some nuts sprinkled on top...de-lish!
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    It's really silly. I can't help but think of the stupid tv commercials where they have a lady with a bowl of brocolli? or something, on the tv saying you have to eat 4lbs of it to get your requirement of X... well sure, maybe it IS low on that thing but you eat something HIGH in that thing if you want it... must have been a vitamin company commercial, showing how much of the "low content of X" you'd have to eat to get the same amount as they have in their daily vitamin tablet... well sure but....

    celery is High in Dietary Fiber
    High in Vitamin A, B2, B5, B6, C, K
    High in Minerals, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium
    Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

    cucumbers
    Very low in calories; provides just 15 calories per 100 g. Contains no saturated fats or cholesterol.
    It is a very good source of potassium,
    It contains unique anti-oxidants in good ratios
    Cucumbers have high amount of vitamin K,

    Focus on what they DO have and score a great item to snack on, I know the celery pack with my natural peanut butter snack goes a LOT farther for the calorie hit than does a candy bar.

    ETA - forgot about the iceberg... yeah... I don't touch that stuff, but the spinach in my garden puts the retail varieties to shame, I use a leaf of it AS the bun for burgers and it's mighty tasty.
  • Michelemybelle
    Michelemybelle Posts: 52 Member
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    To me, it's still the best tasting in a taco salad. I eat mixed baby greens/spinach/butter lettuce otherwise.
    [/quote]


    Me too. What is it about iceburg in a taco salad? Yummy. :)
  • wellnesscoachmegg
    wellnesscoachmegg Posts: 68 Member
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    I hated to see this article--I know she started it by saying she wasn't here to bash veggies of any kind....but, I think considering the horrible food attitudes we have in this country--I'd much rather see someone noshing on Iceburg Lettuce if it means a step in the right direction. I know that's how it started for me. Iceburg lettuce turned into Romaine, into Spinach, into Kale...

    The whole premise of the article just kinda made me mad--don't discourage people from eating veggies. A lot of people just don't have the information to even make better food choices--so let's not write articles about what veggies are the least nutrient dense, let's write articles about how making the choice to eat cucumber chips is better than BBQ chips. *end rant*

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