7 Yellow Vegetables with Health Benefits

Overview

The age-old maxim that you should eat your greens holds true, but don’t overlook other colors when preparing what goes on your dinner plate. It turns out that vegetables that come in hues of yellow are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and other health-boosting components.

Here are seven yellow veggies you should integrate into your meals to reap their health rewards.

Corn

This brightly colored plant is a staple in many countries across the globe. It’s rich in vitamins A, B and E, as well as many minerals. The yellow kernels are high in fiber, which helps the body stave off any digestive problems or illnesses including constipation, hemorrhoids, and colorectal cancer.

The little yellow beads of corn all lined up on the cob also contain phytochemicals. These can stop carcinogens from infecting cells, and the phytochemicals can also help cells to halt and eliminate any cancer-like changes.

Keep it simple when preparing corn and savor the deliciousness of corn on the cob. With a few ingredients, you can make a mouthwatering and nutritious veggie side for any meal.

Squash

Also known as summer squash, yellow varieties of squash provide numerous health benefits. The vegetable is high in vitamins A, B6, and C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium. That’s a serious nutritional power-packed veggie.

Yellow squash is also rich in manganese. This mineral helps to boost bone strength and helps the body’s ability to process fats and carbohydrates.

Savor the color and texture of this brightly-hued veggie by lightly braising it to create smothered yellow squash with basil.

Yellow Peppers

Technically they’re not a veggie; yellow peppers are a fruit. But we eat them like they’re vegetables, so let’s go with it. Mainly made up of water, the vibrantly colored vegetable is hydrating with a small amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Bell peppers are a great source of nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. They also provide folate. This is a substance that supports red blood cell functions. Vitamin K is also found in yellow peppers, which is essential in the body’s ability to clot blood. Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, which plays a role in immune function, energy, skin health, disease protection, and wound healing.

To prepare a delicious dish with yellow bell peppers, try marinating them. With hints of garlic, lemon, and oregano and mixed with an olive-oil marinade, these peppers are a great supplement to any appetizer platter or sandwich.

Yellow Potatoes

Potatoes aren’t just comfort food, they’re also really good for you. The key is to not slather them with butter, sour cream, or a mound of cheese.

One of the best things about potatoes, is how filling they are without a high-calorie count. Plus, they’re full of nutrients including niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamins C and B6, manganese, and phosphorus. Phosphorus is essential to the body. It’s needed to keep the structure of cell membranes. Not only that, it’s also needed for the production of energy and bone mineralization.

Minimize the oils and fats you add to potatoes to get the most nutritional benefit out of eating them. You can do this by boiling the potatoes, smashing them, and adding some subtle seasoning to create crispy on the outside, tender on the inside smashed potatoes.

Golden Beets

These yellow-colored root vegetables are sweeter than their red root relatives, but they’re very nutritious. Golden beets are heart-healthy, and they also help the kidneys clear out toxins, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and even treat fatigue.

Like many yellow-colored fruits and veggies, golden beets are full of beta-carotene. Once in the body, beta-carotene is transformed into vitamin A. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that protects body cells against damage.

Roasted to perfection and tossed with fresh ingredients, lemon-herb roasted beets celebrates the natural sweetness of this root vegetable.

Just a single cup of cooked pumpkin has more than 200 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A is good for the human body, as it helps keep vision sharp. That same cup of pumpkin also contains lots of vitamin C – about 11 milligrams – which boosts your immune system, wards off colds, among numerous other health benefits.

You can’t beat a traditional pumpkin pie, especially in the autumn. Enjoy the crumbly pastry crust with the pumpkin and spice filling.

Yellow Beans

These legumes contain a whole bunch of cancer-fighting, naturally occurring plant chemicals, including isoflavones. They also contain phytosterols, which block cholesterol absorption resulting in reduced blood cholesterol levels. Legumes are also linked to reduced cancer risk.

Keep the freshness, crispness, and color of yellow beans with a hint of vinegar in a green and yellow bean salad.

Takeaway

Green is good when it comes to vegetables, but don’t omit the other colors of the rainbow when it comes to meal prep. The brighter, sunnier-hued veggies have significant nutritional value and benefits waiting to be unlocked and enjoyed by your taste buds and body.

Sources:

  1. Beta-carotene. (n.d.)
    nutri-facts.org/en_US/nutrients/carotenoids/beta-carotene.html
  2. Foods containing phytochemicals. (n.d.)
    breastcancer.org/tips/nutrition/reduce_risk/foods/phytochem
  3. Green and yellow bean salad. (n.d.)
    cbc.ca/bestrecipes/recipes/green-yellow-bean-salad
  4. Higdon, J. (2001). Phosphorus
    lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/phosphorus
  5. Isoflavones. (n.d.)
    isoflavones.info/
  6. Jamie’s sweet and easy corn on the cob. (n.d.)
    allrecipes.com/recipe/222352/jamies-sweet-and-easy-corn-on-the-cob/?internalSource=hn_carousel%2001_Jamie%27s%20Sweet%20and%20Easy%20Corn%20on%20the%20Cob&referringId=1082&referringContentType=recipe%20hub&referringPosition=carousel%2001
  7. Lemon-herb roasted beets. (2009, October)
    eatingwell.com/recipe/252469/lemon-herb-roasted-beets/
  8. Manganese. (2015)
    medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/182.html
  9. Marinated peppers. (2009)
    marthastewart.com/341469/marinated-peppers
  10. Phytosterols: Sterols & stanols. (2013, October)
    my.clevelandclinic.org/services/heart/prevention/nutrition/food-choices/phytosterols-sterols-stanols
  11. Smashed potatoes. (n.d.)
    ceramcor.com/recipes/smashed-potatoes/
  12. Smothered yellow squash with basil. (2004)
    epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/smothered-yellow-squash-with-basil-109752
  13. Traditional pumpkin pie. (n.d.)
    edsmith.com/en/recipes/traditional-pumpkin-pie/#.V9tVYbWZI7A
  14. Vitamin a: Fact sheet for health professionals. (2016, August 31)
    ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
  15. What vitamins are in yellow peppers? (n.d.)
    healthyeating.sfgate.com/vitamins-yellow-peppers-4565.html

Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.healthline.com by Corinne Keating where all credits are due. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R.D., L.D.

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