Vegetables that aren’t as healthy as you think
You know you should eat more vegetables. We all do. If you’re one of the millions of people who are trying to live better, chances are you make a conscious effort to forego sweets and fast food for the occasional salad or green smoothie — because vegetables, no matter which ones, are always healthy, right?
“It is always better to choose a fruit or vegetable over processed food in a snap decision,” Dr. Konda Reddy of Physicians Weight Loss Orlando, told me in an interview. But, the truth is, not all vegetables are created equal. Here are some vegetables that aren’t as healthy as you think.
If you’re anything like me, corn probably ranks high on your list of favorite vegetables. From grilled corn on the cob to sweet corn salad, these little morsels of yellow goodness taste delicious no matter how you prepare them. And because they’re a vegetable, I always feel a little when I choose to forego French fries to nosh away at some corn instead. Unfortunately, most nutritional experts I spoke to weren’t as big of fans of corn as I hoped.
“Vegetables like corn are higher in carbohydrates, and the carbohydrates contained inside these veggies are not mostly indigestible fiber, but rather, strings of sugar also known as starches,” registered dietician Catherine Metzgar, Ph.D. told me in an interview. “These starches are very digestible and are quickly converted into sugar in your body, raising your blood sugar.”