The swap: Which vegetables to choose

Shopping for produce? Think about making these swaps to benefit your body. 

When it comes to picking the right produce, sometimes we put a little less thought into choosing the most nutritious vegetables. It may seem that adding a big serving of veggies is enough. Here we’ve come up with some swaps to make your vegetable dishes even healthier.

Swap lettuce for spinach or kale.

If we were to grade all of the vegetables, spinach would be a straight-A student. Lettuces (like iceberg) would score fairly low down. Spinach is loaded with tons of the good stuff. This food is packed with your vitamins Bs, A and C as well as potassium, calcium, antioxidants and of course, iron. Many prefer the taste of spinach but even if you have no preference, swapping this crunchy green in as your base for salads, wraps and sandwiches is a much better move than sticking with iceberg lettuce.

Replace cooked onions with raw ones. 

As delicious as caramelized onions are, raw onions are much better for you. Onions contain many good-for-you ingredients like cancer-fighting antioxidants. But these are contained in its oil. When cooked, they break down so you’re actually decreasing its health value.

Grab red peppers from the mixed veggie platter. 

Red peppers are heavy in vitamin C and light on calories. Up your vitamin intake by reaching for these on the mixed veggie plate versus the basic celery stick.

Switch a white potato for a sweet one instead. 

You can use them for most of the same dishes so switching the white potato for the sweet potato won’t be difficult. Sweet potatoes are the healthier version too because they are higher in fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C (especially in the skins). Plus, many will say they are much more flavorful. Your taste buds and your body will thank you.