If you regularly load up your grocery cart with a variety of veggies, you could be well on your way to a healthier and longer life. But which ones should you reach for? Recent research has shown that dozens of vegetables pack a particularly big nutritional punch. Sneaking them into your daily diet couldn’t be simpler.


Great things come in small packages. The baby versions of radishes, cabbages, kale, and broccoli can be higher in nutrients like vitamins C and E than the regular, mature plants. They range in flavors from peppery to tangy. Cooking tip: Try adding a handful of microgreens to sandwiches and salads, or use as a garnish for soups.

Chard



This green has healthy amounts of vitamins C, A, and K as well as manganese. Working 1.5 cups of green, leafy vegetables into your day may lower your odds of getting type 2 diabetes. Cooking tip:Sneak spinach into your daily routine by adding it to scrambled eggs and casseroles or blending it into smoothies.


Pimentão vermelho
You think of it as a veggie, but it’s actually a fruit. One medium pepper delivers B vitamins, beta carotene, and more than twice your daily need for vitamin C. Cooking tip: For a fanciful main dish, cut the tops off peppers, remove the inner white membranes and seeds, and then roast until tender. Finish by filling with your favorite whole-grain salad.


Broccoli is one of nature’s rock stars. It’s a top source of natural plant chemicals shown to help lower the risk of some cancers (though many other things also affect your cancer risk). Each cup of the florets also gives you plenty of vitamins C and K. Cooking tip: Steam the florets for a simple side dish. Or add them into stir-fries, frittatas, and even smoothies that also have naturally sweet things, like fruit, to mask the broccoli taste.



Not to be outdone by their tops, ruby red beets are a leading source of nitrates, which are good for your blood pressure. Plus, you get fiber and other nutrients from beets. Cooking tip: Roasting beets boosts their natural sweetness. Wrap each beet individually in foil and bake at 350 F until tender. Or skip the oven. Grate raw beets and add to slaws or as a topping in sandwiches.