Summer Vegetables Good for Health

 


Summer brings a bounty of fresh and delicious vegetables. Plus any herbs and spices you like. Add whichever peppers you love , such as sweet or hot peppers, to homemade tacos, pizzas or burritos. 


Eating seasonally has been shown to help increase nutrient intake, contribute to a more sustainable environment and support local farmers. With that said, growing and buying summer vegetables from your local farmers market is a great way to improve your health and contribute to your community.

What are the best summer vegetables to enjoy during the warmest months of the year? Some include leafy greens like kale, shallots, bell peppers, squash, garlic and herbs, such as basil.

  •  Here are some popular summer vegetables you can enjoy:

Tomatoes
Zucchini
Bell Peppers
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Corn
Green Beans
Summer Squash
Okra
Kale
Swiss Chard
Radishes
Carrots
Peas
Lettuce


More Details

Tomatoes:  Juicy, flavorful, and available in many varieties (e.g., cherry, heirloom). Great in salads, sandwiches, salsas, and sauces.

Zucchini:  Versatile and mild-flavored, can be green or yellow. Perfect for grilling, baking (zucchini bread), and spiralizing into noodles.

Bell Peppers: Sweet and colorful, available in green, red, yellow, and orange. Ideal for salads, stir-fries, stuffing, and roasting.

Cucumbers: Crisp and refreshing, often eaten raw.  Excellent in salads, sandwiches, pickles, and as a snack.

Eggplant: Rich and meaty texture, comes in several varieties. Delicious when grilled, baked, or used in dishes like ratatouille and baba ganoush.

Corn Sweet and tender, a summer staple. Can be grilled, boiled, or used in salads, salsas, and soups.

Green Beans : Crisp and tender, available in various types. Tasty when steamed, sautéed, or used in casseroles.

Summer Squash : Includes varieties like yellow squash and pattypan squash. Great for grilling, roasting, and adding to stir-fries and salads.

Okra : Unique texture, often used in Southern cuisine. Can be fried, pickled, or used in gumbo and stews.

Kale : Nutrient-dense leafy green. Perfect for salads, smoothies, and sautéing.

Swiss Chard: Colorful stems and large leaves, mildly bitter. Great for sautéing, adding to soups, and salads.

Radishes Crisp with a peppery flavor. Ideal for salads, sandwiches, and as a crunchy snack.

Carrots: Sweet and crunchy, available in various colors. Delicious raw, roasted, or used in soups and stews.

Peas: Sweet and tender, includes sugar snap peas and shell peas. Can be eaten raw, steamed, or added to salads and stir-fries.

Lettuce: Light and crisp, with many varieties like romaine, butterhead, and leaf lettuce. Perfect for salads, wraps, and sandwiches.


The warmest months boast a bevy of farm-fresh summer vegetables brimming with sun-ripened flavor. After soaking up the spring rains, countless plants now bear their edible bounty. 

Tomatoes morph from tart-and-green to red-and-juicy in the hotter months. Cobs of corn sweeten on the stalk. Zucchini grows from yolk-yellow flowers. So, what are the seasonal summer vegetables you should be cooking with now? 

While global farming has now made “summer” vegetables, like new potatoes, accessible year-round, nothing tastes as satisfying as in-season produce. Come the warmer season, your farmers market or local green grocer will burst with leafy treats, fragrant herbs and brightly-hued summer vegetables. 

Green goodies — such as asparagus and summer squash — will shine on your backyard barbecue, caramelizing once flame-grilled. Others, like crisp-and-cool cucumbers, lend themselves to satisfying summer vegetable side dishes that are heightened with a light citrus vinaigrette. 

Whether you’re hankering for an heirloom tomato salad or Mexican street corn, now is the ideal time for a meatless feast. Below you’ll find our top 12 summer veggies to enjoy this season.

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