Nutritive and Dietetic Value (Junior Cert Home Economics): Revision Notes

Nutritive and Dietetic Value of Vegetables

Nutritive Value

• Most vegetables are low in protein, but pulse vegetables (peas, beans, lentils) provide LBV protein, which helps with growth and repair of body cells.
• Most vegetables are low in fat, making them healthy for the heart, but soya beans contain unsaturated fat, which can help reduce cholesterol levels.
• Carbohydrates:
  • Roots and pulses are high in starch, giving the body energy.
  • Potatoes and pulses also provide dietary fibre, which helps digestion and prevents constipation.
  • Some vegetables, like carrots, contain small amounts of sugar, giving a quick energy boost.
• Some vegetables provide calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth.
• Leafy green vegetables and pulses are good sources of iron, which is needed to make haemoglobin in red blood cells and prevent anaemia.
• Vegetables are rich in carotene (vitamin A), which supports good eyesight and healthy skin, as well as folic acid, which helps form red blood cells, and vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and helps the body heal wounds.
• They also have a high water content, which helps keep the body hydrated and supports healthy skin and temperature regulation.

Dietetic Value

• Pulse vegetables are beneficial for vegetarian diets.
• Vegetables support low-calorie and low-cholesterol diets.
• They are valuable for high-fibre diets.
• Leafy greens are especially useful in vegan diets due to their calcium and iron content.
• Vegetables add colour, flavour, and texture to meals.
• Some vegetables, like potatoes and carrots, are inexpensive.