Veggies Vs. Veggies

Flickr: Darwin Bell

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If you’re eating vegetables regularly, you’re on the right track. However, there are a few substitutions in the spirit of the Eat This Not That generation that will get your more bang for your vegetable buck.

In a study presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology Conference, scientists found that vegetables common in the American diet aren’t necessarily ones with the most concentrated amount of nutrients. The specific focus of the study measured phytonutrients, which are all the “good” things in veggies that help keep us healthy (in a nutshell).

See the vegetables go head-to-head after the jump.

Here are the popular vegetables and their healthier counterparts:

Carrots: Sweet potatoes, because they contain twice the beta-carotene.
Oranges: Papaya, which contains 15 times the beta-cryptoxantin (whatever that is).
Spinach: Kale, with 3 times the lutein.
Strawberries: Raspberries, with 3 times the amount of ellagic acid.
Mustard: Watercress contains an equal amount of isothiocyanate as four teaspoonfuls of mustard. It also tastes much better as a salad than four teaspoonfuls of mustard.