Choosing vegetables that will make a delicious dish

Sep 14, 2020

Sharon Naluwende, a nutritionist at Mulago Hospital, says eating whole foods is the best way to increase fibre intake.

HEALTH | VEGETABLES 

Many people appreciate the usefulness of vegetables but for a number who cannot get them out of their gardens, they sometimes get a raw deal from the market.

Sharon Naluwende, a nutritionist at Mulago Hospital, says eating whole foods is the best way to increase fibre intake.

Here are some of the clues on how to choose the best vegetables.

 Cabbage

With the onset of the rains, the supply of cabbages to the market has increased, leading to a fall in prices.

A large cabbage is still selling at a retail price of sh1,000-sh1,500 at Kalerwe, Kawempe, Kasubi and Nakawa markets.

So if you are to eat cabbages, get firm and compact heads that are heavy for their size.

Carrots

Carrots are rich in fibre. Deep orange coloured and smooth skinned roots are the best.

Avoid carrots with purple or green shoulders or pale ones. Over-sized roots usually mean they are woody. If tops are still attached on carrots, they should be fresh.

Deep orange coloured and smooth skinned roots are the best

Cucumbers

Naluwende says cucumbers are a good source of vitamin B and ascorbic acid which do not only boost immune system but are also associated with healthy skin condition.

Eating cucumber, get long, slender ones that are medium to dark green are best. Avoid yellow, puffy or soft ones.

Eggplant

Look for firm, dark purple fruit with small blossom scars. Avoid soft, bronze or green-coloured fruits or those with a dried calyx.

Look for firm, dark purple fruit with small blossom scars


 Pepper

Pepper comes in two colours: green and red. People have no particular preference to one colour because they take any given to them.

But most prefer the green one as they claim it is hotter than the red one.

Firm, dark-colured fruit will do. Wrinkled or shriveled ones or those that are sun-burned (with contrasting colour spots) are not good.

Pepper


Tomatoes

Look for smooth skinned, firm fruits. Avoid fruits with growth splits, sun-scaled or over-ripe (soft) fruits.

Tomatoes

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});