Alphabetical List of Vegetables

Vegetables play a crucial role in the diet of human beings around the world. They are widely recommended by nutritionists and health practitioners because they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Consuming vegetables would help in preventing serious health problems like cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, etc. Other advantages of following a vegetarian diet include proper functioning of the brain and also good memory. Eating vegetables regularly also makes a person's immune system stronger, preventing fever, common cold and infections. When a person is free from the risk of been affected by diseases, he/she is more likely to lead a long and healthy life.

Nutritional Benefits of Vegetables

Vegetables comprise of all the important nutrients that are required for a healthy diet. Some essential components of vegetables include:

Phytonutrients: Phytonutrients are chemicals or substances that are naturally found on the vegetables. Some of the most known phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals, found in vegetables are cruciferous, flavinoids and carotenoids. They are most commonly seen in green leafy vegetables.

Vitamins: Vitamins are substances that promote growth of the body by regulating the process that creates energy. Vegetables provide vitamins A, C, E, K, as well as folate, which is a type of vitamin B required for growth of cells in the body.

Fiber: Vegetables are the main source for fiber. Fiber comes in two forms, one is the soluble fiber while the other is the insoluble one. A high fiber diet helps in cleansing the digestive tract and preventing constipation. People who are advised to take fiber supplements should increase their intake of fibrous vegetables.

Minerals: Minerals are substances present in the soil. Vegetables acquire these minerals from the soil on which they are grown. Minerals that are mainly found in vegetables include iron, potassium, calcium, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, etc., which are essential for the overall functioning of the body.

Though the nutritional value of vegetables are numerous, not every vegetable contains all the nutrients. Due to this, it becomes extremely important to inculcate all the different types of vegetables in one's diet. People who have adopted vegetarianism as a part of their lifestyle enjoy the benefits of vegetables with the help of delicious vegetarian recipes. However, many are not aware of the kinds of vegetables that are available to us. Let us look at the list of vegetables in an alphabetical order.

Alphabetical List of Vegetables - A to Z Vegetables List

Bulb Vegetables

Bulb vegetables are those variety of vegetables that are not eaten directly, rather, they are used in food dishes to enhance the flavor of the food. Most of the bulb vegetables are structured in the shape of a bulb, wherein all its nutrients are stored. The nutrients provided by these vegetables are immense as they are believed to be essential to gain healthy skin and eyes, and also for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. The most known bulb vegetables are onion, chive, spring onion and garlic. These bulb vegetables are said to be medicinal, especially onion and garlic. While onion is called the magic bulb, garlic is often referred to as the wonder drug. Since ancient times, bulb vegetables are used as medicines because of their quality of curing diseases like high blood pressure and even prevention of cancer.

• Chives
• Elephant Garlic
• Florence Fennel
• Garlic
• Kurrat
• Leek
• Onion
• Shallots
• Welsh Onion or Scallions (spring onion)

Fruit Vegetables

Fruit vegetables are so called because botanically they fulfill the definition of fruits, but are used as vegetables by human beings. They are considered to be fruits because in the scientific sense of the term, fruits are those that carry the seeds of the plant. So, tomatoes, cucumber, etc., which are consumed as vegetables are actually fruits because they have seeds in them. The confusion between whether these vegetables should be called fruits or vegetables was solved by the United States Supreme Court in the year 1883 where tomato was declared as a vegetable. From then, these fruits were called vegetables in the culinary sense of the term. However, the meanings of these fruit vegetables are different in different countries. For instance, avocado, actually a fruit is a popular vegetable in America and Mexico, but is consumed as a fruit in Brazil.

• Avocado
• Bell Pepper (capsicum)
• Bitter Melon
• Caigua
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chayote
• Chili Pepper
• Cucumber
• Eggplant (Aubergine)
• Luffa
• Malabar Gourd
• Okra
• Olives
• Pointed Gourd
• Pumpkin
• Snake Gourd
• Sweet Corn
• Tinda
• Tomatillo
• Tomato
• Winter Melon (ash or white gourd)
• Winter Squash (Acorn Squash)
• Zucchini

Flowering or Inflorescent Vegetables

Flowering vegetables are so called because they have the shape of flowers. They are usually small in size and appear like many flower buds clustered together. Along with essential nutrients, flowering vegetables also bear some phytochemicals called as isothiocyanates which help in preventing the production of cancerous cells. For this reason, these vegetables are called functional vegetables.

• Artichoke
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Rapini
• Squash Blossoms

Green Leafy Vegetables

Nutritionists have declared that it is extremely important to make green leafy vegetables a part of one's daily diet. But there are very few that actually do so, even though they know that there are innumerable benefits of consuming green leafy vegetables. These vegetables include a whole lot of vitamins that are required to remain fit and also to prevent some diseases and health problems. Dark green vegetables, also known as pot herbs or just green vegetables, contain not only vitamins D, A, E and K, but are also rich in fiber which aids in cleansing the digestive tract. They also contain potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, folic acid and certain phytochemicals that are important for the proper functioning of the body. Consuming green leafy vegetables everyday decreases the risk of diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart diseases, etc. Leaf vegetables are beneficial for having a good eye sight, healthy looking skin and also to control weight gain. Knowing the benefits of green leafy vegetables, it is very crucial to inculcate them into one's daily diet.

• Amaranth
• Arugula
• Beet Greens
• Bitterleaf
• Brussels Sprout
• Cabbage
• Catsear
• Celery
• Ceylon Spinach
• Chard (spinach beet)
• Chinese Cabbage
• Collard Greens
• Corn Salad
• Dandelion Nettles
• Endive
• Fiddlehead Fern
• Fluted Pumpkin
• Garden Cress
• Golden Samphire
• Kai-lan (Chinese broccoli)
• Kale
• Komatsuna
• Lamb's Lettuce
• Land Cress
• Lettuce
• Mizuna Greens (Japanese mustard
• Nasturtium
• Paracress
• Purslane
• Radicchio
• Samphire
• Savoy
• Sea Beat
• Sea Kale
• Sorrel
• Spinach
• Water Cress
• Water Spinach
• Winter Purslane

Mushrooms

Apart from this vegetables list, mushrooms are also considered as a type of vegetables, though they do not have stems, branches, roots, leaves or flowers. Actually, mushrooms are categorized as fungi as they are found on organic substances. However, they are included in the diet of many people across the world and are a good source of vitamin E. Out of the 50,000 mushrooms, only twenty come under the types of edible mushrooms. Some of them include-

• Bolete/Cep/Poricini
• Chanterelle
• Cloud Ear
• Enoki
• Morel
• Oyster Mushroom
• Paris and Coffee Mushrooms
• Portobello
• Shiitake
• Truffle

Podded Vegetables

Podded vegetables, popularly known as legumes, are seeds that are found inside two-side pods. In the olden days, legumes were known as the poor man's food. However, with the passing years, they have been inculcated in the diet of most people. Podded vegetables are a great source of proteins which help in providing the energy and strength required to carry out daily activities. They also contain potassium, folic acid, complex carbohydrates, magnesium, iron, fiber and zinc. A variety of dishes can be made with legumes which are healthy as well as delicious.

• Azuki Bean
• Black-eyed Pea
• Chickpea
• Common Bean
• Drumstick
• Fava Bean
• Green Bean (French beans)
• Groundnut
• Guar Bean
• Horse Gram
• Hyacinth bean
• Indian Pea
• Lentil
• Lima Bean
• Moth Bean
• Mung Bean
• Pea
• Peanut
• Pigeon Pea
• Ricebean
• Runner Bean
• Soybean
• Tarwi
• Tepary Bean
• Urad Bean
• Velvet Bean
• Winged Bean
• Yardlong Bean

Root and Tuberous Vegetables

Root vegetables are those that are grown under the soil and possess nutrients that they gain from the soil. This can be a slightly confusing category because some bulb vegetables like garlic and ginger, and even some stem vegetables are considered to be root vegetables simply because they possess the characteristics of root vegetables. Besides these, another category of vegetables that can come under this group is the tuberous vegetables which include different types of potatoes, yams, etc. Earlier, root vegetables were considered to be the food of the poor because they were not very expensive and were easily available. However, as people became knowledgeable about the benefits of these vegetables, they started inculcating them in their diet too. Along with vitamins and complex carbohydrates, the most special nutrient that is present in the root vegetables is the phytonutreints. It is the phytonutrients that adds color to the vegetables and the darker the color of the vegetable, more are the health benefits.

Root vegetables are a great source of proteins, carbohydrates, and are very less in fats. The calorie content in root vegetables are absolutely nil and this makes it all the more attractive to people who are on a weight loss diet. Along with the nutritional benefits, another advantage of root vegetables is that they have medicinal properties too. Consumption of root vegetables is an effective way of treating problems in the digestive tract, morning sickness, arthritis, high cholesterol, etc. They also essential for healthy eyes and good looking skin.

• Aphia
• Arracacha
• Arrowhead
• Arrowroot
• Beetroot
• Black Cumin
• Broadleaf Arrowhead
• Canna
• Carrot
• Cassava
• Chinese Artichoke
• Daikon
• Ensete
• Ginger
• Gobo
• Horseradish
• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Jicama (Mexican Turnip)
• Lotus Roots
• Parsley
• Parsnip
• Pignut
• Potato
• Prairie Turnip
• Radish
• Rutabaga
• Salsify (oyster plant)
• Scorzonera (black oyster plant)
• Skirret
• Sweet Potato
• Taro
• Ti Plant (good luck plant)
• Turnip
• Ulluco
• Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)Water Chestnut
• Yacon
• Yam

Sea Vegetables

Sea vegetables, popularly known as seaweeds, are those vegetables that are found under the sea. These vegetables which are found in marine salt waters, and also in fresh water lakes and seas, are said to be the most nutritious amongst the different types of vegetables. Sea vegetables are very low in calories and the rich mineral content found in them are taken from the sea. Along with proteins, fibers and calcium, seaweeds also possess the richness of vitamins, iron and essential fatty acids.

Though sea vegetables have been introduced in the western world just recently, they have been part of the Japanese and Chinese cuisines since centuries. As the sea vegetables are so rich in nutrients, they are not only good to stay healthy, but are also beneficial in preventing and curing certain ailments. A person who consumes these vegetables is at a very low risk of having thyroid problems, because seaweeds contain high amounts of iodine. It is also good for the health of women who are undergoing menopause. Due to the presence of folic acid and magnesium in vegetables found in the sea, they help in preventing heart diseases as well as birth defects. Asthmatic patients and those who experience frequent migraine attacks are believed to find relief by including sea vegetables in their daily diet. Though not all sea vegetables are used as food, there are many which help in enhancing the taste of the dishes. Most of the sea vegetables have Japanese names and are commonly used as seasonings in soups and salads.

• Agar
• Aonori
• Arame
• Carola
• Dabberlocks (winged kelp)
• Dulse
• Gim
• Hijki
• Irish Moss
• Kelps
• Kombu
• Laver
• Mozuku
• Nori (laver)
• Ogonori
• Sea Grape
• Seakale
• Sea Lettuce
• Sloke
• Wakame

Stalk or Stem Vegetables

Stalk vegetables are those that have stems which can be consumed. Some of the most popular stem vegetables include asparagus, celery, fennel, etc. These vegetables can be used to make a variety of dishes and are usually served with pasta, sandwiches, soups, etc. It is important to remember that stalk vegetables should not be over-cooked, or else they may lose their crunchiness. Along with being delicious, stalk vegetables possess minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

• Asparagus
• Cardoon
• Celery
• Fennel
• Fiddlehead
• Kohlrabi (German turnip)
• Leek
• Nopal
• Prussian Asparagus
• Rhubarb
• Swiss Chard

Here we have seen an exhaustive alphabetical list of vegetables, where I have tried to inculcate all the vegetables that are used for culinary purposes worldwide. One must realize that it is extremely important to inculcate this gift of human nature in one's diet, because vegetables give nutrition and are crucial to keep people strong, fit and healthy.