Cucumbers can be a popular snack or a quick and easy addition to your summery salads, but an expert has issued a warning over the vegetable.
Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert, who specialises in weight management, has sounded the alarm to anyone who regularly eats them. According to Rhiannon, the cucumber might not be as nutritional as fans first thought.
In fact, she says the vegetable is best eaten for hydration due to it being predominantly made up of water.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, she said: “Cucumber is a refreshing vegetable with a very high (96 per cent) water content, making it hydrating but relatively low in nutrients.
“While it does provide some nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamins C and K, copper, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, it lacks the nutrient density of many other vegetables.
“Cucumbers do contain some antioxidants, such as flavonoids; the skin of cucumbers also contains fibre.
“But overall they are not as nutrient-rich as other options such as leafy greens or cruciferous vegetables.”
Rhiannon says the best way to eat a cucumber is raw. She says they are perfect for salads, sandwiches, or as a refreshing snack.
In a similar manner, she says iceberg lettuce also falls down on its nutritional value, again being best used for hydration. Rhiannon added: “It provides very small amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, and K, and is lower in fibre and antioxidants than its darker-leafed counterparts.”
Rhiannon says anyone looking for the most nutritionally complete vegetables should include broccoli and kale in their diet. She described broccoli as a “nutritional powerhouse” that is full of “vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients”.
Kale meanwhile is often considered a “superfood” due to its nutritional properties. Rhiannon explains that kale is “an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as fibre, calcium and iron.”
She also champions kale’s levels of antioxidants and says it is good for eye health. Both kale and broccoli are recommended to be eaten raw but can be cooked.