Onions and garlic are unsung nutritional heroes that deserve more recognition and a prominent place in our diets.
We all know that leafy greens are a must, but what about these other healthy heroes? Onions are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and folate. Garlic is full of even more valuable nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, thiamin, and phosphorus. These substances boost brain and bone health strengthen the immune system, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, to name a few benefits.
“Incorporating some garlic and onion into your everyday cooking routine is not only going to be good for the health properties they contain, but it’s also going to make your meals tastier and hopefully get you more excited about eating nutritious food,” says registered dietitian Jessica Jones.
Another advantage is that they are a low-calorie way of injecting some flavour into your food, without resorting to too much butter or salt.
Garlic and onion - like shallot, chives, and leeks - are all in the allium vegetable family. Rich in organosulfur compounds, research indicates that they may lower cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of cancer, and heart disease. No wonder many healing traditions - like Ayurveda - consider allium vegetables to be medicinal foods.
This vegetable family is also great for gut health, as they are packed with prebiotics - a form of dietary fiber, which feed helpful bacteria in our gut to help maintain a healthy gut biome.
So, don't forget to add these highly beneficial ingredients to your diet.