Best Green Vegetable

If you had to pick one for the rest of your life...

Round one: Calcium-Greens can be a surprisingly good source of this bone-building, fat burning mineral.

Collard Greens-266 milligrams (mg) calcium (based on 1 cup vegetables, cooked except where noted)

Spinach-245 mg calcium

Zucchini-23 mg calcium

Snow Peas-67 mg calcium

Kale-94 mg calcium

Raw Cucumber-17 mg calcium

Broccoli-62 mg calcium

Asparagus-41 mg calcium

Brussels Sprouts-56 mg calcium

Cabbage-46 mg calcium

Green Beans-55 mg calcium

Green Bell Pepper-12 mg calcium

Round two: Folic Acid-this nutrient helps maintain cardiovascular health and may battle depression.

Collard Greens-177 micrograms (mcg) folic acid

Snow Peas-46 mcg folic acid

Kale-17 mcg folic acid

Broccoli-168 mcg folic acid

Brussels Sprouts-94 mcg folic acid

Green Beans-41 mcg folic acid

Round Three: Vitamin C, Fiber, & Potassium-Vitamin C keeps your immune system in shape, Fiber scours chloresterol, and Potassium to repair muscles.

Collard Greens-35 mg Vitamin C, 5 grams Fiber, 220 mg Potassium

Broccoli-101 mg Vitamin C, 5 grams Fiber, 457 mg Potassium

Making the ultimate winner Broccoli. Cruciferous vegetables such as Broccoli contain proven anticancer compounds including indole-3 and sulforaphanes.

Men's Health, September 2005, pp. 70