'Second healthiest vegetable' you should stop throwing away - it's more nutritious than the beet itself

We're all aware that veggies are a health boon and we should be incorporating as many different types into our meals as possible. In fact, gut health and nutrition expert Professor Tim Spector suggests aiming for at least 30 different plants a week - a goal that's not as daunting as it might seem.

Each vegetable brings its own unique blend of vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and other beneficial properties, offering a range of health benefits from improved gut health to reduced inflammation, better digestion and lower risk of chronic diseases and cancer.

However, some vegetables pack more nutritional punch than others, according to a list that could transform your eating habits and potentially boost your health.

For instance, the list names the "world's healthiest snack" as a nutrient-rich option readily available in any supermarket, the "world's healthiest fruit" as a vitamin and antioxidant-rich "real treat", and surprisingly, the "world's healthiest meat" which outshines some fruits and vegetables in terms of nutrition. The BBC list also features three different fish species in its top 10.

The highest-ranking fish, coming third overall, is the ocean perch or rockfish, a deep-sea dweller high in protein and low in saturated fats. Flat fish takes the second spot in the healthiest fish category.

Swiss chard takes the crown as the top vegetable, securing the seventh spot in an overall list of nutritious foods. Hot on its heels are beet greens, which may be unfamiliar to many since they're often discarded during meal prep or already removed when purchased from supermarkets, reports Surrey Live.

However, the BBC has awarded these greens a nutritional score of 70 out of 100, highlighting their richness in calcium, iron, vitamin K, and B group vitamins, particularly riboflavin.

In a recent episode of the Zoe podcast, Carleigh Bodrug, a best-selling author known for her focus on reducing food waste, commented: "It's normalised to discard so much more of the plant that is actually edible... coffee grounds, radish tops, beet tops, broccoli stalks. There are so many amazing things that we could be integrating into our diet that are nutrient-dense, delicious and affordable, because you're buying them anyways, that we could be consuming that we're all discarding."

She further added, "Beets are a perfect example. Beet greens: so delicious, so nutrient dense and you're chopping them off... composting them or throwing them in the garbage and we're just using the beetroot. Meanwhile, the greens are just as great in a salad or for beet-green chips as something like kale. So there's really a lot of waste that is happening here that is completely unnecessary."

Zoe's US medical director, gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, has shared: "Every single plant has a unique mix of nutrients that helps to nourish your body and your gut microbes. So when we talk about, for example, beets, you cut off the greens, you throw them in the trash. The nutrients that are in the greens, in the leaves, are different than the nutrients that are actually in the beat itself."

Meanwhile, food website Epicurious explains why beet greens are beneficial: "Beet greens are some of the most nutrient-rich greens around, containing more antioxidants and other phytonutrients than the bulbous roots themselves."

They are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, fibre, potassium, folate and magnesium.