NUTRITION

Vegetables come in a great variety, with location, soils, and farming methods all impacting their nutritional density and flavors. In addition, personal favorites, allergies, and health concerns can influence your daily diet. However, science has helped us identify some of the primary nutrients that the different vegetables provide. We’ve created this section to provide accessible and evidence-based nutritional information and recipes for some of our most popular crops.

OFS is grateful to the team of Capstone interns from the UW Program on Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health for their research and for their design and implementation of the Nutrition section of our website.

Team members: Anissa Sanders, Maddie Buehrer, Ella Crowder, Kielian Baird, Tiffani Hao, Judy Myung, Alexandria Best, Robin Williamson, Trinity Pardey

  • Your body needs a wide variety of nutrients to function properly. These nutrients fall into two main categories:

    1. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They provide the energy your body needs to move, grow, and function.

    2. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. While needed in smaller amounts, they play critical roles in everything from immune function to bone health.

    Together, these nutrients help keep your body strong, energized, and resilient.

    1. Phytonutrients: Natural compounds found in plants that may help prevent disease and support overall health. Unlike vitamins and minerals, they’re not essential for survival but can contribute to wellness in meaningful ways. 

    2. Vitamins: Organic substances that help regulate body processes. Different vitamins support different functions, such as vision (vitamin A), immunity (vitamin C), and blood clotting (vitamin K).

    3. Minerals: Inorganic elements like calcium, iron, and potassium that your body needs to grow, develop, and stay healthy. They help with everything from bone formation to nerve signaling.

    4. Daily Value (%DV): A percentage that shows how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a person’s daily diet, based on a 2,000-kcal (kilocalorie) daily intake. It helps you understand if a food is high or low in a particular nutrient.

    5. kcal (kilocalorie): A unit of energy. Commonly referred to as a “calorie,” it measures how much energy you get from food and drinks.

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