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These unusual fruits and veggies are packed with more hard-to-get nutrients than your standby choices.

Even though low-carb diets are no longer the rage, potatoes still have a bad reputation for wrecking diets. Brand new research from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania comes to a different conclusion, at least about the purple variety. A study followed 18 overweight and obese people who also had high blood pressure. Participants were asked to either eat six to eight golf ball-sized purple potatoes for lunch and dinner, or stick to a potato-free diet. After a month, participants switched diet routines. Participants who ate potatoes saw a significant drop in their high blood pressure—diastolic pressure fell an average 4.3 percent while systolic blood pressure dropped an average 3.5 percent.

Read more: 5 Surprisingly Healthy Fruits and Veggies You Aren’t Eating

Three of the most popular items in the produce aisle are also the least nutritious options.

We’re not here to demonize any form of produce. After all, every veggie has at least some nutritional value — and we all need to include more vegetables in our diets, not less!

But if you’re wondering whether to use iceberg or romaine in your signature summer salad, you may want to check out our list of the veggies with the least nutritional value:

1. Celery: Sure, you can nosh on 8 inches of celery for only 6 calories, but are you really getting any nutrients in return? The answer: Yes, but you’d have to go beyond an 8-inch stalk, which provides a mere 1.6 percent of our daily requirement for calcium and 2 percent of our daily requirement for vitamin C. It does, however, boast a decent amount of fiber and vitamin K. A better alternative: Carrots, which are loaded with eye-protecting beta carotene. Toss them into salads for a low-calorie crunch; braise them as a sweet summer side dish or slice them thin and add them to your favorite stir-fry.

Read more: The 3 Veggies with the Least Nutritional Value

This small sprout of a common flower holds 25 per cent protein and a key effect on fertility.

One of the best ways to enjoy the nutrition of a sunflower is by eating its sprouts. Sunflower sprouts boast a surprising 25 percent protein. They are also rich in stress-busting vitamin B and hormone-balancing zinc. Their sweet taste and hearty texture make a great addition to any salad.

Five healthy reasons to eat sunflower sprouts

1. Boost your fertility with sunflower seeds and sprouts: Both sunflower seeds and their sprouts contain high amounts of zinc. Zinc is a well-researched mineral that is essential for the development of sperm, which is why it is especially important for men.

2. Sunflower sprouts are high in B vitamins, especially folate: Folate (or folic acid) is a necessary B vitamin for pregnant women, needed to ensure proper development of the baby’s nervous system. The combination of B vitamins also assists in the mother’s circulation as well as aids in stress relief.

Read more: Five health reasons to eat sunflower seeds and sprouts

Choosing produce by its hue is an easy way to load up on nature’s superfoods.

Remember ROYGBIV? I do. The mnemonic is how I learned the seven colors of a rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Nowadays I use the acronym to represent the colors of food I should be eating.

Read more: The 3 colors you should be eating more of

Green vegetables have always been high in dietary rankings but foods in these colours are even more crucial.

Remember ROYGBIV? I do. The mnemonic is how I learned the seven colors of a rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Nowadays I use the acronym to represent the colors of food I should be eating.

Because nature highlights the beneficial nutrients in fruits and vegetables by giving them bright colors, eating by color is an easy way to load up on nature’s superfoods. Each color represents phytochemicals—compounds that benefit our health in different ways—which is why you should eat a colorful variety of vegetables. For example, anthocyanins and proanthocyanins—two antioxidants associated with keeping the heart healthy and the brain functioning optimally—make foods like blueberries, eggplant and cranberries blue, purple and deep red.

Read more: The 3 colors you should be eating more of

It’s loaded with the stuff needed to help our bodies cope with high stress — and maintain weight.

Spinach is the perfect way to green-up your winter menu. When it’s really cold outside, it’s natural to crave carbs, but if you want to minimize weight gain in the frigid months, consider a Popeye boost.

Unlike many leafy greens, spinach is sweet and easy to use in any recipe, which is why it’s so popular. Last year, the United States Department of Agriculture reported more than 60,000 acres of spinach were harvested. As we move deeper into winter hibernation, we have to get our vegetable intake from wherever possible and spinach is an inexpensive option you can keep in the freezer. I recently discovered an organic, frozen-vegetable company called Green Organic Vegetables Inc. that is available all across Canada.

Read more: One of the health benefits of spinach is it can help you relax

Consumption of this green plant has a strong impact on your body’s detoxification system

Winter tends to weigh us down. We want to move as slow as a sloth but work, school and family pressures don’t allow us to slow the pace. How can we combat the dreaded doldrums? Everything we need to lighten up is found in the produce aisle.

Broccoli has a strong, positive impact on our body’s detoxification system. The dynamic trio of nutrients, glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin neutralize and eliminate unwanted contaminants, leaving us feeling lighter and more able to cope. Most toxins that pose a risk to our cells are detoxified in our body through a two-step process. What’s remarkable about broccoli is its ability to alter activity in both steps: The glucosinolates in broccoli assist the first step in detoxification (called Phase I) and its sulforaphane content supports the second step (called Phase II).

Read more: Detox your system with cleansing broccoli

Slimming down after having my son last May took some work, but I had the season on my side. Summer’s glorious bounty of vegetables made losing weight seem relatively simple: I’d pick whatever veggies looked fresh at the market and then throw them on the grill with a lean source of protein, such as chicken or fish. Then, I’d round out the meal with a reasonable portion of a healthy carb-based side, such as brown rice. But as fall creeps on and winter draws near, I’ve realized that my secret weight-loss weapon—in-season vegetables—works all year round. Incorporating these five fresh-right-now vegetables into your diet plan can help you win the weight-loss battle this winter.

Read more: 5 underappreciated winter vegetables that will help you lose weight

Living an unhealthy lifestyle can add a dozen years to your age, according to a new study.

When people combine four common bad habits — smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet — they increase their risk of death, and can actually appear 12 years older than people who have a healthier lifestyle, researchers said.

Read more here: 4 bad habits to break

Is it healthier to eat raw veggies or to cook them? Is fresh broccoli more nutritious than frozen? Is eating iceberg lettuce a waste of time?

You may be surprised by the answers to these seemingly simple questions. In fact, there are several misconceptions when it comes to vegetables. The one universal truth is that most of us could be eating more of them.

Read more here: Seven myths about veggies