Sauerkraut is a simple concoction of cabbage and salt that is allowed to ferment until it takes on a softly wilted texture and rich, briny taste. Sauerkraut contains iron and vitamin C, and one cup offers only 44 calories.

Grilling fresh vegetables brings out their natural colors and flavors without cooking them until they are limp. Peppers and onions are perfect candidates for grilling because they are firm, and can be cut and enjoyed in pieces large enough not to fall through the grates on your grilling rack.

If potatoes make it onto your plate more often than sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli or any other vegetable, you’re in the majority. The U.S.

Sweet potato fries are a sweet and crispy occasional indulgence that anyone can enjoy without guilt. Yes, deep frying sweet potatoes adds calories and fat, but they are still high in vitamin A and cooking them yourself means you control what kind of oil is used and how much salt is added.

Fresh frozen corn adds color, texture and a natural sweetness to any meal. Most vegetables are frozen right after being harvested, as this is when their nutritional value is at its highest, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Butternut squash is a winter vegetable prized for its ease of preparation, rich nutty flavor and versatility, which allows you to season it in a great variety of ways.

Celery and parsley come from the same botanical family as carrots, parsnips, dill, fennel and hundreds of other well-known plants.

Stove-top broccoli recipes offer a quick and simple way to add flavor, color and loads of nutrition to any meal. Broccoli is high in dietary fiber as well as vitamins A and C. Farm-fresh broccoli is better for you than frozen, according to Linda J.

With their long, slender stems, ultra-small caps and creamy white color, enoki mushrooms are more elegant than the average fungus. These crisp, mildly sweet mushrooms -- known as “snow puffs” in their native Japan -- grow in bouquetlike clusters and are traditionally eaten raw or lightly cooked.

Hot peppers, or chilis, get their heat from an oily chemical compound called capsaicin, found primarily in the membrane surrounding the seeds. Capsaicin boosts thermogenesis -- the process by which the body turns calories into heat to use for fuel -- in studies on humans and animals.

In a world where produce routinely travels thousands of miles from harvest to plate, fresh figs remain a seasonal luxury. The sweet, chewy fruit is exceptionally delicate -- its ultra-short shelf life is why the vast majority of figs are dried before they’re brought to market.

Tomatoes provide significant amounts of vitamin C, potassium, lycopene and other nutrients, in a very low-calorie package. Their calorie count depends on several variables, including color and size.