wholevegetable

Wholevegetable is a term used in nutrition and culinary writing to describe vegetables eaten in their whole, minimally processed form, with edible parts retained and without added processing such as juicing, pureeing, or refining. The term is not standardized and is often used descriptively to contrast with processed variants like vegetable juice, sauces, canned products with additives, or heavily refined blends.

In practice, wholevegetable emphasizes using the edible portions of vegetables as nature provides them, including skins, leaves, stems, and roots that are commonly consumed. Examples include carrots with skins, potatoes and beets with their skins, broccoli stems, leafy greens such as kale and spinach, cabbage, and squash with rind when tender. The concept can extend to meals that feature vegetables prepared by roasting, steaming, boiling, or eating raw, rather than mashing, puréeing, or extruding them into forms with added ingredients.

Nutritionally, wholevegetable approaches favor dietary fiber, micronutrients, and phytochemicals retained by minimal processing. Compared with highly processed forms, they typically preserve more of the vegetable’s natural structure and may support satiety and digestive health. Some nutrients can be sensitive to heat or storage, so preparation methods and freshness influence outcomes.

Practically, wholevegetable cooking supports simple, versatile meal preparation—raw salads, roasts, soups, and stews—while potentially reducing waste when edible parts are fully utilized. Limitations include variable palatability of certain peels or stems and the need for washing and safe handling.