Why You Should Consider Cucumbers For Your Diet

By Greg Tilley


Cucumbers are an excellent help when it comes to losing weight. Not only are they low in salt and calories, but their nutritional qualities will not play havoc on your Cholesterol. With only a mild flavor to recommend them, cucumbers are however bad-fats free. Whether in salads or in a sandwich, cucumbers are quite invigorating during the summer. The nutritional qualities of cucumbers is susceptible to change depending on the way they are prepared or if they are prepared. How the way they are prepared affects their nutritional value is described below:

Nutrients in peeled fresh cucumbers

Cucumbers in the raw form offer an additional source of fiber to your diet. Also, aside from the minerals, an added help will be the vitamins they contain, such as vitamins K and C. The calories in cucumbers come from sugars, indeed, but that shouldn't be an obstacle in losing weight.

Raw cucumbers with the peel still on:

With the peel left on the cucumber has the same nutritional value plus being a great source for Potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps to bring the pH levels of the body into balance. When the body becomes Potassium deficient it is an open door to the possible onset of several different diseases.

Low-salt dill pickles are a good alternative in any diet

These pickles contain no bad fats and are almost Cholesterol-free. The vitamins and minerals stay intact plus fiber content. Because they are low salt this too is not a problem and they do remain very low in calories with most from the good sugars.

Dill pickles in Kosher style are too salty even for the more permissive diets

These pickles are the same as the low salt dills but unfortunately they are really very high in salt so even though they are prepared according to the Kosher laws, they are a problem for those who need to stick to a low salt diet.

Regular sour pickled cucumbers are a 'no-no' when dieting

These do have all the same nutritional benefits but are very high in salt so again, not a good choice for those who are on a restricted salt intake.

Cucumbers that are sour pickled but low sodium:

Not only are these cucumbers rich in fibers and minerals, but they are poor in salt, which makes them a fine choice when you are on a diet.

Sweet pickles for those determined to tip off the scales

This also includes the bread and butter pickles. They are deliciously flavored and can be served with all sorts of dishes or snack food for extra-taste. They don't lose any of the valuable nutrients of the cucumber when they are processed, but they are heavy on salt and added sugars, and therefore, heavy on calories. They are then about thirty percent salt and a little more than one-fifth added sugar. Although they contain high levels of vitamins K and A, these pickles are not recommendable to eat during diets.

Bread and butter pickles - why you need to avoid them

Bread and butter pickles contain all the nutrients a fresh cucumber has and close to no salt. However, they are highly rich in calories because of the sugars added in the pickling process.




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