Traditionally, these cute lil’ mini cabbages are served as a side dish, but you can do plenty of other things with them, too—slaw, salad, pasta, tacos, postickers, quesadillas, and mac and cheese, to name a few options. Heck, even a grilled cheese sandwich (yes, really!). And as an added bonus, they rank among the foods most rich in folate, an essential B vitamin.
3. Green peas
Protein content: around four grams per half-cup serving
Given that Averett calls peas “one of the highest sources of vegetable protein that we can get,” it’s no wonder they rank high on this list. What’s more, these tiny protein powerhouses (which are also technically legumes!) are “super versatile,” Byrne says. Mash them up, stir them into soup or stew, toss them with spaghetti, layer them in casserole dishes like shepherd’s pie, serve them as a plain ol’ side…the list of possibilities goes on and on. In fact, odds are there’s a bag or two of the frozen stuff in your freezer right now.
4. Artichokes
Protein content: around four grams per medium-sized artichoke
You’re probably most familiar with artichoke hearts (the meaty interior of the plant), but you can also eat the leaves and the inside of the stem. You can buy whole artichokes fresh, or the hearts alone frozen, canned, or jarred. Serve them whole or halved, use them as a topping or stuffing, or try them in soups, quiches, salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, casseroles, pasta dishes, and even hummus.
5. Potatoes
Protein content: around four grams per medium-sized potato (baked)
While the potato is often lumped in with starchy foods like rice, bread, pasta, and cereal, it’s—surprise!—actually classified as a vegetable. And when it comes to protein, the spud is no dud. You can cook and serve potatoes in a variety of ways (French fries, anyone?), but the United Kingdom’s National Health Service recommends boiling, baking, mashing, or roasting. Leave the skin on when possible to retain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and several B vitamins. If you prefer sweet potatoes over the white kind, be mindful that you’ll probably take in a little less protein: One medium-sized baked or boiled sweet potato only contains around two to three grams.
6. Spinach
Protein content: around three to four grams per half-cup serving
Naturally, the musclebound cartoon character Popeye’s favorite food packs an impressive protein punch. Spinach “is one [vegetable] that I’ll incorporate a lot, especially since it’s easy to sneak into different foods if people are open to it,” Averett says—dips, wraps, crepes, stews, scrambles, omelets, enchiladas, you name it. (And, of course, it’s a green smoothie staple.) Bonus: Spinach contains the most calcium of all the leafy greens (at around 260 milligrams per cup, though your body can only absorb a small amount of it), and it’s no slouch in the magnesium department, either.
7. Avocado
Protein content: around three to four grams per medium-sized raw avocado
