Before we start looking at some specific yellow vegetables, let’s first examine why they are yellow. Also, how might this affect their nutritional properties?
Put simply, yellow vegetables are high in compounds with a yellow pigment.
These yellow pigments include various xanthophylls, part of the greater carotenoid class of phytochemicals. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two commonly-known examples of xanthophylls (1, 2, 3).
Since they have a yellow pigment, xanthophylls are responsible for the yellow shades in various foods.
Lutein is one of the main carotenoids in yellow bell peppers, and lutein and zeaxanthin are both present in egg yolk (3, 4).
Key Point: Some vegetables are yellow due to the xanthophylls, which have yellow pigments, that they contain.
Do Yellow Vegetables Have Any Unique Benefits?
First of all, yellow vegetables contain many of the same vitamins and minerals as vegetables of other colors.
Additionally, it is not true that only yellow and red vegetables contain the xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin.
For instance, kale and spinach contain significant amounts of these carotenoids despite their green color. To clear up any confusion, kale and spinach are not yellow because of their substantial (green pigmented) chlorophyll content (5).
That said, yellow vegetables do tend to provide a reliably good amount of:
Lutein
Zeaxanthin
Vitamin C
Additionally, various observational studies have demonstrated that a higher intake of yellow (or green and yellow) vegetables is associated with a lower risk of (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11):
Depressive symptoms
Low bone mass
Cancer risk and mortality
Type 2 diabetes
Mental health difficulties
It is worth noting that associations are just that: associations.
However, when the evidence all points in the same direction, it is more likely that the associations are picking up an effect.
Generally speaking, most of the available evidence supports the greater consumption of vegetables as beneficial (12, 13, 14).
Key Point: Yellow vegetables offer a good source of vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Additionally, yellow-pigmented vegetables may lower the risk of several negative health outcomes.
A List of Yellow Vegetables
Here are ten yellow vegetables to try; some are common staple foods, and others are a little less well known.
1) Rutabaga (Swede)
Also known as swede, rutabaga is a root vegetable with a mildly sweet taste.
One of the best reasons to include rutabaga in the diet is its vitamin C content.
A 240-gram cup of cooked rutabaga provides 45 mg of vitamin C, equivalent to 50% of the recommended daily value (DV) (15).
Rutabaga is also very versatile, and it can be boiled, mashed, fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, or roasted.
It can also make an excellent ingredient in soups and stews or for making lower-calorie (and lower carb) fries.
Key Facts (Per 240g cup of cooked rutabaga)
Calories: 72 kcal
Carbohydrates: 16.4g
Fiber: 4.32g
Sugars: 9.48g
Fat: 0.43g
Protein: 2.23g
Key nutrients: vitamin C (50% DV), potassium (11% DV)
The color purple will come into the head of most people when they hear the word beets.
However, different varieties of beets exist, and this includes yellow beets.
Otherwise known as golden beets, this yellow variety has a unique appearance.
The nutritional properties of purple and yellow beets are thought to be similar.
However, purple beets contain high amounts of a phytochemical called betacyanins. Betacyanins have a red/purple color and belong to a class of phytochemicals called betalains (17).
In contrast, yellow beets are richer in a betalain called betaxanthin, which has a yellow pigment (18).
Interestingly, there is a prevalent myth about yellow bell peppers.
On this note, it is not true that all yellow peppers start as green peppers and then become red when fully mature.
Bell peppers of many colors will be green when immature and still growing. However, mature green, yellow, orange, and red bell peppers are different plants.
For example, a large yellow bell pepper (raw) provides a surprisingly high 342 mg of vitamin C. 342 mg is equivalent to 380% of the recommended daily value for vitamin C (19).
Key Facts (Per large raw yellow bell pepper)
Calories: 50 kcal
Carbohydrates: 11.8g
Fiber: 1.67g
Fat: 0.18g
Protein: 1.68g
Key nutrients: Vitamin C (380% DV), copper (22% DV)
Although most people think of carrots as orange, a variety of colors exist.
Among the various colors, it’s possible to find yellow, orange, red, and even purple.
Compared to the regular orange variety, yellow carrots contain a smaller amount of beta-carotene. However, they also have larger amounts of lutein, which is thought to play a vital role in eye health (20).
Key Facts
Unfortunately, there is no reliable entry into a nutritional database for yellow carrots.
However, here are some facts about this yellow vegetable uncovered by research:
Yellow carrots contain smaller amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin C than orange carrots (20).
The concentration of lutein is higher in yellow carrots (20, 21).
A randomized controlled trial showed that lutein in yellow carrots is highly bioavailable. Over 7 days, daily yellow carrot consumption significantly increased blood levels of lutein (22).
7) Yellow Potatoes
Sometimes referred to as ‘yellow potatoes’ or ‘golden potatoes,’ Yukon Gold is a potato cultivar with yellow-tinted flesh.
Interestingly, Yukon Gold potatoes may contain more vitamin A than regular white-fleshed potatoes.
Researchers demonstrated that golden potatoes could provide up to 42% of vitamin A requirements per 150-gram portion (23).
Key Facts
There are no reliable entries for Yukon Gold potatoes in a major nutritional database.
However, aside from the potential extra vitamin A, there is no reason to suspect their general nutritional properties are vastly different from any other cultivar of potato.
Key Facts (Per 202-gram medium cooked potato)
Calories: 212 kcal
Carbohydrates: 48.9g
Fiber: 4.65g
Fat: 0.20g
Protein: 4.93g
Key nutrients: Copper (74% DV), Vitamin C (34% DV)
Michael works as a nutritionist in a community setting and holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Nutrition. He is a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition.