Healthy Habits for Fallbrook & Bonsall Folks: Cucumbers – the versatile vegetable

Megan Johnson McCullough

Special to the Village News

Cucumbers are part of the gourd family called Cucurbitaceae. There are three main types of cucumbers – slicing, pickling, and specialty. They are usually consumed raw or pickled. The leaves, stem, and seeds are used in Asian cuisines.

The cucumber is also readily used in the cosmetic industry for lotions, soaps, shampoos, and fragrances. This green vegetable will not hurt your waistline as one cup of slices has about 16 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates, with only 2 grams of sugar. To maximize nutritional value, cucumbers should not be p...