Eat Your Vegetables! If you want to make one change to be healthier, it would be to eat your vegetables. Ideally, they'll be fresh vegetables eaten raw or lightly steamed. Mix them up. Eat the rainbow.
Don't just eat:
- Day 1= peas, corn, and carrots
- Day 2= carrots, peas, and corn
- Day 3= corn, carrots, and peas
Find your local farmers market, CSA (community supported agriculture), organic produce box delivery service (Misfits Market or Imperfect Produce), community garden, friend with a garden, or grocery store.
My farm share CSA box has a lot of broccoli in it this week. The farm also sends out a weekly email with tips, recipes and more. This week I'm sharing information from Stone Garden Farm's newsletter.
Broccoli
Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head and stalk is eaten as a vegetable. The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage". Your parents knew what was up when they told you to eat your broccoli. This delicious vegetable is a powerhouse of nutrients. It's known to benefit digestion, the cardiovascular system and the immune system, and to have anti-inflammatory and even cancer-preventing properties. Plus, broccoli is low in sodium and calories, at about 31 calories per serving. It's also a fat-free vegetable.
Nutritional Information
Broccoli is bursting with vitamins and minerals. It's an excellent source of immune-boosting vitamin C (it contains 81 milligrams, which is more than what you need in a day) and
vitamin K, an important factor in bone health and wound healing. It's also a very good source of the B vitamin folate, and a good source of vitamin A, manganese, potassium, and other B vitamins.
At only 31 calories a cup, broccoli is a popular addition to the plates of those looking to both lose weight. While low in calories, it's high in fiber, with one cup providing about nine percent of the recommended daily value. Fiber, the indigestible part of carbohydrate, can help to reduce cholesterol, promote bowel health, regulate blood sugars, and aid in weight loss. Some studies suggest that eating higher amounts of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and
kale-aim for three to five servings-can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, including prostate, lung, and breast cancer.
Broccoli is also one of the foods with the highest levels of antioxidant phytonutrients on a per-calorie basis. Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals that can cause inflammation and disease.
How to Store
Keep broccoli cold in the fridge, loosely stored in a plastic bag so it can still breathe, and wash it just before using. It'll keep for a week, but it will taste best the sooner you eat it, not to mention it'll be at its nutritional peak.
Broccoli also freezes well. Chop and drop the stems first in boiling salted water for a minute or two, then add the florets for an even quicker blanch, just until bright green.
Shock the broccoli in cold water, then drain and lay out on paper or dish towels to dry before piling into freezer bags. You can use a vacuum-sealer. Otherwise, press the air out before sealing. It'll keep frozen this way for a year.
How to Prepare
Before you cook or eat broccoli, be sure to clean it to remove dirt and even bugs. You can wash your broccoli quickly and easily with water or a vinegar solution.
Broccoli can be eaten raw, but blanching it quickly in boiling water helps give it a more crisp-tender texture and bring out its flavor. Broccoli can also be steamed, sautéed, and roasted. You could even throw long spears on the grill! It can be used in soups, salads, quiches and fritattas, on pizza and in pasta dishes. And don't throw out the stalks. You can grate or shred them to make your own broccoli slaw!
I like to make soup, and while I'm not vegan, I generally google vegan soup recipes. Here's one I'll be trying today from
I Love Vegan's blog: Creamy Vegan Broccoli SoupGive it a try and comment how it worked for you!