Broccoli
Broccoli is a vegetable very much like spinach. Often people will tend to overcook it, and they end up with a very shriveled up, soft and unpleasant tasting vegetable. When cooked properly, broccoli is a crisp and sweet healthy vegetable.
Nutrition
- Broccoli is the superhero of the vegetable kingdom with its rich vitamin A content.
- Though a bit on the bitter side, broccoli leaves are edible and contain generous amounts of vitamin A.
- Folic acid is also abundant with one-half cup cooked registering 39 mcg and raw 31.2 mcg.
- Broccoli offers 71.8 mg of calcium for a whole cup of cooked, as much calcium as 4 oz. of milk.
- One cup of cooked broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange -- a cup of broccoli actually fulfills your daily vitamin C requirement
- Broccoli contains only 22 calories for one-half cup chopped and boiled and 12 calories for one-half cup raw.
- Across the nutrition scale, broccoli contains all the nutrients mentioned above in addition to vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
When purchasing broccoli, select ones where the stalks are
tight and firm. The buds should be tightly closed and the leaves
are crisp and very green.
Also note that if the broccoli tends to have a very strong smell or
if the leaves have a slightly yellow color, it can often suggest that
it is old.
Try and avoid broccoli where the buds are yellow in color.
With broccoli, it is best to store them in a plastic bag and then place them in the refrigerator. Do not rinse or wash the broccoli when storing. Of course, as with most vegetables, broccoli should be eaten as soon as possible to retain the freshness and nutrition.
To clean broccoli, simply rinse the broccoli with cold water but do not soak. Soaking the broccoli can cause it to lose some of its nutrients. Next trim the base of the stem. If you find the stem is quite tough, try removing the outer layer of the stem. Though most of the time, once the broccoli is cooked the stem is already tender.
See also:
Broccoli Food Facts
Belly Byte: Mann's Broccoli Cole Slaw
