In today’s society, cauliflower is known to be much more in depth than just some vegetable you steam up and eat plain. There are a variety of different ways you can prepare cauliflower whether it is in the form of rice, pizza dough, or mashed potatoes. Most of your once comfort foods are now healthy thanks to this nutritious vegetable with so much to offer! In this article, I will touch on the health benefits of cauliflower and the different ways you can cook with it to spice up your daily meals.
Fun Facts About Cauliflower
- Cooking cauliflower versus steaming will help keep the nutrients in tact.
- Though lacking in taste, cauliflower is loaded with vitamins and minerals.
- “Cauliflower is a source of sulforaphane, a compound that attacks cancer cells and slows the growth of tumors.” (1).
- “Cauliflower is part of the brassica family, which also includes brussel sprouts, kale, and broccoli.” (1).
- On average one head of cauliflower weighs around 1 pound, but this is just an average!
- The largest cauliflower head grown weighed 60 pounds back in 2014.
- Cauliflower is known as a cruciferous vegetable.
- Cauliflower helps regulate blood cholesterol levels in the body.
Nutritional Benefits of Cauliflower
While many people think that the most nutritious vegetable in the brassica family is broccoli and kale, it might not actually be a true fact. There are a large variety of glucosinolates found in cauliflower. These substances help aid in digestion, immune, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and detoxifying the body of harmful particles (2). The list of glucosinolates are: glucobrassicin, glucoiberin, glucoerucin, glucoraphanin, neo-glucobrassicin, progoitrin, sinigrin, 4-hydroxyglucobrassici, and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin.
According to WH Foods, “Beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol are among cauliflower’s key antioxidant phytonutrients. An emphatic addition to this list would be vitamin C since cauliflower is our 10th best source of vitamin C among all 100 WHFoods.” (2) There are also certain anti-oxidants listed from this article like, “Beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol are among cauliflower’s key antioxidant phytonutrients. An emphatic addition to this list would be vitamin C since cauliflower is our 10th best source of vitamin C among all 100 WHFoods.”
What Can You Make With Cauliflower?
You can make cauliflower rice a variety of ways, and it goes deliciously with many different styles of protein. There is a wonderful salmon and cauliflower rice dish that has its consumers raving about. See the recipe here. Or you can make cauliflower bite pizza snacks, for a mouthwateringly delicious appetizer. How about a mashed “potato” recipe that won’t leave you feeling bloated and out on your diet? Try this delicious cauliflower mash recipe that won’t leave you hungry. Finally, on those chilly fall nights, there is nothing better than a hearty soup to hit the spot. This creamy cauliflower soup does just the trick, so check it out and be not disappointed!
As you can see there are no shortages of ideas on how to incorporate cauliflower into your daily diet routine. Some people just turn their noses up at the white and odorless veggie, but there is so much more that meets the eye when it comes to cauliflower and its cooking options. Next time you are at the grocery store try some of these recipes out for yourself and reap the benefits that cauliflowers have to offer you!
To End
Cauliflower plants do not only come in a white color, and there are different varieties that come in a dark purple and golden tint as well. These also contain many anti oxidants that you can greatly benefit from, as they are tied to helping the body fight off cancer cells and regenerate healthy cells. They are known to be a staple in the diet world, and for good reason! Simply by having a veggie from the brassica family each week you are helping your body fight off bad toxins, and you are getting a great does of pure anti oxidants. Click on the recipes above for some exciting and new ways to eat the wonderful, pure, and exciting cauliflower!
Resources
- http://www.grunge.com/11104/crazy-cauliflower-facts-probably-didnt-know/?utm_campaign=clip
- http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13
- https://recipes.ps1000.com/recipe/salmon-cauliflower-rice-bowl/
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