Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, which also includes cabbage, cauliflower, and kale to name just a few. All cruciferous vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value, but none more than broccoli. You could do worse than including more of this green vegetable in your diet, and this article will show you why.
To get an idea of broccoli’s nutritional content, have a look at this list of nutrients:
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Vitamin K
Folic Acid
Manganese
Dietary fiber
Potassium
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B5
Magnesium
Calcium
Choline
Vitamin B1
Iron
Selenium
And the above list doesn’t even cover everything that broccoli contains! Pound for pound, broccoli has one of the highest proportions of nutrients of any vegetable.
In order to understand just what makes broccoli good for us, it’s important to know what some of these nutrients do. Here is some info about the nutrients broccoli is most rich in.
Vitamin C
Just 1 cup of broccoli contains your full daily requirement of vitamin C. Vitamin C is necessary for the proper function of a number of enzymes in the body. It’s also an antioxidant, supports the immune system, and is a natural antihistamine.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is important to healthy vision, the immune system and for maintaining good skin condition. It is especially important for pregnant women to maintain sufficient, though (importantly) not excess, levels of vitamin A.
Vitamin K
This vitamin is important for blood coagulation: the body’s natural protection against excess blood loss through clotting. It also helps to maintain healthy bones.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is particularly important for pregnant women, and is known to reduce the rate of birth defects. It’s also important for psychological health and is thought to help in the prevention of strokes.
How to Eat And Drink Your Broccoli
To get the most out of your broccoli, it’s best not to overcook it as this will destroy much of its nutritional value. Avoiding this is easy: simply make sure that your broccoli is still crunchy when you serve it. If you usually boil your broccoli, do it for only 2 or 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can lightly steam or stir-fry your broccoli, or eat it raw with a dip like hummus. You can even ‘drink’ broccoli by way of juicing. Juicing, especially cold-pressed juicing, is a great way to unlock and get your daily dose of the nutrients contained in broccoli.
However you choose to eat or drink your broccoli, getting plenty of it is an excellent way to improve your diet and provide your body with much of the nutrition that it needs.
To your health and happiness.
Neil Forsey
Head Coach & Founder of Hungry Coach
Weight Loss Coach/Consultant
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (INHC)
Certified Eating Psychology Coach (CEPC)
Certified International Health Coach (CIHC)
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