Bored of eating plain omelettes? Or overtly masala-fried spicy sides over lunch? Sometimes I enjoy plain, less spicy but nutritious lunch or even dinner. So again there we are-What can be a simple yet fulfilling lunch?Broccoli to the rescue!Yay! Check out interesting recipes at the end of this post…
Did you know Broccoli is from a cabbage family, whose large flowering head is an edible part as vegetable?Did you even know, China and India are the major producers of broccoli? So why not include them in our daily diet?
Broccoli is well known for its numerous nutritional benefits. It is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Here are the benefits of consuming broccoli –
Reduces Cholesterol levels – The big one! Broccoli being rich in fiber draws bad cholesterol out of the body. The fibers in steamed Broccoli binds the bile acids in digestive tracts and gets excreted from the body resulting in lowering the cholesterol.
Powerful Antioxidant – Broccoli provides many such flavonoids in significant amounts, including the flavonoids kaempferol and quercitin. Also concentrated in broccoli are the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene. All three of these carotenoids function as key antioxidants.
Bone Health – Being rich on Vitamin K and Calcium, prevents Osteoporosis and other bone related ailments.Women, take note 🙂
Heart Health – Sulforaphane and Omega 3 fatty acid present in Broccoli acts as anti-inflammatory agent. B-complex vitamins present in broccoli also contributes to the cardio vascular health
Detoxification – Ditch the spa,ladies.Just kidding..But, broccoli enhances the detoxification process of body.What more do you want?
Cancer Killer– Combination of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying nature of Broccoli makes it distinctive in preventing Cancer if consumed regularly.
What else? – High in fiber and good carbohydrate makes broccoli good for digestion, maintain blood sugar level, relieves constipation and curbs overeating.
When to Avoid – Broccoli intake need to be limited or thoroughly cooked before consumption if you are suffering from goiter or hypothyroidism. It contains natural chemicals called goitrogens (goiter producers) that can interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis.
Nutritive Value of per 100 gm of Broccoli
Kcal 34 Kcal
Carbohydrate 6.64 gm
Fat` 0.37gm
Protein 2.82 gm
Calcium 47mg
Vitamin K 101.6 μg
Vitamin C 89.2 mg
Recipe of Pepper and Broccoli Salad
1 sweet red bell pepper
1 medium carrot
2 large broccoli florets, with stalk
4 celery sticks
4 cherry tomoto
1/4 th small red cabbage
French dressing (without oil) makes 3 Tbsp:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 Tbsp salt
1/4 Tbsp sugar
1/4 Tbsp mild mustard
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Method
De-seed the pepper and cut into 1 cm squares. Peel and grate the carrot. Slice across the broccoli stems so you get chopped tops and thinly-sliced stalks. Dice cherry tomatoes. Peel the outer layers and chop the celery finely. Shred Red cabbage. Mix all together, add your favorite French Dressing and mix again. Leave in the fridge for about ½ an hour before serving on a bed of finely-shredded lettuce.
For French dressing:
Put it all in a screw-top jar and shake well.
Keep it in the fridge and shake before serving.
Stay Tuned to get more healthy recipes and tips on healthy eating!!
Diet Chatter by Dt Ranjeeta 