What are Broccoli’s Benefits and How to Make a Choice
Broccoli is that green stalk with the umbrella-shaped clusters of purplish green florets you may have noticed in the fresh vegetable section of your local grocery store.
Its inclusion into your healthy diet of just a half a cooked cup of these florets offers up a significant source of Vitamin C along with some help to your Vitamin A requirements topped off with a source of fiber. Acquiring a taste for this veggie is well worth the benefits.
So how do you make a choice from that stack of broccoli. Well, start with choosing from bunches that are dark green because the dark color indicates higher nutrient value. When comparing the florets pick the ones that are dark green, purplish, or bluish green because they contain more beta-carotene and vitamin C than paler or yellowing ones.
Next consider the stalks and choose the ones that are very firm. Avoid the stalks that bend or seem rubbery because they are of poor quality. Flip the broccoli over and leave the split and brown bottom ones for someone else, a clue for how long ago it was harvested. Also, don’t make your selection from the broccoli with open, flowering or discolored florets.
If you are not planning on eating it right away store your broccoli in an open plastic bag unwashed in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
As with most vegetables the best way to cook broccoli is to steam to avoid losing some of their precious vitamins and mineral content to the cooking water when boiled. Microwave or stir-fry in a little water are also nutrient preserving alternatives. Cooked broccoli should be tender enough so that it can be pierced with a sharp knife, and still remain crisp and bright green in color.
However, if your are attempting to acquire a taste for broccoli you may want to start by cooking it longer to reduce that pungent offensive taste you may be experience.
Finally, choice between fresh or frozen. Frozen broccoli differs from fresh in its nutrient content because the florets are richer in beta-carotene than the stalks and frozen broccoli typically has the stalks cut off.
The upside of frozen broccoli, more beta-carotene by weight than fresh broccoli, but the downside is up to twice as much sodium, about half the calcium, and smaller amounts of iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C.
You may find fresh broccoli tastes better!
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