Broccoli

Your mother wasn’t cruel or mistaken in chiding you to eat your broccoli! Broccoli is one of the “super veggies” that is highly nutritionally balanced. It is a high fiber, high protein veggie loaded with vitamins and nutrients. Broccoli is a great source of dietary fiber, folate, potassium, calcium, manganese, and vitamins A, C, K, and B6. The potassium in broccoli aids in lowering blood pressure, the calcium prevents osteoporosis, and the fiber aids in digestion and lowers cholesterol. Though eating raw broccoli can take some getting used to, cooked broccoli looses some of its nutrients. Eating raw broccoli with dip is a great way to maintain its health benefits, but if you can’t stomach it, steaming or sautéing broccoli are the best methods to cook broccoli without leeching it of nutrients.

In choosing broccoli, buy heads that are bright green and crisp. Avoid broccoli that looks wilted or discolored.