Real Food Profile: Broccoli

We all know that you should eat your broccoli, but could the way you cook it make it even healthier?

Broccoli, in all its green glory, is truly a nutrient-dense food. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and other plant compounds with powerful antioxidant effects, like polyphenols. In fact, this superfood has anti-cancer properties and anti-inflammatory properties and is protective of the liver and heart. Eating broccoli can even help prevent obesity and diabetes.

But, beware! This healthy goodness is especially susceptible to cooking errors. Of course, cooking can impact the taste of broccoli (anyone else been scarred by a mushy brown broccoli experience?), but improper cooking can also impact just how many nutrients end up on your plate and in your bloodstream. So, you’ll want to prepare broccoli properly to reap its rewards while also enjoying its taste (don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’re expected to chomp on raw broccoli stalks).

Here’s what you should know:

The bad news: Microwaving causes a significant decrease in polyphenols, stir frying causes a decrease in Vitamin C, and boiling causes a decrease and loss of micronutrients and Vitamin C. These methods are obviously out.

The good news: Cutting and chopping broccoli releases an enzyme that elevates anticarcinogenic properties.  And steaming actually enhances antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects, with little-to-no loss of some vitamins and other beneficial compounds.

So…steaming reigns supreme! Not only does it preserve the nutrients in fresh broccoli, but it also enhances the body’s ability to extract the nutrients more efficiently than when consumed raw (which is why steaming is even better than munching raw broccoli).

Search your local supermarket and farm stands for the healthiest and greenest broccoli you can find. The degree of greenness, due to the chlorophyll content, is one way to determine the quality of green vegetables. Then head home to chop and steam (for just 2-3 minutes) and you’ll be reaping a wealth of benefits.

Here’s one of eSavvyHealth’s favorite chopped and steamed broccoli recipes:

1. Small bunch broccoli
2. Garlic cloves finely chopped
3. Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (also high in polyphenols!)

Sea salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Remove the tough lower parts of the broccoli stems.
2. Peel the remaining stem and chop crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
3. Cut broccoli tops into 2-inch florets.
4. In a steamer set over boiling water steam broccoli, covered, just until tender but still crisp (only about 2-3 minutes).
5. Chop the garlic and in a small skillet combine it with good extra virgin olive oil.
6. Gently warm the garlic mixture over moderate heat just until garlic is fragrant.
7. Pour olive oil mixture over your freshly steamed broccoli, add sea salt & pepper, and enjoy!

References:

1. Broccoli; The Green Beauty: A Review
2. Extraction, chemical characterization and biological activity determination of broccoli health promoting compounds
3. Changes in the content of health-promoting compounds and antioxidant activity of broccoli after domestic processing
4. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli
5. Cooking (Or Not Cooking) Broccoli To Protect Its Nutritional Riches