HEALTHY EATING SUNDAY: BROCCOLI
Every Saturday, we (the boys and I) go to the park to play and also to pick up our organic veggies and fruits. We are part of a local co-op group where each member pays ahead $20 so that we may have the opportunity to try the best organic, fresh vegetables of the season. It’s a fabulous deal and we’ve gotten to try some wonderful new types of vegetables that I never would have BOUGHT such as parsnips, rutabaga, collard greens, coconuts and more. My children have been great about trying all these veggies and it has forced me to get creative in our nightly meals.
As I was unloading the “bounty” yesterday, my number one son was so excited to try the broccoli that he grabbed the entire flower (stem and all) and just sat down and ate it straight! I had to talk him into breaking off the flowers to eat one flower at a time. In the meantime, number 2 son grabbed a carrot and was chomping down just like those old cartoons. By the time, lunch was over, the “carnage” consisted of Carrots, Broccoli, Blood Oranges, and a Pear! CRAZY!! I never did that as a kid. I remember being served frozen peas, Brussels sprouts, and hating them.
The World’s Healthiest Foods, Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating
Why should you eat Broccoli?
*Helps with Sun Damaged Skin
“After exposure to a dose of UV light comparable to that which would be received by a person sunbathing by the sea on a clear summer’s day, twice weekly for 20 weeks, test animals were treated with varying doses of broccoli extract applied topically to their backs, 5 days a week for 11 weeks. Broccoli extract counteracted the animals’ skin cells’ carcinogenic response to UV light.”
*Cut’s risk of bladder cancer
*Lowers the risk of ovarian cancer
*Tomato and Broccoli help fight off prostate cancer
This list of benefits is AMAZING! You need to read more here.
What’s the best way to eat your Broccoli?
Steam it for 5 minutes! It should be tender to the fork- but not too soft. It should also be bright green and smell great. We love it plain - no dressing required. However, this recipe for dressing below sounds great.
Drizzle with “Mediterranean Dressing” which is Olive Oil, Lemon juice, 2 medium garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste.
5 responses so far ↓
1 kch // Mar 17, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Maybe we would have been better about eating our veggies as kids if our parents had been part of a coop - my husband and I joined a community supported agriculture farm last year and I loved it - we tried vegetables that we wouldn’t have bought otherwise. However, we decided not to join this year - we’re going to try to grow our own, and supplement with the local farmer’s market.
2 workout mommy // Mar 17, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I wish we had co-ops out here. I put our broccoli in those new zip loc steam bags and it comes out really good!
3 LisaN // Mar 20, 2008 at 6:02 am
LOL………..I love broccoli. It’s one of my top 5 vegetables………….:)
4 Kevin Kane, MD // Mar 20, 2008 at 10:59 pm
My sister just told me about an organic coop she belongs to. They get organic produce at prices better than regular stuff at the supermarket. The best part is that they have a bunch of great food that they HAVE to eat because they need to make room for next weeks shipment. They definitely eat more healthy food because of it!
Kevin Kane, MD
“TheFitDoc.com
5 Kevin Kane, MD // Mar 20, 2008 at 11:01 pm
TheFitDoc.com
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