Hi! How are you all doing? I hope you are all well. Remember when growing up you were told to eat your vegetables. It’s even more important when you are on a plant-based diet especially cruciferous vegetables.
Cruciferous vegetables belong to a large family of related plants known as Brassicaceae. It includes broccoli, radishes, cabbage, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, artichokes, arugula, and kale. Many of these veggies are high in vitamins A, C, and K as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and selenium. Many are also high in folate(vitamin B-9, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12). All these nutrients give your body a health boost.
Cruciferous vegetables are also full of dietary fiber for better gut health. They help reduce chronic inflammation, provides a boost to your immune system, may help balance estrogen levels, promotes and protects heart health, contains Omega-3s for brain health, and potential weight loss aid.
Dr. Greger from https://nutritionfacts.org/ has a lot of information on the benefits of cruciferous vegetables.
https://theartofantiaging.com/incredible-health-benefits-of-cruciferous-vegetables/ has some useful information.
The following blog has benefits as well as some recipes of cruciferous vegetables. They are not all plant-based recipes.
https://mariamarlowe.com/blog/cruciferous-vegetables-benefits-recipes/
There are many ways to eat cruciferous vegetables. Raw or lightly steamed, kale can be blended raw into smoothies, “massaged” into salad, or lightly steamed with garlic and lemon juice.
What is your favorite way to eat them?
~Marion
Did you know?
Dr. Joel Fuhrman points out that cruciferous vegetables are the most micronutrient dense of all vegetables and calls them “the most powerful anticancer food in existence”.