Taste Life Blog

Hopefully this Thanksgiving you are going to veg out on the cabbage family, also called cruciferous veggies which are packed with nutrition and cancer fighting compounds.

Top five things to know about cruciferous veggies

Why the odd name?

Cruciferous veggies are all part of the Cruciferae or cabbage family. The four equal petal flowers from these veggies resemble a cross or “crucifer” hence the name.

Broccoli is the best known. Brussels sprouts, rapini, cabbage, cauliflower and turnips also form a head. “Headless crucifers” include dark green leafy vegetables like kale and collard greens.

Mom told you to eat veggies.

She was right. Cruciferous veggies have been shown to lower the risk of several cancers including prostrate, lung and colon cancer.  Why? These veggies contain isothiocyanates and indoles, chemicals not found in common foods which help remove oxidated carcinogens before they can cause damage to your cells.

Veggies or Vitamins?

One study compared the results of eating 2 servings of raw broccoli a day versus taking a daily multi vitamin with fiber.  Oxidative stress was measured by measuring the substance F2-iP. Broccoli eaters F2-iP dropped 22% while multivitamin user’s drop of F2-iP was only .2%.  Bottom line – eat one to two cups of cruciferous veggies day to protect you from cancer.

Name Change

Cruciferous veggies are getting a name change. Scientists are starting to favor the term “Brassica vegetables which is the traditional name of this plant family in Latin.

Eat Them Raw

Raw veggies have more health benefits than cooked.  If you are eating them cooked, chop them up and let them sit for a few minutes before cooking.

Brussels Sprouts with Basil

From the 5 Ingredients for Healthy Living Cookbook
By the Nutrition Sisters Chere Bork, RD and Laurie Meyer, RD

When I was in Milwaukee for my mom’s birthday weekend my nephew Tyler cooked this recipe to serve with baked potatoes and steak.

• ½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves, garlic
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (optional)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Place Brussels sprouts in steamer basket or rack over boiling water and steam 7 minutes or until tender.

Drain. Cook oil and garlic in large skillet over low heat 8 to 10 minutes until garlic is fragrant and soft but not brown. Add Brussels sprouts, basil, salt and pepper and cook until heated through. Makes four servings

Nutrition: Nutritional analysis: 56 Calories; 1.5 gm Protein; 3.5 gm Fat; 4.7 gm Carbohydrate; 85 mg Sodium