I see you!  You snurled up your nose.  Stop it – do you want your face to freeze up like that?  Seriously – I used to do the same thing.  The only way I had experienced cabbage was either drenched in mayonnaise in coleslaw or mushy-smelly cooked cabbage from my grandmother and my elementary school cafeteria.  No Thanks – I pass.  Then something awesome happened not too long ago.  I threw some in a hot cast iron skillet with some olive oil, some chopped jalapenos, a dash of garlic, pepper & salt and it was MAGIC in my bowl.   Yep.  I quickly stir fried it up. No yucky smell.  No mush.  Crisp-tender. Pure awesomeness.  Come to find out – the smell comes from overcooking; which the cafeteria ladies and my granny always did.  Since that time I’ve mixed it all up and the options are only limited by your imagination and what you have lying about in your fridge. Peppers. Ground beef. Smoked Sausage. Chicken. Spinach. Onions. Sriracha sauce. Whatever strikes your fancy and sounds good to you!

You may be thinking, but Jen!  It’s boring and how can it be good for you since it is so plain? As it turns out, it is a nutritional powerhouse.  An inexpensive nutritional powerhouse.

In the world of vegetables, the brassica family is true royalty.  The reigning king of the brood – which includes broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and chard, is the Cabbage.   The cabbage family is royalty due to its nutritional benefits and cancer-fighting ability.  Oh yea – it is also one of the lowest-calorie foods on the planet.

• Phytonutrients
  • indoles (alter estrogen metabolism in a way that is likely to reduce the risk of cancer)
  • dithiolethiones
  • isothiocynates
  • sulforaphane (a particularly potent phytonutrient that can aid in “disarming” damaging free radicals and help fight carcinogens)
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• beta-carotene
• a wee bit of the eye-healthy carotenoids – lutein & zeaxanthin
• FIBER (4g per cup of cooked; 2g per cup raw)

Cabbage is indeed a nutritional powerhouse.  It is versatile, delicious (especially with spices to Oomph it up), low-calorie, and high fiber.  On top of all that it has powerful phytonutrients that can help kick bad stuff to the curb (Mother Nature’s food IS medicine).

Grab yourself a skillet, a bit of oil, some spices, some random stuff from your fridge and make yourself some Royal food – Cabbage.  It’s King – who knew?  And that is healthy eating.   Eating healthy means you are eating food that has nutrients and supports health and keeps us thriving, not just surviving.

Stay Healthy. Be STRONG. Get After It!

Note:  Many members of the cabbage family contain goitrogens, naturally occurring substances that may interfere with thyroid function. People with hypothyroidism may be wise to consume moderately & confer with a registered dietician