Hi . Welcome to Life On Plants Week 7
Life on plants week 7: recipe collection
Welcome to another week of delicious and nutritious recipes from Life On Plants. Spring is in the air! This is one of my favorite times of the year, sprouts and shoots are coming to life with lots of new ingredients coming into season over the coming weeks.
Seasonal ingredient - Broccoli
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) is a cruciferous vegetable related to cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. These vegetables are known for their beneficial health effects.
Broccoli is high in many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. It also boasts more protein than most other vegetables. This green veggie can be enjoyed both raw and cooked, but recent research shows that gentle steaming or quick boiling provides the most health benefits.
Raw broccoli contains almost 90% water, 7% carbs, 3% protein, and almost no fat. Broccoli is relatively high in protein, which makes up 29% of its dry weight, compared to most vegetables. However, because of its high water content, 1 cup (91 grams) of broccoli only provides 3 grams of protein.
Both the stalks and florets of this vegetable are nutritious. Store it unwashed in the fridge (rinsing it will make it spoil faster). To help it cook evenly, chop the florets into similar-sized pieces. Don’t throw away the stalks; simply trim a little from the end, and slice the stalks to add crunch to your dishes.
What's in Broccoli?
- Broccoli is a good source of fibre. We should aim for 30g of fibre a day and you get 3-4 grams from a portion.
- A rich source of vitamin C, which helps your immune and nervous system to work normally as well as reducing feelings of tiredness. Vitamin C also helps enhance iron absorption from vegan and vegetarian foods.
- A natural source of folate, contributing to normal functioning of the immune system
- Naturally rich in vitamin K, needed for normal blood clotting
- A source of potassium, helping your nervous system to function normally
What to do with Broccoli?
- Broccoli is best steamed to order or lightly blanched in simmering water. You can also stir-fry broccoli; cut the florets into smaller pieces so they cook quicker.
- Broccoli is versatile to add to juices, smoothies, soups, stews, curries, salads, or stir-fries. When adding broccoli to curries or stews, add towards the end of cooking so they do not overcook and lose their nutritional benefits.
Read all about the health benefits of Broccoli here...
Read all about Sulforaphane and Broccoli sprouts here...
Life On Plants Week 7 broccoli recipes
Life On Plants week 7 - Nutrition tip
EAT YOUR GREENS (or drink them!) Eating green vegetables is one of the best ways to improve your health and keep you protected from diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. A portion (about a cup) of greens will provide you with fiber, vitamins, minerals, plenty of antioxidants and can even keep you hydrated.
Here are 7 reasons why you need to eat your greens...
Intuitive eating tip
EMOTIONAL EATING - When we are stressed, sad, bored, or lonely, we often use food to deal with our emotions. While it might offer a short-term fix, it doesn’t resolve the problem. Find another way of dealing with the emotion – whether it’s going for a walk, or trying to fix the issues that are causing negative emotions.
Lifestyle Tip
FOOD CHOICES - Everything we choose to eat is a choice. These are some of the most important choices we make in our daily lives that impact our short and long-term health. Making the best choice is not always the easiest choice, but it does get easier to make the right choice. Exercising this decision-making process while cultivating more awareness of the challenges we face is vital in these days of target marketing and mass manipulation into buying certain food and drink products.
Everywhere we look, we are faced with food and drink advertisements designed to tempt us into consuming them. I believe we need to develop a critical and self-defense approach when choosing what to consume. There is no need to obsess or try to be perfect, it's a bit like a game - learning how to navigate the supermarket shelves and filter through all the unnecessary products.
Top Tip: Don't put unnecessary, impulse, and unhealthy products in your trolly - if it's not in your house you will not have to exercise the willpower to resist, you can use this energy and focus to do something more productive.
Here is some more information on The Challenge of Choosing Food
Chefs cooking tip - kitchen hack
Schedule more time for cooking and arrange for a friend or family member to join you. Meal prep together and help each other. Cooking together is a very social activity; share knowledge, techniques, and inspiration.
Kitchen equipment
Speed Peeler Haven’t mastered the julienne? Make effortless matchsticks with this peeler—no chopping required! This Thai-style speed peeler will enable you to make the most refined julienned salads in minutes.
Recommended reading
The China Study Even today, as trendy diets and a weight-loss frenzy sweep the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, typically an “adult” disease, at an alarming rate. If we’re obsessed with being thin more so than ever before, why are so many people around the world stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?
In The China Study, Dr. T. Colin Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists.
The New York Times has recognized the study as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing dis-ease.”
Recommended viewing
Live & Let Live is a feature documentary examining our relationship with animals, the history of veganism, and the ethical, environmental, and health reasons that move people to go vegan.
Recommended podcast
Nutrition Farming
Quote of the week
Living with fear stops us from taking risks and fulfilling our potential. If you don't go out on the branch, you're never going to get the best fruits.
Sarah Parish
Seasonal guest chef recipe
Try out this delicious recipe from The Full Helping. Did you know the broccoli stems are full of good nutrition and taste delicious? You just need to peel the tougher outside skin - thinly slice and stir-fry or steam.
Kitchen resources
Community group
Jump over to the Community Group to share your meal prepping plans, ask any questions and keep us updated on your recipe creations and meal planning. Happy cooking!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!