Health Benefits of Boiled Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable and is included in many diets across the globe. The part of the cauliflower that is consumed is the head which is also known as the curd. This is made up of white colored florets that are underdeveloped. The entire cauliflower is covered by leaves which grow around the head from the stem that is at the base of the plant. The head of the cauliflower stays white because there is no formation of chlorophyll that usually takes place when a plant is exposed to direct sunlight.

The florets are the part of the cauliflower that is eaten with the stem and leaves often being discarded. These parts are also edible if washed.
It is very common for cauliflower to be boiled for consumption. This cooking method is simple and, hence, very popular. One of the cauliflower facts that most people are unaware of is that cauliflower is very high in vitamin C. Besides this it has important vitamins and minerals such as folate, vitamin K and vitamin B6 being present. Cauliflower is a good source of dietary fiber and is also a source of omega 3 fatty acids. This makes it one of the healthy options that an individual can consume. Cauliflower has, of late, become one of the most well respected food items because of the numerous health benefits being associated to it. Cauliflower also acts like an antioxidant, as a detoxifying agent and as an anti-inflammatory substance.

There are few variations for boiled cauliflower diet recipes that one might be able to use. Essentially, the vegetable has to be boiled for a few minutes without over cooking it. A good way of checking this is to see if the base of each floret is slightly hard. If it is hard then the cooking isn’t complete. If the stem of the floret is extremely soft then the vegetable has been overcooked. Boiling is one way of maintaining most of the nutritional benefits of the cauliflower. Some people even suggest that the water used as part of the boiling be consumed as this has the remaining nutrients present in it.

Nutrition In Boiled Cauliflower

When we analyze the boiled cauliflower nutrition facts, we can figure out a few important things. Firstly, boiled cauliflower has a very small amount of saturated fat present in it. Secondly, it is also extremely low in cholesterol content. These are both very useful when one wishes to use boiled cauliflower in a diet for weight loss. In fact, there are some diets that recommend the use of boiled cauliflower as a part of a healthy weight loss program. The boiled cauliflower carbs level we find that a typical serving offers an individual is 1-2% of his or her daily requirement. About 30% of this comes from sugars. This is interesting from the point of view of boiled cauliflower and diabetes. Although there is some amount of sugar present in boiled cauliflower, one finds that this does not put too much of a load on the system of a diabetic as the boiled cauliflower tends to be low on the glycemic index. Thus a consumption of a small or moderate serving of boiled cauliflower should not be an issue for someone who wishes to add this to his or her healthy diet.

The boiled cauliflower benefits come from its wide and varied set of nutrients. These include nutrients like protein, phosphorous, thiamin and riboflavin. All these nutrients are present in small quantities in boiled cauliflower. Boiled cauliflower is actually a great source for vitamin C, dietary fiber and certain other vitamins and minerals. This makes boiled cauliflower extremely varied in terms of its nutritional benefits which is why it should always be included in a healthy, balanced diet.

Submitted on August 8, 2011