Last Updated on by San San
It is important to never waste food. That includes making sure you consume what you pay for or it goes to waste. But, when it comes to broccoli leaves, does that also make the cut? Ask yourself, “can I eat broccoli leave?” Let’s find the answer together.
Can I Eat Broccoli Leaves?
You must have heard the health benefits of broccoli before. Over 90% of its leaf structure is water, carbohydrates amount to 5%, fibre 3%, and sugar level is 1.48%, broccoli has 48 micrograms of calcium.
You must have heard your mum share some of its benefits with friends. It is real; its bright green stalks do not shine for no reason. We could see broccoli stalks beneath the pieces of meat or potatoes when we were tender.
Now you know what wonders broccoli can bring into your health line. So, can I eat broccoli leaves? Yes, leaves or stalks, call it whatever you want, nothing can change. Its nutrient composition is among the best in green vegetables.
Except for our creative ways of hiding broccoli beneath the meat, cheese, or potatoes, broccoli has been part of our diet for decades. If you were keen from the onset, when mama shared the health benefits of broccoli with you, by now, you should know broccoli deserves some respect from you.
Research indicates that the broccoli of all the vegetables has cancer-healing properties. What’s more, your brain receives an anti-amnesic treat when you eat broccoli.
Including broccoli in your daily diet enables your brain to remember and learn faster. In short, consuming broccoli helps boost cognitive ability.
Benefits Of Eating Broccoli Leaves
According to dieticians, broccoli leaves contain more nutrients than florets or stems, contrary to what we used to believe. Broccoli leaves have more beta-carotene, and fibre and are sweeter than the stalk or the floret.
The nutrient-dense leaves help our bodies ward off cancer, and heart diseases, and boost the immune system. No wonder scientists call broccoli leaves the next supper green veggies. Among other benefits one can draw from broccoli, it has antiaging effects on the skin.
Can You Eat Broccoli Leaves Raw?
Broccoli offers plenty of health benefits, including fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Broccoli is versatile, and it can be served in many ways, for example, sautéed, steamed, roasted, boiled, or raw in dips or salads. Today, I will explore how you can safely eat broccoli raw and whether there are benefits of eating broccoli leaves raw.
You can enjoy the benefits of broccoli leaves with hardly any preparation and still deliver its nutritious addition to your diet.
Prepare your raw broccoli, clean the head under cold running water, and use your fingers to rub any noticeable dirt and towel it to dry. Use a sharp knife to cut broccoli florets and stem into bite-size pieces.
Both stems and florets are safe to eat, and so are the leaves. You can enjoy broccoli as it is at this stage or boost the yoghurt-based dressing and vegetable dip flavour.
If you are still wondering how to use broccoli leaves raw? There are many ways to eat broccoli leaves raw creatively. You can add it to a vegetable platter or toss it into a salad or pasta dish for texture, flavour, and nutrition.
So, can I eat broccoli leaves raw or cooked? Cooking broccoli may reduce heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C and Sulforaphane.
Steaming broccoli offer excellent nutrient retention compared to frying and boiling. Sulforaphane compound found in broccoli is linked to fighting heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and indigestion.
Fortunately, our bodies absorb sulforaphane more efficiently from raw broccoli than from cooked.
Nevertheless, cooked broccoli has its benefits; that is, it increases antioxidant activity. To be specific, cooking broccoli boosts carotenoid content, an excellent antioxidant that helps prevent diseases by boosting the immune system.
It also helps soften plant fibre for easy digestion. In a nutshell, cooking broccoli increases antioxidant activity while decreasing heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C and sulforaphane. Steaming broccoli offers the most significant nutrient retention.
Are Broccoli Leaves Edible
In most instances, broccoli leaves are safe to eat raw; however, there are chances that raw broccoli causes excessive gas and bloating in some people.
Raw broccoli causes digestive distress in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to its high fibre content. A study indicated that bioactive compounds in broccoli protect the skin against UV radiation, which leads to skin cancer.
Although not conclusively, more research is needed to fully understand how bioactive compounds in broccoli protect the skin from UV radiation.
How To Cook Broccoli Leaves
If you are already a pro at preparing kale, it will be easier to prepare broccoli leaves. You can substitute any veggie recipe with broccoli leaves.
To get you a super-green start from broccoli leaves only costs a few dollars to get a bunch to stock this cruciferous leaves on your fridge.
It is not like you are going to spend a fortune on these valuable green leaves. But the nutrients you are going to rip from broccoli leaves are golden.
How to use broccoli leaves is much like using other veggies in your diet or substituting with your regular vegetable to benefit from broccoli’s wonders.
Are broccoli leaves edible? Yes, they are edible raw or cooked. And remember cooking broccoli may tamper with the nutrient content, especially heat-sensitive vitamin C and sulforaphane.
Can I Eat Broccoli Leaves Conclusion
Broccoli is a powerhouse for nutrients and antioxidants. Including broccoli in your diet helps in a variety of ways. The nutrient-rich veggie helps reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, control blood sugar levels, and improve heart health. So, “how frequently can I eat broccoli leaves?”
If possible, include broccoli in your daily servings. However, remember no good health comes from a single type of food. Include other food types of veggies to contribute to your optimal health. Including a variety of greens in your diet helps you achieve your nutritional goals quickly.
At this point, I can safely conclude that broccoli leaves are edible, either raw, cooked, or steamed.
Steaming broccoli retains more heat-sensitive nutrients, while cooked broccoli reduced heat-sensitive vitamin C by 38%.
I hope this piece has added you the knowledge on top of what your mum told you long before about broccoli being the best food you can add to your diet.
