Tired of cooking vegetables and having your kids not eating them? Instead of making vegetables as a dish on its own, try to make it a smaller part of the meal instead. These recipes use broccoli as a complement to other ingredients as opposed to the main star of the dish.
But if so many young children dislike broccoli, why should you still incorporate them into your meal plans? Well, broccoli is one of the few vegetables that has it all — it is high in many nutrients, including fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and potassium. It also has more protein than most other vegetables, and so, will make you feel full. Broccoli is known as a cruciferous vegetable that is said to help prevent cancer. In fact, a review of research published in the October 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that 70 per cent or more of the studies found a link between cruciferous vegetables and its protection against cancer.
Crucifers such as broccoli have disease-fighting phytochemicals known as sulforaphane. According to Dr Michael Greger, American doctor and author of How Not to Die, cruciferous vegetables are an essential food group to eat as they contain sulforaphane. This has also been stated by scientific journals to prevent or treat breast cancer, as it acts against the metabolic changes in oestrogen. Children, too, are less likely to develop asthma if they ate one to two cups of lightly steamed cruciferous vegetables. (Yes to broccoli recipes!)
Thankfully, broccoli is easy enough to incorporate into your meals. They can be eaten raw, steamed, fried, roasted, grilled, sauteed and baked. Steaming would be the healthiest way as it would help retain most of its nutrients. Use the stalk and chop the florets – here are some broccoli recipes that use this super veggie.