How Nutritious Is Uncooked Cabbage?

Regardless of wanting so much like lettuce, cabbage is definitely a member of the Brassica genus of greens, together with broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.

A close up picture of a variety of cabbages, at the top of the vertical frame are dark green curly vegetables, to the right is a light green variety with white stems, and to the bottom a red variety cut in half. Across the center and bottom of the frame is white and green text.

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There are a number of varieties, which might come in numerous colours together with purple, purple, white, and inexperienced. The leaf shapes may differ as some are easy whereas others, like savoy are crinkly.

And whereas it isn’t as fashionable as kale or cauliflower, it’s surprisingly nutritious.

Dietary Composition

As with many different cruciferous greens, this one is low in energy, but excessive in lots of vital nutritional vitamins and minerals.

Three cabbages, on their side, cut in half, with the other half sliced finely. To the left of the frame is a green variety, in the center a savoy, and to the right is a purple variety. The background is a wooden surface with bright light.

For instance, 1 cup of uncooked cabbage offers roughly:

22 energy
2 grams of fiber
85% of the really helpful every day worth (DV) for vitamin Ok
54% of the DV for vitamin C

Vitamin Ok is vital because it performs a job in bone well being and helps with blood clotting.

Vitamin C works to maintain your immune system robust and helps the expansion of bone, collagen, and different vital tissues. It’s additionally wanted for the physique to have the ability to take in iron.

It’s a superb supply of folate and vitamin B6 as effectively, each of that are wanted for vitality metabolism and nervous system functioning.

It’s additionally wealthy in minerals – potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

A close up of a green cabbage head, lightly splashed with water droplets. In the center, the leaves are a pale green, almost yellow, and the outer leaves are a deeper green with light green veins.

Not too shabby for simply 22 energy.

And we will’t overlook about fiber. Cabbage is excessive in each insoluble and soluble fibers.

Whereas each are vital for our well being, they’ve totally different roles:

Soluble fiber helps wholesome intestine micro organism and coronary heart well being, and slows digestion.
Insoluble fiber retains the digestive system operating easily and commonly, and may help to forestall or deal with constipation.

Plus, we haven’t even talked about that it’s additionally excessive in a number of disease-fighting antioxidants, together with beta-carotene, flavonoids, and sulfur compounds.

It’s price noting that whereas all cabbage is an efficient supply of antioxidants, purple and purple varieties are notably wealthy in anthocyanins – a pigment with antioxidant properties that’s present in different red-purple plant-based meals together with blueberries and black rice.

Fermented Cabbage Could Be Good for Intestine Well being

Along with coleslaw and soups, this vegetable can also be generally present in fermented meals similar to sauerkraut and kimchi.

A dark wood surface with a slate serving board. On the board is a black dish containing white shredded cabbage, with a whole and two half cabbages behind. To the left of the bowl is a small glass bowl with coarse salt, and a mason jar containing some of the chopped vegetable. The image is taken from above in bright light.

Sauerkraut is a fermented German dish made by combining shredded cabbage, salt, and caraway seeds in a jar or fermentation crock. Over the course of 2-5 weeks, useful Lactobacillus micro organism start to develop, leading to a tart, barely bitter style.

One other in style fermented condiment is kimchi.

Generally present in Korean delicacies, the favored paechu kimchi has a number of extra components than sauerkraut. Often made with Napa cabbage, it might additionally comprise fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, purple pepper flakes, scallions, and shrimp. Nonetheless, as a substitute of requiring a number of weeks, kimchi normally takes simply 1-5 days to ferment.

Each of those fermented condiments consequence within the development of useful micro organism often called probiotics.

A close up of half of a green cabbage, with slices of the vegetable in front of it, on a wooden chopping board. The background is in soft focus.

While you eat them, these probiotics assist to advertise the expansion of much more wholesome micro organism in your intestine, which has been related to a variety of advantages from higher digestive well being to lowered danger of continual illnesses and improved psychological well being.

Boosting useful micro organism may additionally enhance absorption of a number of vitamins and promote the manufacturing of vitamin Ok and B-vitamins.

You’ll be able to learn extra about wholesome fermented meals on our sister web site, Foodal.

Does Cooking Have an effect on the Nutrient Content material?

Do you favor your cabbage uncooked or cooked?

Whereas the uncooked vegetable is a staple ingredient in coleslaw and salads, many individuals discover cooking it extra interesting, as some varieties will be fairly bitter.

A gray surface with a dark bowl containing freshly chopped red cabbage, pictured from above, with a celery sprig on top. To the right of the bowl is the other half of the vegetable and a celery leaf.

Nonetheless, cooking does extra than simply lowering bitterness. It could possibly additionally result in some dietary losses.

A examine revealed within the Journal of Meals Chemistry in 2014 discovered that the uncooked purple selection had considerably larger quantities of antioxidants, nutritional vitamins, and minerals in comparison with steamed, stir-fried, boiled or microwaved.

This vegetable additionally incorporates sulfur compounds which have additionally been proven to lower when cooked. That is additionally why when it’s cooking it might probably begin to have an disagreeable odor, because the sulfur compounds are being launched.

However what should you want it cooked? Steaming was discovered to retain essentially the most antioxidants and vitamin C in comparison with different cooking strategies, making this a superb possibility should you don’t prefer it uncooked.

A gray bowl with chopped red cabbage, carrots, and sprinkled with herbs. To the right of the frame is a fork, with half a piece of bread next to it, above that is a white plate with bread. To the left of the frame is a water glass, a celery frond, a dark bowl with chopped herbs and a small bowl with rice. The background is a gray fabric on a light gray surface.

Moreover, for many who discover uncooked cabbage troublesome to digest, cooking it and consuming smaller parts might assist forestall or cut back GI unwanted side effects.

General, should you select to prepare dinner it, the shorter the cooking time and fewer water used, the extra vitamins it should retain.

When you want inspiration for what to do with uncooked cabbage, strive the scrumptious do-it-yourself coleslaw recipe from our sister web site, Foodal. Or take a look at this recipe on Foodal for salmon tacos with purple slaw.

A Versatile Vegetable

Rising your personal cabbage is a simple and budget-friendly solution to get extra vitamin in your plate.

And whereas it’s straightforward so as to add to salads or soups, it’s a versatile ingredient that may be integrated into quite a lot of cuisines.

Are you a fan of uncooked cabbage? Share your favourite methods to get pleasure from it within the feedback beneath.

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