Everything You Need to Know About Broccoli

Eat your broccoli. You don’t have to ask me twice! Perhaps I am of a rare breed, but I am of the belief that broccoli is one of the coolest vegetables ever created. I love broccoli of all kinds … broccoli rabe, broccolini, broccoli sprouts, and the tried and true fav … the good ol’ floret. Tara’s Tuesday Tips this week have been transformed into Broccoli Tuesday Tips with everything you need to know about broccoli!

Tara’s Tuesday Tips:

Everything You Need to Know About Broccoli

I’ve heard that some of you are still on the fence about broccoli. This Tuesday I decided on a broccoli Q & A to hopefully bring some of you over to the ‘broccoli is cool’ side of the fence. So, here it is … everything you need to know about broccoli but didn’t even know to ask!

What is Broccoli?

An annual plant that grows best in cooler weather, broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable. You may have heard of other cruciferous vegetables including cauliflower, kale, and cabbage. The classic broccoli floret is what most of us are accustomed to eating. Florets are actually edible flowers, similar to the artichoke.

What are the Different Types of Broccoli?

Broccoli Rabe: Related to the turnip, this has a more bitter flavor than traditional broccoli florets. Broccoli Rabe is used a lot in Italian kitchens.

Broccolini: My favorite broccoli variation! Broccolini is not baby broccoli despite a popular misconception. This is a cross between broccoli + Chinese kale. You can eat the stalks, leaves, and the florets with a much milder flavor than other broccoli varieties.

Broccoli Sprouts: Just as the name implies, sprouted from broccoli seeds, super high in the well-known cancer-fighting substance – sulforaphane. Broccoli sprouts have amazing health properties + if you haven’t tried them this is a perfect sprout to start sprouting with.

How Much Broccoli Do I Need to Eat to Reap the Benefits?

Adults should be eating at least 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day. If one cup of that is taken up with broccoli you will be getting a great big dose of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and fiber while only taking in a whopping 30 calories. One cup is a perfect place to start + if you cook it correctly, you will want to add on another cup or two.

How Do I Buy + Store Broccoli

Avoid buying broccoli that is bruised, wilted, brown or yellowing. Dark green, tight florets with a lighter green color on the stem is perfect. You can easily find broccoli in bags already chopped into florets, in full heads, or in the freezer section. Store your new favorite veggie in your refrigerator crisper drawer in a plastic bag, but wait to wash it until ready to eat to prevent premature wilting. It should stay good for about 5 days. You can store cooked broccoli in your freezer for up to 6 months.

Which One is Better? Raw or Cooked Broccoli?

Blanching might actually be the cooking method that helps broccoli maintain the most healthy of its properties. Blanching is a quick cook method by simply putting your vegetable in and out of boiling water. Cooking your broccoli enhances the antioxidant properties, but cooking it too much can make you lose the green chlorophyl + therefore some of the vitamins. Eating broccoli raw allows you to get the full amount of vitamin C that broccoli has to offer, but heating it just a touch allows some of those good-for-you properties to be enhanced + released more easily. Blanching or slightly steaming might be just the right amount for broccoli!

Who Should Not Eat Broccoli?

Broccoli is very high in vitamin K (helps our blood clot). Therefore, if you take anticlotting medications, large amounts of broccoli will work against your medication + can make you more susceptible to a clot. So, be careful eating lots of broccoli if you take a blood thinner.

Which Part of the Broccoli is Better for Me?

Eat all the parts! The stems + the florets are equally good for you. The nutrition is the same throughout the entire thing. However, you might find that the leaves are a bit bitter so most people choose not to eat those. The outside of the stalks can be tough + hard to chew. You could peel the outsides of the stalks with a vegetable peeler or cut off the stems + use them later in a soup, smoothie, or dip.

Why Should I Eat Broccoli?

Fiber: If you know me, you know I love to sing the praises of fiber. Fills you up, stabilizes your blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, helps keep your gut + microbiome in check. Read this: How To Improve Your Health With Fiber.

Calcium: It’s not just in milk! With 43mg of calcium in one cup of broccoli, it’s a great alternative for my dairy-free friends. I go into lots more detail here: Plant-Based Sources of Calcium.

To Fight Cancer: Sulforaphane, Isothiocyanates, Glucosinates, Antioxidants … all terms for compounds that are in very high amounts in broccoli. These anti-cancer properties are amplified in broccoli sprouts. Makes broccoli sound like a great choice to me! Read this: The Vegetarian’s Guide To Cancer Prevention.

Low Calorie Density: I love foods that have this special property! Fill you up without breaking the calorie budget! In other words lots of nutrients + volume of food without lots of fat + calories. I write lots more about this here: Calorie Density 101: How to Lose Weight Eating More Food.

Boost Immunity: Need a dose of vitamin C anyone? Did you think it was just in oranges? Nope! One cup of broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange! Read this: Immunity Boosting Foods.

Is Fresh or Frozen Broccoli Better?

Oh the great debate over fresh versus frozen vegetables. I am a huge fan of frozen veggies. I keep my freezer stocked with go-to veggies when fresh is simply not available. Frozen broccoli is equally as nutritious as the fresh. The freezing process locks in the nutrients making a lovely bunch of broccoli ready even when I haven’t been to the grocery store. Check out my article here: Guide To Frozen Vegetables (Myths + Methods!).

What are Broccoli Sprouts?

Can’t forget about broccoli sprouts when talking about everything you need to know about broccoli!!! These little guys are broccoli too! You are probably familiar with bean or alfalfa sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are not much different. They are seeds of the broccoli plant, eaten raw + have a radish-like almost peppery taste. I love them in my salad, smoothie, or whirled into a pesto. They aren’t difficult to sprout, I sprout my own at home as they are a total nutritional powerhouse with massive anti-cancer properties. Thanks to the sulforaphane these little sprouts have been researched + found to reduce inflammation, detoxify the liver, and prevent cancer cell reproduction. Count me in!

Done With the Boring Science Stuff … Let’s Have Some Fun

A Few Fun Facts About Broccoli

🥦I love broccoli, but I didn’t as a child. Mom, if you are reading this, I now willingly eat broccoli almost every day, surprise.

🥦The word broccoli comes from the Italian word broccolo meaning “the flowering top of a cabbage”. Some people believe that Italian immigrants helped make broccoli popular in the US.

🥦According to the annual Green Giant Survey, broccoli is America’s favorite vegetable. Interestingly, Texans picked broccoli as their favorite all 5 years of the survey.

🥦It can take up to 140 days for a broccoli plant to mature.

🥦California is the broccoli capital of the United States as the temperatures are perfect for year round growing.

Food For Thought

I hope my little broccoli Q & A has helped some of the broccoli skeptics reading this give broccoli a chance. These tiny little trees have giant health properties + can certainly be part of a plant-based, meat-eating, or any diet in-between. Everything you need to know about broccoli includes another important thing I didn’t mention above … choosing one food over another equals choosing health + prioritizing foods that help prevent disease + keep you powerful enough to do the things you set out to do. Food should taste good … even foods that are good for you. Broccoli is one of those foods. I hope this helps you enjoy good food in the company of good people.

All the best,

Tara 💚🥦