How’s it going between you and broccoli? Sometimes described as looking like a little tree, many people feel broccoli tastes like a tree too. If you’re in the ‘tastes terrible’ camp about broccoli, a healthy cream of broccoli high-protein soup may be the answer.
Make Healthy Eating Delicious
One reason why changing to a diet of healthier, more nutritious foods is that many people don’t like the taste of it. It’s why your parents had to threaten no desserts or TV when you were a kid just to get you to eat your vegetables. But when you put all the good stuff into an absolutely delicious soup, then suddenly you get great taste and great nutrition. And all of broccoli’s other health benefits.
5 Health Benefits of Broccoli
Whether you have it raw, or in a creamy broccoli soup, broccoli is one of the most nutrition-packed vegetables there is. One cup of broccoli packs the following nutrients (percentages are of the recommended daily intake).
- Vitamin C: 135%
- Vitamin A: 11%
- Carbs: 6 grams
- Protein: 2.6 gram
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Fibre: 2.4 grams
- Vitamin K: 116%
- Vitamin B9 (Folate): 14%
- Potassium: 8%
- Phosphorus: 6%
- Selenium: 3%
All that good stuff means you can enjoy many health benefits from broccoli.
- Powerful Antioxidants. The antioxidants in broccoli are linked to lower levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, chronic diseases and cell damage in your eyes.
- Support for a Healthy Heart. Broccoli has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, heart disease, and heart tissue damage.
- Good for Your Digestive System. High in fibre, broccoli also helps keep your digestive system in good working order.
- Boost Your Immune System. Did you see that vitamin C count for broccoli above? It’s almost as much as an orange.
- It’s Weight-Loss Friendly. Broccoli is relatively low in calories (30 calories in a cup), especially when compared to how much nutrition you get from it. Its high fibre content helps fill you up so you eat less. And its benefits for your digestive system also helps your body process foods more efficiently.
To top it all off, what better way to get your nutrition from a healthy soup? This broccoli soup recipe includes olive oil, onions and celery.
If you liked this post, check out our previous article on why training your brain is as important as any other weight loss training.