An important component to every college student’s diet that is often neglected is vegetables. How to incorporate them into meals, how to make them taste good or when to find time to cook or chop them are all common reasons why the lack of greens can be a problem. Eating vegetables can become easier if you are willing to branch out and try new methods of cooking classics like Brussels sprouts.
Most people think of those overcooked, mushy and overall unflavorful side dishes that their mom used to make them eat as a child at dinner. Recently, Brussels sprouts have become something much more than this, which make them tastier and more appealing to everyone. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, a balanced diet should “include cruciferous vegetables 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups.” Common cruciferous vegetables include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and kale.
Why are Brussels sprouts beneficial to your health? According to World’s Healthiest foods, there are a number of reasons, including: cholesterol lowering benefits, DNA protection, cancer protection and a higher level of glucosinolate than most other cruciferous vegetables.
An easy and delicious way to cook Brussels sprouts is by simply sautéing them in a pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. An even easier method, but takes longer, is roasting the vegetable after halving or quartering (make sure to also remove the outer leaves). If you are looking for a way to spice up these classic cooking methods, add some lemon and almonds for a tasty side dish alongside your favorite grain or protein.
My favorite use of this healthful vegetable is Brussels sprouts gratin. With just a little heavy cream, white cheddar and bread crumbs, this dish is both tasty and easy to make. If you are skeptical about whether or not you will like Brussels sprouts, I would try this recipe first because it is sure to get you hooked.
Finding time to incorporate vegetables into your diet may be challenging, but after you have tried these Brussels sprouts recipes, it will be well worth it.
Yum! Making them with lemon and salt and pepper sounds good. Do you think adding some dill to them would be tasty?
ReplyDeleteYeah, that sounds delicious. Let me know how they turn out if you try that!
ReplyDeleteMadeline: I think orienting this blog to college-age readers is a great direction. I love Brussels sprouts, so this post will be forwarded to the person in my family who does most of the cooking (my wife). Note that in your lead you should recast the first sentence so "vegetables" is the first word. Makes for more active construction, and will help to hook the reader. Good links again. Score = 9.5
ReplyDelete