Wednesday February 17th is National Cabbage Day!
Sometimes I chuckle at the National Day’s but this is one I can get into! Red cabbage is on my grocery list every week.
Cabbage is a cruciferous veggie that is packed with nutrients and is inexpensive. Plus, a head will keep for a few weeks in your frig without spoiling.
The most familiar forms of cabbage are the standard green or red round heads and the green barrel-shaped Napa cabbage. There are other varieties including savoy which has ruffled leaves.
Most Americans consume about 7 pounds of this veggie each year, mainly as slaw. I am pretty certain in my home we eat way more than that! We have it at least once a week, but usually multiple times.
What makes cabbage a healthy choice?
As I mentioned earlier, cabbage is a cruciferous veggie. It is recommended that you include at least a cup of them in your diet daily. All cruciferous veggies provide a wide range of nutrients and they support many systems of the body.
Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and B6. As well as being a great source of fiber, manganese, B1, and folate. But you can also find choline, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and many more nutrients.
Cabbage is full of antioxidants that studies are showing could lead to cancer prevention. While green cabbage has plenty of these antioxidants, red has even more. You can use red in place of green in any recipe…just be aware that it might give your dish a lovely purple hue!
Cabbage is packed with anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as flavonoids. Regularly eating food rich in these types of nutrients will keep the inflammatory system of the body in balance, meaning you will feel great!
Cabbage also provides some protection to the cardiovascular system and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
In addition, some of the phytonutrients found in cabbage help keep one’s gut flora in balance, ensuring your digestive system runs smoothly. Even more so if it is fermented into sauerkraut, one of my favorite ways to consume it!!
Tips
When purchasing, look for compact heads that are heavy for their size and free from blemishes.
Store your the heads in the crisper for up to 3 weeks.
Once you have cut up or shredded the cabbage for your recipe, let it rest for 5 minutes to enhance the health-promoting benefits.
Delicious Recipes
15-Minute Egg Roll in a Bowl – One of my new favorite ways to use cabbage in the kitchen is this quick and easy recipe from Coconuts and Kettlebells. I have even subbed out certain veggies for what I have on hand and it has turned out completely delicious! For instance, I have used Napa cabbage in place of regular green.
Sautéed Red Cabbage with Apple & Onions – This turned into a go-to recipe for my after making it just once! It pairs really well with pork in any form. You can easily toss in a different herbs instead of rosemary.
Big Batch Healing Salad – I love that this recipe is so nutrient-dense and supports your body with detoxification!! This salad would be great to have for breakfast with a couple hardboiled eggs and slices of bacon. Having dark greens, like kale, in the morning is a great way to support the liver so that can do it’s many jobs well.
Easy Garlic Butter Cabbage Noodles – It is so hard not to like a recipe that uses butter! Plus, I was a huge buttered noodle fan as a child. These days, I have to watch my carb intake a bit more than when I was 10! This recipe is a perfect replacement.
Mango Slaw – As a kid, we have slaw on a very regular basis. My grandma would make a big bowl of it on Sundays for our family gatherings. The dressings that she used were delicious but I have learned that some of the ingredients were not the most nourishing. But my Mango Slaw is different! It is dressed with olive oil and lime juice, using the mangos to add a bit of sweetness. This is the side dish I make every time we have taco bowls. It also goes great with burgers and ribs.
Are you a cabbage fan? If so, let me know your favorite way to enjoy it in the comments below!