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Broccoli is a vegetable with "online" appearance, taste and nutrition, and as a representative vegetable of the cruciferous family, it is often "praised" by nutrition experts from all over the world. Its popularity has risen all the way and has become the "new favorite" of the Chinese table. For many people who have the habit of exercising, broccoli is one of the most common ingredients in their diets, especially for those who lose fat. So why is broccoli always in fat loss recipes?
Broccoli, a typical high-protein vegetable
There may be 5 reasons why people who lose fat prefer broccoli.
Satiety
When losing fat, on the one hand, it is necessary to reduce calorie intake and reduce body fat percentage, and on the other hand, it should not cause intense hunger and preserve muscle mass. Broccoli fits this bill by being low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, which not only effectively improves satiety, but also promotes the movement of food through the digestive tract and facilitates bowel movements. In addition, broccoli is a vegetable with a low glycemic index, and consuming it does not cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, which reduces hunger pangs and can reduce cravings for unhealthy foods.
Aids in muscle growth
Building muscle requires a lot of protein, and broccoli is a typical high-protein vegetable, containing 2.8 grams of protein per 100 grams, which also allows the body to release more creatine to help muscle growth. In addition, broccoli is rich in folic acid, which promotes the formation of red blood cells, which help transport oxygen and other nutrients from the bloodstream to the muscles, thereby improving bone health.
Helps the body recover
After a workout, there will be a certain amount of damage to the muscle fiber tissue, which requires the body to repair itself, and broccoli can speed up this process. This is because broccoli is rich in vitamin C, which is essential for collagen synthesis, which aids in the body's recovery and reduces post-workout inflammatory responses such as muscle soreness, physical fatigue, etc. In addition, studies have found that sulforaphane in broccoli can promote the production of thioredoxin, which is an important substance for protecting heart cells.
Assists in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
After high-intensity exercise, immunity will temporarily decrease, and broccoli is rich in a bioactive compound, sulforaphane, which can stimulate the immune response and initiate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory response in the body. In addition, sulforaphane has a good antioxidant effect, which helps to delay aging. At the same time, broccoli is also a recognized vegetable with anti-cancer active ingredients.
Helps improve concentration
Antioxidants such as lutein, vitamin K and β carotene found in broccoli have been shown to improve brain health and memory, allowing people to stay focused and improve their performance during exercise.
How to choose broccoli?
1. Look at the color: Fresh broccoli flower bulbs are dark green and bright, while the flower stems are light green in color and look more tender. If the flower stem is dark green, it means that it has grown old and hard. If the flower bulbs appear yellow, it means that they have been left for a longer time and are not as fresh.
2. Weigh the weight: Put the same volume of broccoli in your hand and weigh it, the broccoli with a heavier feel has more moisture and good freshness. However, if the broccoli flower bulb is too hard and the flower stalk looks wide and firm, it means that it has grown old.
3. Look at the flower bulbs and flower buds: The fresh broccoli flower bulbs have a sense of bulge as a whole, the buds are firm and tight, there are almost no gaps, and they are firm and elastic to the touch. If the surface of the flower bulb is uneven, the flower buds are loose, or there are yellowing or flowering buds on the flower buds, it means that the picking time is too long and there is more water loss.
4. Look at the leaves: If the purchased broccoli has leaves, you can see whether the leaves are tender and green and moist, if the leaves are yellow and rotten, it is not suitable for purchase.
5. Look at the incision of the flower stalk: the incision of the fresh broccoli stalk is tender and green and moist, if the incision is dry and yellow, it means that it has been picked for a long time, and there is more loss of water and nutrients.
Three ways to extend the freshness time
As a "fresh" vegetable, broccoli can be kept fresh for up to a week, and if it is long, it will cause the corolla to turn yellow due to respiration, which will not only affect the appearance, but also reduce the taste. Therefore, it is recommended that consumers try to choose small broccoli when buying to ensure that they are eaten in a short time to avoid waste. If you do encounter a situation where you can't finish eating for a while, it is recommended to refer to the following preservation methods:
Parcel preservation
Wrap the broccoli in clean kitchen straw paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate. Straw paper helps to absorb the moisture produced by the respiration of broccoli and is not prone to spoilage. The plastic wrap wrap reduces the breathing intensity of the broccoli, thereby extending the shelf life.
Sack in salt for preservation
Rinse the broccoli, then break it into small pieces, soak it in salt water for about 10 minutes, take out the hot water and then dry it, put it in a plastic bag, tie it tightly, and put it in the refrigerator for refrigeration. Broccoli treated in this way can maintain its green color for three to four days.
Cryopreservation
First, the broccoli is processed in the above method and then put into a plastic bag, and put it in the refrigerator freezer for a relatively longer storage time. When eating, take out a small bag, put it in light salted water to thaw it naturally, and then blanch it in boiling water for 10 seconds to use it for cooking.
Common mistakes to avoid
Wash it casually
Broccoli flower spikes tend to harbor bugs and pesticides, and simply rinsing them with water may not be able to wash them off. It is recommended that you first put the broccoli under the faucet, rinse it with running water for more than 20 seconds, and then brush the surface with a brush, then break the broccoli into small flowers, soak it in light salt water for 15~20 minutes, and finally rinse it with running water and drain the water.
Throw away the stems and roots
Some friends eat broccoli only with flower spikes and throw away the stems and roots. But in fact, the rhizomes of broccoli are also rich in flavonoids, and the dietary fiber content is also higher than that of flowers, so it is a waste not to eat them. If you want to eat more conveniently, you can use a knife to cut the broccoli stems and roots into smaller pieces and cook them with the broccoli spikes. If you want to eat more delicately, you can also put flower spikes and rhizomes into the dish separately.
Tips:
There is a key step in cooking broccoli - blanch the broccoli and wash it into suitable flowers for later use; put an appropriate amount of water in the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat; add a small amount of vegetable oil and salt to the water, which can form a protective film on the surface of the broccoli to prevent chlorophyll oxidation; after the water is boiled, put in the broccoli, blanch for about 1 minute and remove it, and quickly cool the water before proceeding to the next step of cooking.