Eat your veggies. That’s what doctors, nutritionists, and parents the world over have been saying for decades. And clearly they were onto something as research continues to uncover new ways that vegetables can help improve human health and allow people to thrive.
While leafy greens like spinach and kale often make the top 10 list of must-haves, you can’t really go wrong in the produce section. Two of the most versatile, nutritious, and delicious options still are considered to be broccoli and cauliflower.
These two veggies are somewhat similar in the way they are grown and can be used in copious dishes, but they also each have some distinct characteristics that set them apart from one another.
Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous family, the same family as cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, and yes, cauliflower. The word broccoli is derived from the Latin term “brachium,” which translates to “arm” or “branch,” and is quite fitting since the vegetable features cross-shaped stems that look like tiny trees.
Broccoli can be traced to ancient Rome, where it was a very popular food item. Eventually it spread outward to France and England before being commercially grown in the U.S. beginning around the early 1920s. Today it’s used in everything from roasts to salads to stir-fry dishes, and its versatility has helped it remain popular over time.
Broccoli is no one-trick pony. In fact, there are a few different varieties and relatives, all of which offer their own unique tastes and characteristics.
Broccoli isn’t just delicious, it’s also filled with excellent nutritional content that can have a dramatic impact on health and wellness. In order to get the most value from broccoli, it should be eaten raw, which preserves the highest potential of the nutrients.
While cooked broccoli is still very good for the body, the cooking process can destroy some of the antioxidants that are naturally found within it. Right after frying, boiling is the worst option, taking as much as 90 percent of the important nutrients from the vegetable. Steaming, roasting, microwaving, and stir-frying are better choices when you want to cook it.
Here’s just some of the nutritional content you can expect from broccoli:
These are just a few of the important nutrients found in broccoli. No matter how this vegetable is enjoyed, it can help promote better health and wellness.
Here are a few of Thrive Market’s favorite recipes featuring broccoli and broccolini, whether they’re roasted, sauteed, or stir-fried.
This recipe pulls out all the stops, tossing the vegetable with lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, almonds, and parmesan cheese before baking it to tender perfection.
Here’s another way to roast broccolini, with a Japanese presentation. The use of coconut aminos, nori, and sesame dresses up the vegetable beautifully and makes it taste gourmet.
For a tasty and complete meal, try this savory stir-fry dish, which matches up the long broccolini stalks with lean flank steak and carrots. Adding in coconut aminos, beef bone broth, red wine vinegar, and ginger really makes the flavors pop.
Here’s a creative way to use sauteed broccolini. After cooking and letting it cool, combine with some cherry tomatoes and pour over a dressing made of coconut vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, chives, and honey.
Broccoli’s close cousin cauliflower is gaining some significant attention in the health community recently thanks to the numerous health benefits it can provide, especially when used as an alternative to carb-rich foods. It’s especially popular in Europe, tying with cabbage as the most frequently consumed vegetable in 10 western European countries.
Like broccoli, it easily fits into a variety of dishes, and can be roasted, stir-fried, or pulverized to provide a healthier substitute for mashed potatoes, white rice, even pizza crust.
Cauliflower refutes the myth that you must eat only “colorful” vegetables in order to receive maximum nutrition. Although it’s void of color, it’s still full of plenty important vitamins, minerals, and other healthful compounds.
As with broccoli, the best way to ensure that you get the full nutritional benefits from cauliflower is to eat it raw or to cook it in some way other than frying or boiling, which reduces the nutritional content dramatically.
Can cauliflower actually taste like meat? It can if you braise it, like this dish shows. Place a whole head in a pot with a jar of tomato sauce, chili powder, paprika, olives, olive oil, and vinegar, and the vegetable will soak in all the Mediterranean flavors while becoming tender.
Grain-free cooking starts with cauliflower, which can provide a substitute for rice in a number of dishes like this one (try it as a sub for couscous, too). Here, use it as a base and top with roasted salmon and sauteed veggies as well as a heap of spices.
While pasta tastes great all on its own, adding in some cauliflower can make it stand out and provide more nutrition. This dish roasts cauliflower with olive oil and red pepper flakes, and then places it on a bed of gluten-free noodles with an indulgent pine nut-parmesan sauce.
So which is the better choice—broccoli or cauliflower? The fact is that either one is an excellent pick when adding more vegetables to your diet, and it simply may come down to taste preference or usage in a recipe.
While cauliflower has a slightly nuttier taste and can be pulverized for a number of adaptations, broccoli can sometimes be a bit more bitter and has less creative range. Try adding both to your nutrition plan to ensure your body gets everything it needs to function well.
Download the app for easy shopping on the go
By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive marketing text messages from Thrive Market. Consent not a condition to purchase. Msg & data rates apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.