Cauliflower is a vegetable of the same family as broccoli, and is a great choice to use in slimming diets because it contains few calories and is rich in fiber, which helps to maintain shape and give satiety.
In addition, because it has a neutral taste, it can be used in various recipes such as salads, sauces, base for fit pizzas and as a substitute for rice in low carb diets.
The main benefits of cauliflower for health are:
- Helping to lose weight, because it is rich in fiber and has few calories, helping to give satiety without increasing too much the calories of the diet;
- Improve intestinal transit, due to its fiber content;
- Prevent cancer by being rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and sulforan, which protect cells;
- Maintain muscle health, as it contains a high potassium content;
- Improve skin and strengthen the immune system due to its high content of anti-oxidants;
- Helping in the treatment of gastritis, because it contains sulforaphane, a substance that reduces the growth of the bacterium H. pilory;
- Maintain bone health by containing vitamin K and potassium.
To choose a good fresh cauliflower, one should look for one that is firm, with no yellow or brown spots, and with green leaves attached firmly to the stem. See also 7 good reasons to eat broccoli.
Nutritional information
The following table gives nutritional information for 100 g raw and cooked cauliflower.
| Raw cauliflower | Cauliflower, cooked | |
| Energy | 23 kcal | 19 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 4.5 g | 3.9 g |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 1.2 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g |
| Fibers | 2.4 g | 2.1 g |
| Potassium | 256 mg | 80 mg |
| Vitamin C | 36.1 mg | 23.7 mg |
| Zinc | 0.3 mg | 0.3 mg |
| Folic acid | 66 mg | 44 mg |
Cooking cauliflower in steam or in the microwave instead of boiling it helps to preserve your vitamins and minerals. To help preserve its white color, you should add 1 tablespoon of milk or lemon juice in the water, and do not cook cauliflower in aluminum or iron pans.
Cauliflower Pizza Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 steamed cauliflower
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of muzela
- 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 200 g of mozzarella cheese
- 2 sliced tomatoes
- ½ sliced onion
- ½ red peppers in strips
- 50 g of olives
- Salt, pepper, basil leaves and oregano to taste
Method of preparation:
Cook and, after cooling, crush the cauliflower on a processor. Put in a bowl, add the egg, half the cheese, salt and pepper, mixing well. Grease the baking sheet with butter and flour, and model the cauliflower-shaped pasta. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 ° C for about 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven, add the tomato sauce, the rest of the cheese, the tomato, the onion, the pepper and the olives, placing oregano, basil leaves and olive oil on top. Bake again for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. This pizza can be stuffed with the ingredients of your choice.
Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cauliflower
- ½ cup of grated onion
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Method of preparation:
Wash and dry the cauliflower in cold water. Then grate the cauliflower in a thick drain or tap on a processor using the pulsing function until it is in a consistency similar to that of the rice. In a frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic, add the cauliflower and leave to braise for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Recipe for cauliflower gratin in the oven
This recipe is good for fighting cancer because it has two substances that help prevent and fight cancer that are sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol.
Sulforaphane helps in the production of enzymes that eliminate toxins from the body, while indole-3-carbinol substance reduces the body's level of estrogens, which when raised can lead to the onset of tumors.
Ingredients:
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 cup and a half milk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon wheat flour
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- salt
Method of preparation:
Wash the cauliflower after removing the leaves. Put the whole cabbage in a saucepan, cover with hot water seasoned with salt and bring to the fire to cook. Once cooked, remove from the water, drain and arrange in a bottom pirex greased with olive oil.
Dissolve the wheat flour in the milk, season with salt and bring to the fire. Stir until thickened, add a tablespoon of olive oil and cheese, mix well and remove. Spread the cream on the cauliflower, sprinkle with flour and screw into the oven to blush.
See also the recipe for a carrot juice and cauliflower to maintain hormonal balance.
