13 Ways to Love Cauliflower

Have you noticed that cauliflower is the new kale? I mean really. It’s everywhere you look – cooking magazines, cooking shows, e-cookbooks, and of course Pinterest.

Unlike many people, I’ve always liked cauliflower, but I think it had more to do with the brown butter sauce my mom used to put on it. Let’s be honest, anything tastes great with brown butter sauce. But the plain, always boiled cauliflower that we ate growing up… Meh. It had no real taste.

Thinking about that now, I guess that’s why cauliflower has taken over the vegetable show. It’s super versatile and plays nice with a major range of flavors and textures, and cooking methods.

As a nutritionist, I also love cauliflower for its nutritional profile. It’s full of vitamins C, K, and many of the Bs. It’s also a good source of fiber and has a very low glycemic index, and…wait for it… A cup of cauliflower has a tiny little 29 calories!

The biggest reason I adore this cruciferous vegetable though is for its cancer-fighting power. The strong sulfur-like smell from boiled or leftover cauliflower (or any cruciferous vegetables) comes from compounds called glucosinolates. According to the National Cancer Institute, these compounds have been shown to prevent the growth of several different types of cancer in lab animals, and there seems to be an association between higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables and lower cancer rates in people.

So eat your cauliflower people! If you need some delicious and healthy cauliflower recipes, here are a few of my favorites from my blogging buddies.

How do you do cauliflower?  Do you love it or hate it?

Eat well!