4 healthy ways to cook broccoli

Broccoli is a vegetable plant that is included in the cabbage or Brassicaceae. Broccoli originates from the central sea area, and since the time of ancient Greece it was cultivated.

Broccoli entered Indonesia not long ago, and is now increasingly popular among vegetable lovers as food.

The part of broccoli eaten is a flower head that is green and arranged tightly, like a tree branch with thick stems. Most of the flower heads are surrounded by leaves. Broccoli is most similar to cauliflower, but broccoli is dark green while cauliflower is white.

Broccoli which is increasingly popular has a very complete nutritional content. From vitamins to essential minerals in broccoli. No wonder, broccoli has many benefits for the health of the human body. The benefits of broccoli for the health of the human body, for example as an anticancer, and anti-inflammatory. In addition, broccoli is also a good antioxidant to fight free radicals.

However, this benefit can be achieved if you cook the cured broccoli the right way. The reason is, the wrong way to cook broccoli can cause the nutrient content in broccoli to disappear.

Some ways that are usually used to cook broccoli and its effect on the content of broccoli are as follows:

1. Cooking Broccoli by Boiling

Some people cook vegetables by boiling, including broccoli. However, Professor Paul Thornalley of the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom said that boiled broccoli will reduce the antioxidant value in broccoli. In particular, boiling will reduce compounds known as glucosinolates, which are converted in the body into anticancer agents called isothiocyanates. In addition, Thornalley and his colleague, Dr. Lijiang Song, found that cooking broccoli in boiling water can reduce glucosinolate content by 20-30% after 5 minutes, by 50% after 10 minutes, and 77% after 30 minutes. So clearly that boiling may not be the best way to cook these vegetables.

2. Cooking Broccoli in a Sauteed Way

If you like Chinese cuisine, sautéing is a good way to cook and enjoy broccoli. Combined with other vegetables, such as water chestnuts, carrot slices and bean sprouts, broccoli adds contrast in terms of color, taste and texture. The key here is to avoid vegetables from over-cook, or overcook. You need to know, sauteing is a method of cooking vegetables in hot oil which only aims to make vegetables a little aroma, but still crispy. So far, research conducted by Thornalley and Song found no significant loss of glucosinolate content when broccoli was sauteed for 5 minutes or less.

3. Cooking Broccoli by Steaming

Steaming is the most popular way to cook broccoli because it is fast and can maintain the color and texture of vegetables. According to a study from the Journal of Food Additive & Contaminants published on November 23, 2006, steaming broccoli can actually increase the nutritional value of broccoli. The researchers found that steamed broccoli will increase levels of glucosinolates, increase levels of antioxidant compounds and beta-carotene, and lutein, alpha and gamma-tocopherol in broccoli. In addition, steaming broccoli also does not have a significant effect on the content of vitamin C in broccoli. In other words, steaming is the best way to cook broccoli.

4. Cooking Broccoli Using the Microwave Oven

Cooking broccoli using a microwave oven is probably the easiest method, because just put the broccoli on a serving plate then put it in the microwave for no more than 3 minutes. The resulting color and texture are also satisfying, as long as you don't put the broccoli too long in the oven. According to research conducted by Thornalley and Song, cooking broccoli using microwave for 3 minutes or less does not cause the content of glucosinolates in broccoli to be significantly reduced.