Maintaining an optimal weight for good health is essential, and many of us have likely attempted to do so! An active lifestyle and a nutritious diet are significant components of weight loss, and adding certain foods to your diet can aid in achieving your goal more quickly.
For example, broccoli is an excellent vegetable that can help you reduce your weight.
Belonging to the cruciferous vegetable family, broccoli has many nutritional benefits and can even aid in weight loss. Other members of this family include bok choy, cabbage, and cauliflower.
Broccoli contains a lot of antioxidants which help to strengthen the immune system. Additionally, it can help to protect against several ailments and support intestinal health, making it an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
Nutritional Properties of Broccoli
Broccoli is a highly nutritious vegetable, low in carbs and has many essential vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and phytonutrients.
As per USDA, the primary nutrients per 100 gm of raw broccoli are:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 34kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 6.64 g |
| Protein | 2.82 g |
| Total Fat | 0.37 g |
| Dietary Fibre | 2.6 g |
Eating raw broccoli is highly recommended by health coaches because of its high nutritional value.
It is rich in antioxidants that can protect against free radicals and contains plenty of dietary fibre, protein, and vitamins A, C, and E, all of which are essential components of a healthy diet.
Broccoli – What Research Says
Research shows that compounds in broccoli, such as ethanol and chloroform, have been found to have anti-obesity effects, which can help individuals lose weight. Therefore, consuming broccoli regularly may be a helpful tool in achieving a healthy weight.
How Does Broccoli Help in Weight Loss?
Broccoli’s nutritional value meets all the requirements for weight reduction.
- A bowl of cooked broccoli contains between 50 and 65 calories per serving and about 39 calories per 100 grams which nominates it into low-calorie foods. To successfully reduce weight, you must burn more calories than you consume.
- Broccoli is an excellent source of dietary fibre, containing 3.3 grams per 100 grams. Fibre absorbs water, increasing the volume of food in the stomach, which helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. It then reduces your appetite, giving you a feeling of satiety thereby preventing mid-meal snacking.
- Broccoli is rich in vitamin C, which can help burn fat, boost immunity, and promote healthier skin and hair.
- Broccoli contains vitamin K, which is beneficial for glucose and fat metabolism. It is especially helpful in burning belly fat.
- Broccoli contains carotenoids, a natural plant compound that can help stimulate fat burning and thereby aid in weight reduction.
- With 90% water content, broccoli is an excellent food for promoting healthy metabolism and staying hydrated. A healthy metabolism is vital for burning calories efficiently.
- It also has the benefit of having negligible fat in it.
The HealthifyMe Note
Broccoli is an excellent option for weight loss owing to the benefits of low-calorie, low-fat high fibre. Despite the numerous benefits of broccoli, there are some potential drawbacks to be aware of. Large quantities of the vegetable can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland, leading to changes in hormone levels and the associated symptoms, such as weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, and mood swings. Furthermore, it can lead to digestive issues like constipation, gastrointestinal discomfort, and bloating, as well as issues with bowel movements.
Healthy Broccoli Recipes for Weight Loss
You can enjoy the nutritional benefits of broccoli by eating it both cooked and raw. Stems and florets are both edible, and one can prepare them in various ways, such as boiling, microwaving, stir-frying, and steaming.
However, cooking methods can affect the nutritional makeup of the vegetable, decreasing the levels of vitamin C, soluble protein, and sugar.
A study suggests that steaming may be the best cooking method to preserve the most nutritional value. Below are a few easy recipes to tickle your tastebuds and maintain good health.
Broccoli Salad
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- Broccoli: 3 cups
- Chopped onion: 1
- Grated garlic: 3 cloves
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli flakes: 1 tsp
- Vinegar or lemon juice: 1 tsp
- Olive oil: 3 tbsp
Method:
- Chop broccoli florets into bite-size pieces.
- You can also steam the broccoli.
- Drain and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, oil, and vinegar. Mix well.
- Add in cooked broccoli and toss well.
- Serve the salad.
2. Veg Broccoli Soup for Weight Loss
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- Broccoli Florets: ¼ cup
- Broccoli stalks: ⅛ cup
- Low-fat butter: ⅓ tsp
- A small cup of chopped onions
- Low-fat milk, 99.7% fat-free: ⅛ cup
- Whole wheat flour: ⅛ tsp
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Cut off the stems and save only the florets.
- In a deep nonstick saucepan melt the butter. Add the onions, and saute over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the broccoli florets, stir thoroughly, and saute for 2 minutes over medium flame.
- Add the whole wheat flour, stir well, and cook for 1 minute over medium flame while constantly stirring to prevent the flour from burning.
- Add two cups of water.
- Cook over a medium flame for 6 to 8 minutes or until they are tender.
- Once cooled, add the broccoli to a blender and grind until smooth.
- Transfer the combined ingredients to the same deep nonstick saucepan.
- Stir in the milk, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook it for 4 to 5 minutes over a medium temperature.
- Serve the hot vegetable broccoli soup.
3. Basic Cooked Broccoli with Roti
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Servings: 2
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
- Mustad Seeds: 2 tsp
- Broccoli: 300 g
- Red Chillies: 2 whole
- Curry leaves
- Aesofetida (Hing): A pinch
- Cumin Seed: 1 tsp
- Freshly shredded ginger: 50g
- Chopped garlic: 2 tbsp
- Tamarind soaked in water: 20g
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Heat oil in an iron skillet, add cumin, curry leaves, mustard, let them splutter and add hing.
- Add garlic, red chillies and ginger and saute until they are light brown,
- Add broccoli, salt, tamarind water and saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Add water and let the broccoli cook till tender.
- Add salt and tamarind to the dish in the final stage, and then let it boil.
- Serve hot.
Other Health Benefits of Broccoli
Here are a few advantages that broccoli offers. You may utilise it by including it in your diet. To begin your healthy journey right away, get in touch with one of our coaches at HealthifyMe.
Boosts Heart Health
Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, enhance blood flow and strengthen your heart. According to research, eating broccoli often helps to relax your blood vessels, which helps in lowering your blood pressure.
Improves Eyesight
Broccoli’s lutein and zeaxanthin contribute to improved eyesight. As a result, you can avoid retinal degeneration brought on by ageing.
Prevents Cancer
Since broccoli contains a lot of antioxidants, it helps prevent cell damage and hence may prevent cancer. Consequently, it aids in stopping the development of cancerous cells.
Decreases Inflammation
The antioxidant properties of sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli, aid in decreasing inflammation in the body.
Decreases Cholesterol
Broccoli is a rich source of soluble fibre. So it helps remove cholesterol from the body. It is because the fibre in broccoli aids in the digestion of bile acids by binding with them. So it makes eliminating cholesterol from our bodies simple.
The HealthifyMe Note
Broccoli has a high insoluble fibre content and requires more time to digest. The best time to consume broccoli is around breakfast or lunch so that your body has time to absorb it. You should eat it often as it is a green vegetable with various nutritious benefits. One can eat broccoli 2-3 times a week to lose weight. You can aim at consuming 400 grams of broccoli in a week.
The Conclusion
Adding broccoli to your diet is an excellent way to support your health goals. This superfood contains essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, fibre, and antioxidants that have many positive health benefits.
Low in calories, broccoli is one of the few vegetables with immense medicinal potential. While more photochemical analysis is still needed to understand it better, it is clear that this nutritious vegetable can help you reach your health objectives. Remember, though, that no one food can guarantee good health. A balanced diet is a key to success.
The Supporting Sources
1. Scott O, Galicia-Connolly E, Adams D, Surette S, Vohra S, Yager JY. The safety of cruciferous plants in humans: a systematic review. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:503241. DOI: 10.1155/2012/503241. Epub 2012 Feb 22. PMID: 22500092; PMCID: PMC3303573.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22500092/
2. Mali PY, Bigoniya P, Panchal SS, Muchhandi IS. Anti-obesity activity of chloroform-methanol extract of Premna Integrifolia in mice fed with cafeteria diet. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013 Jul;5(3):229-36. DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.116825. PMID: 24082700; PMCID: PMC3778593.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24082700/
3. The U S Department of Agriculture | Nutritional Data
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/747447/nutrients
4. Yuan GF, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang QM. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009 Aug;10(8):580-8. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B0920051. PMID: 19650196; PMCID: PMC2722699.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722699/
5. Suresh S, Waly MI, Rahman MS, Guizani N, Al-Kindi MAB, Al-Issaei HKA, Al-Maskari SNM, Al-Ruqaishi BRS, Al-Salami A. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) Reduces Oxidative Damage to Pancreatic Tissue and Combats Hyperglycaemia in Diabetic Rats. Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2017 Dec;22(4):277-284. DOI: 10.3746/pnf.2017.22.4.277. Epub 2017 Dec 31. PMID: 29333379; PMCID: PMC5758090.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29333379/
