Growing up, I convinced myself I didn’t like cauliflower, even though I had never tasted it. It just didn’t look appetizing to me, not that many vegetables do as a kid. Fast forward many years later, and I’ve still been a reluctant cauliflower eater. Never mind the fact that I eat copious amounts of cauliflower’s cousin, broccoli. And never mind the fact that it’s super healthy for us.

A cruciferous vegetable like broccoli, kale and cabbage, cauliflower has powerful antioxidants to help prevent cancer and it has tons of Vitamin C. And don’t be swayed by the fact that it’s not green (know why? It’s because its leaves shield it from the sun!), it’s an important component in detoxing the liver, it supports healthy supple joints and cardiovascular health. Know what else?  A study of men found that when they eat more than one serving of broccoli or cauliflower per week, they cut their risk of getting advanced prostate cancer in half.

Bottom line, cauliflower is an important component in a heart-healthy, anti-cancer diet that supports us in numerous ways.  And the good news is that there are simple ways to add it to your diet:

• Make a delicious raw soup in a Vitamix blender that includes cauliflower
• Eat raw and dip in heart healthy hummus
• Blanch for a minute and then add it to your salad
• Add to soups and stews
• Roast it with olive oil and garlic. I found a great recipe I love recently where I roast it and then add chopped orange zest, greens onions and parsley. The orange zest really brings out the flavor as I’ve mentioned before in a recent post
• Roast and carmelize it. Here’s a recipe that looks fabulous.

Are you a fan of cauliflower? How do you like to prepare it? What do you do to make it appetizing and healthy that doesn’t have to include it being drenched in cheese? Do tell!

Filed under: Antioxidants, Healthy Meals, Prevention, Vegetables