18 Recipes That Will Make You Love Brussels Sprouts (2024)

FAQs

What happens to your body when you eat brussel sprouts? ›

Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a nutritious addition to your diet. They may also come with added health benefits, including decreased inflammation and improved immune system health.

Research Fellow Lauren Chappell said: “Sulphur is responsible for the bitter sprout taste. As we age, we lose tastebuds, which can make them more palatable – potentially why adults who hated sprouts as children now embrace them in seasonal dishes.

A ½ cup of Brussels sprouts is a good source of Vitamin K (137% RDI) and Vitamin C (81% RDI) Kids, Ages 5-12 Teens and Adults, Ages 13 and up Males 2½-5 cups per day 42 - 6½ cups per day Females 2½-5 cups per day 3½-5 cups per day *If you are active, eat the higher number of cups per day.

Like some other cruciferous veggies, Brussels sprouts are high in vitamin K, which helps your blood clot. If you take medicine called blood thinners, too much vitamin K could prevent them from working as well as they should.

Not only can soaking make the centers more malleable, but the water that's absorbed into them will create a steaming action, whether you choose to roast, saute, or make your Brussels sprouts in your air fryer. The steam can help to ensure the cooking is even throughout the Brussels sprout.

May support heart health

Brussels sprouts are especially rich in a plant compound, called kaempferol. This antioxidant has been studied for its many health-promoting properties, including the benefits it has for heart health.

Therefore, those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be found to be suffering painfully from consuming Brussels sprouts due to aggravated symptoms of gas and bloating.

If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).

With all of these benefits, you may be wondering if it's okay to eat Brussels sprouts every single day. Rifkin's expert opinion is that it's safe to do so, but you also want to make sure you're eating other nutrient-rich foods too.

The flowers of the Brassica oleracea species are hermaphrodite which means that they have both male and female organs. Most of them are self-sterile: the pollen from the flowers of one plant can only fertilize another plant. The plants are therefore allogamous.

Are brussel sprouts anti aging? ›

Brussels sprouts provide high levels of Vitamin C, sulforaphane and antioxidants. When these key elements are combined, they protect the body against viral infections and cancer. The high concentration of Vitamin C also supports collagen production, creating better skin elasticity for a more youthful appearance.

While broccoli may have a higher count of calories, fat, and carbs, it is richer in calcium, iron, and pantothenic acid (a B vitamin that does wonders for healthy hair), and has a bit more potassium. Brussels sprouts, on the other hand, are lower in sodium.

Containing more vitamin C than an orange and with just eighty calories in a half pound, Britons eat more of them than any other European country, around 40,000 tonnes a year — and yes, we do eat them all year round. Two-thirds of Brussels sprout consumption in the UK is outside of the festive season.

Surprisingly, it could be your genes that determine your feelings about these controversial little vegetables. A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that sprouts contain a chemical, similar to phenylthiocarbamide, which only tastes bitter to people who have a variation of a certain gene.

Some people swear by cutting a cross in the bottom of each sprout, which they believe allows them to cook all through – but it's not necessary, and you'll save time if you don't.

In fact, the tradition of cutting a cross in the base of a sprout might have less to do with culinary technique and more to do with superstition. In Medieval times, it was believed that evil spirits and demons lived between the leaves of the vegetable, and they would enter anyone who ate them, making them ill.

In the late 1990s scientists identified specific chemicals, called glucosinolates, that made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously discarded for producing paltry harvests, to identify tastier versions with lower levels of these compounds.