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Cabbage and Other Green Stuff

One of Hassie's favorite things to eat was Cabbage. She wouldn't have minded having it at every meal and rarely were we ever without it.

If you are looking for ways to cut costs in your food budget

but maintaining the level of nutrition that a growing child

needs, do not leave the often forgotten Cabbage out of

your menus.

The cabbage family is known for it's ability to protect us against lung, colon and breast cancers. They also are good to our stomachs, with their natural healing components. Cabbage is high in fiber which helps with our digesting of other foods. That process, in turn, decreases our chance at getting colon cancer.

There are many types of cabbages to choose from, including a Red Cabbage. The vitamin C equivalent in a Red Cabbage, a good measure of it's antioxidant capacity, is six to eight times higher than that of a green cabbage. It is one of the most nutritious and best tasting vegetables around. All in all, this family of vegetables is a great addition to any healthy diet and can save you money too.

CELERY

Choose dark green celery whenever possible as it will have the most chlorophyll. Buy it while the ribs are still firm, not limp. To store in the fridge, wrap the celery with a damp paper towel then fold it tightly in foil. Celery will last several weeks if wrapped this way.

The ribs of celery should have a satifying crunchy sound when

bitten into. It has a slight salty taste, so if you are using it

for juice be sure to mix it with some of the sweeter fruit juices

for better taste results.

Celery leaves have a high content of vitamin A. They can be used to flavor soups, salads and sandwiches. The stems are an excellent source of vitamins and are a rich source of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium and iron, with plenty of essential amino acids. Use them often to help balance your meals.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS:

The Brussels sprout is a wild cabbage grown for its edible buds. The leafy green vegetables are small and look like miniature cabbages. Although named after the capital of Belgium, few historians believe the plant came from there.

Brussels sprouts will provide you with special

cholesterol-lowering benefits, if cooked in the

right manner. You will need to use a steaming

method when cooking them. The fiber-related

components in Brussels sprouts do a better job

of removing acids in your digestive tract when

they've been steamed. The results is a lowering

of your cholesterol levels. Raw Brussels sprouts still have cholesterol-lowering ability but for some reason, just not as much as steamed Brussels sprouts.

The hardest part of cooking a sprout is not to over cook it. When they are over cooked, they become gray in color and loose all their good healthy qualities. Cooking or steaming for no more than 5 to 7 minutes, depending on their size, will keep most of their nutritional value.