Coleslaw is a Nutrient Dense Food!

 

When we think about coleslaw, we tend to think of summer barbeques, outdoor parties, picnics, etc...

For me, however, coleslaw is a great addition to my diet all year round.  You may not realize it, but Coleslaw is a nutrient dense food.  Rather than buy ready-made coleslaw, I usually make my own.  That way, I know exactly what I want to put in it and can spice it up any way I please.

There are so many things you can do with coleslaw.  I have added meat, like cubed ham or diced cooked chicken, turkey or sausage to it and it was delicious.  I have even added it to my hamburgers and cheesburgers in place of lettuce.  It is much more nutritious than plain plain iceberg lettuce and more flavorful as well.

The main reason I like coleslaw is because it gives me a chance to eat cabbage raw.  Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable.  It is very nutritious and cooking destroys some of its nutrients.

Just one cup of raw cabbage is only 22 calories and contains the recommended Daily Value or the following nutrients:

1 gram of protein

2 grams of fiber

56% of the Daily Value (DV) of Vitamin K

36% of DV of Vitamin C

10% of DV of Folate

6% of DV of Manganese

6% of the DV of Vitamin B6

3% of the DV of Calcium

3% of the DV of Potassium

3% of the DV of Magnesium

Cabbage also contains small amounts of other micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron and riboflavin.

As you can see in the list above, it is rich in vitamin B6 and Folate, both of which are essential for many important processes in the body, including energy metabolism and the normal functioning of the nervous system.

In addition, cabbage is high in fiber and contains powerful antioxidants, including polyphenols and sulfur compounds.

Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.  Free radicals are molecules that have an odd number of electrons, making them unstable.  When their levels become too high, they can damage your cells.

Cabbage is especially high in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that may protect against heart disease, certain cancers, and vision loss.

Vegetables like cabbage, bok choy, arugula, kale, brussels sprouts, collard greens, cauliflower, and broccoli are low calorie, low carb, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  These cruciferous vegetables are also touted as cancer fighters.

Like many nutrient dense foods, these veggies should optimally be eaten raw in order to get the full benefit of their nutrients.  However, eating them raw, by themselves don't taste very good.  I don't know about you, but I've never been a fan of eating cabbage or any of these vegetables raw.  So, to reap the full nutritional benefits of cabbage, I make coleslaw.  The dressing makes it taste so much better.

In this recipe for coleslaw, I am using green cabbage and red cabbage, and along with the orange carrots, it makes for a very colorful and festive dish.

My original recipe was to shred equal amounts of green cabbage and red cabbage and mix them with the carrots and green pepper.  However, I've switched it up a bit since.

So now that we've gone over how delicious and nutritious this dish is, let's get down to the recipe.

Coleslaw 

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp pure cane sugar (or monkfruit or stevia if you're diabetic)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sweetener of choice and salt and mix well.

Shred the cabbages, carrots and bell pepper and mix in a large bowl.

Add the dressing and mix well.

And there you have it.

Who knew coleslaw is that healthy?

Time Saving Method

Working full time and taking care of the house and my husband, I just don't have the time to spend in the kitchen shredding cabbage and making a mess.  So, for you who just don't have the time, you can buy pre-shredded coleslaw in a package.  You can find it at the supermarket in the produce section.  It comes in a bag and contains pre-shredded green and red cabbage and shredded carrots.  All you need to do is make the dressing and mix it with the pre-shredded coleslaw.

Also, to make it even more nutritious, I add what is called broccoli slaw.  It's shredded broccoli mixed with shredded carrots.  It really adds more color and flavor as well as nutrition.  Broccoli is also a cruciferous vegetable and is packed with nutrients.

So, to save time in the kitchen, mix one package of pre-shredded coleslaw with one package of pre-shredded broccoli slaw with the dressing and voila, you have coleslaw and it didn't take you a bunch of time shredding and cleaning.

Enjoy coleslaw any time of the year.  It is very versatile.  You can add bacon, hard boiled eggs, ham, chicken, turkey or tuna.  I cut up grilled chicken, turkey or tuna and mix it in with the coleslaw and turn it into a very nutritious salad.

Or, next time you make a sandwich, add some coleslaw to it instead of plain old lettuce.

It's a win, win situation!

Bon Appetit!