It’s one of the oldest vegetables in the world!
When you’re putting a salad together for yourself, what do you usually put on the bottom layer? Probably some lettuce, right? Lettuce is nice enough, providing a satisfying crunch without much bitterness, but in terms of nutritional content, plain lettuce doesn’t bring much to the table. If you want something with a little more muscle behind it, forget about the lettuce and go for its big brother, cabbage.
Cabbage has been a steadfast companion to humanity for eons, with scientists finding evidence of green cabbage dating back as far as 600 B.C. There’s a good reason for this long-lasting relationship: cabbage is good, and it’s good for you. For one thing, cabbage, in all of its varieties, is absolutely packed with fresh vitamin C. Half a cup of shredded cabbage can get you nearly half of your daily recommended vitamin C intake, which makes cabbage a fantastic supplement for building up your immune system. Red cabbage in particular is also packed with a kind of flavonoids known as anthocyanins, which are natural disease-busters.
Another excellent variety is Napa cabbage, which in addition to reminding me of one of my old favorite anime characters, is chock full of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, both of which are fantastic for your digestion and bowel health. That extra fiber also helps keep you satiated, and that’s in spite of cabbage’s relatively low calorie count, so it’s also a good staple for a weight-loss diet.
So the next time you’re chopping up veggies for a salad, remember to line the bowl with some fresh red and Napa cabbage for a healthy, satisfying crunch.
