Artichoke is a vegetable that many people of aware of, but few of us actually work into our daily diets. Most people believe that the only edible part of this funny-looking vegetable is its flower base. Did you know, though, that the section connecting the leaf to the stem is also edible? An artichoke plant may look quite intimidating, and those sharp leaves might make the timid consumer uneasy about buying it. But don’t fear: not only is this vegetable beneficial to one’s health, it also packs a flavorful punch.
All About Artichokes
One artichoke contains approximately one-fourth of an average sized adult’s fiber needs. It is also rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K (potassium), folic acid, and magnesium. Artichoke itself is naturally fat free and very low in calories, which makes it great for people that are on a diet or are weight-conscious.
Artichokes have also been proven to help reduce cholesterol in the blood stream by improving the liver’s ability to mass produce bile for the emulsification of fat. The bile that is not used immediately to emulsify fat is then stored in the gall bladder for future usage. Therefore, any food that increases the bile released into your gastro-intestinal tract will result in a decrease of fat absorption into the blood. This is another great reason why weight conscious people should indulge in artichokes!
So where can we find this vegetable that is so beneficial to our health? Artichokes can be bought fresh from any produce section at any grocery store. Luckily, they’re perennial vegetables. You can also find them in canned forms as well as frozen. However, fresh artichokes are obviously the better choice of the three seeing as any vegetable would loose some of its nutrient content once it is processed. But if you do not want to buy fresh ones, or are unable to find any, frozen would be the next best choice. Though it is true that the majority of nutrients are lost in the freezing process, a small amount of nutrient is still retained in the vegetable itself. Canned artichoke, on the other hand, may be the easiest to find and the best to keep, but the amount of nutrients that they have in them is no where near comparable to that of the prior two.
How to handle your artichoke
So say you just went to the grocery store and just purchased a whole artichoke fresh from the produce aisle–what do you do now?
Well, it doesn’t require much work! Don’t let the rough exterior of the artichoke fool you–they’re not that difficult to manage. First, wash the artichoke well and peel off the outer petals that are harder than the rest of the vegetable. Then, cut off the stem, and as you peel off the outer petals of the artichoke, you’ll eventually arrive at the heart of the artichoke. This is actually the most delicious part of the vegetable and packed with loads of nutrients.
What can you do with this heart? Artichoke hearts are actually becoming very popular because of their great taste and abundant health benefits. Many people add artichoke to their pizza, casseroles, lasagna, pasta dishes, and some even stir fry it. A simple way of consuming artichoke heart is to just boil it in water, let it cool for a while, then consume it without any seasoning. Another low fat and flavorful way of consuming the boiled artichoke heart is to season it in a bowl with some water, salt and olive oil.
While the vegetable may look slightly petrifying and leave you wondering if you actually want to eat it, don’t be alarmed. Once you try the artichoke and find your favorite way of eating it, you will find yourself coming back to the produce section for another artichoke pretty soon. If you are looking to decrease your chance of arteriosclerosis and a great vegetable to be part of your diet plan, an artichoke a day can help keep most of the fat away.
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If you have any artichoke recipes, please share them with us at VTP. Do you have other ways of enjoying artichoke? Maybe in tea, as many in Vietnam do?
And, just for kicks, here’s your artichoke related quote of the day. From the movie 2001 French movie Amelie, to be said to all the condescending folks in your life: “At least you’ll never be a vegetable–even artichokes have hearts!”
References:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cook_and_eat_an_artichoke/
http://www.zhion.com/liver_issues/artichoke.html
This person dosen’t know what they are talking about. for example when she is talking about preparing the artichoke.
“First, wash the artichoke well and peel off the outer petals that are harder than the rest of the vegetable. Then, cut off the stem, and as you peel off the outer petals of the artichoke, you’ll eventually arrive at the heart of the artichoke. This is actually the most delicious part of the vegetable and packed with loads of nutrients.”
You can eat the base of the petals and they are actually quite good for dipping. To remove the outer petals and discard them would be such a waste.