With summer officially in full swing, I wanted to share a post on one of my most loved Farmer’s Market finds and the healthiest vegetables: cruciferous vegetables! This family of veggies is made up of everything from classics like cauliflower and broccoli to more adventurous additions like watercress, wasabi, and mustard greens.
In this post I’m going to outline everything you need to know about cruciferous veggies including what they are, the top 5 health benefits of this vegetable fam, and how much you should be eating everyday. And don’t worry–I’ve linked all of my favourite recipes for you so you can enjoy them in a variety of ways!
What are cruciferous veggies?
Cruciferous veggies are all those delicious plants found in the Brassica family. A little trivia tidbit about them: they’re called cruciferous vegetables because the four-petaled flowers of these plants resemble a crucifix.
They are often rich in vitamins and minerals, such as folate, vitamins E, C, & K, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. A great source of gut- and microbiome-nourishing fibre, each member of this family is also loaded with anti-inflammatory antioxidants and plant compounds called glucosinolates, which are not only responsible for their unique taste, but also have many incredible health benefits.
Cruciferous veggies include:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Mustard greens
- Kale
- Turnips
- Rutabagas
- Brussels sprouts
- Arugula or rocket
- Bok choy
- Various chards (Swiss, Rainbow, etc.)
- Radishes
- Collards greens
- Daikon radish
- Broccoli rabe or rapini
- Watercress
- Horseradish
- Wasabi
As you can see, there are tons of members of the Brassica family, so if you’re not a fan of radishes, maybe you’d enjoy broccoli or Brussels sprouts. With such variety, you’re sure to find at least a couple veggies that you enjoy! This Broccoli & Cranberry Summer Salad has converted many a self-professed broccoli-hater to team cruciferous veg!
Top Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables
Now that we know which veggies pack a nutritional punch, let's take a look at the specific benefits you can get from regularly incorporating them into your diet.
1. Powerful anti-inflammatory benefits
Thanks to the bright colours each cruciferous veggie is going to pack a punch of anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Different veggies will contain different amounts and types of antioxidants and phytonutrients, which is why it’s so important to eat as wide a variety of these veg as you can. Some of the most common antioxidants found in this group are sulforaphane (great for liver detox!), lutein (great for eye health!), and zeaxanthin.
With peach season just around the corner, get your dose of antioxidants by making this delicious Peach & Arugula Salad!
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Remember the sulforaphane I mentioned above? Not only is it great at protecting your cells from oxidative stress, it can also support liver health! This study found that broccoli sprouts help improve liver function in healthy middle aged adults. Since our liver is responsible for daily digestion and detoxification functions, we want to do as much as we can to support its healthy functioning.
Salads are the theme of my summer because they’re such a simple and delicious way to enjoy the produce of the season. This Kale Salad with Creamy Dressing has everything you need to nourish your body and support your liver health.
3. Have anti-cancer benefits
While I don’t like to say any one food or lifestyle activity is going to be the silver bullet that protects you from cancer, there are certain things that we can do and foods that we can eat daily to help reduce our risk. Eating cruciferous veggies is one of those things!
We’re going to come back to those glucosinolates again–when they are digested they break down into compounds called indoles, nitriles, thiocyanates, and isothiocyanates. The National Cancer Institute has found promising results in animals studies that these compounds can inhibit cancer development in various organs for several reasons:
- They induce cellular apoptosis (cell death)
- They can help prevent the formation of tumour blood vessels
- They can help prevent tumour cell migration (metatasis)
- They prevent cellular DNA damage
- The can help deactivate carcinogens
- They have antibacterial and antiviral properties
- They are highly anti-inflammatory
Cruciferous veggies have been found to have some protective effects specifically against colon, breast, bladder, prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancers. There is a lot of promise in these studies, enough to convince me not to skip my daily dosage of cruciferous vegetables! One of my all time favourite recipes is this savoury Cauliflower Hummus . It makes the perfect addition to a summer spread, especially paired with these crackers!
In my opinion fibre is one of the most underrated nutrients in our diets. We talk a lot about antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats and proteins, but fibre is what truly makes our digestive world go round.
Not only do we need enough fibre to help maintain regular bowel movements, but it also serves as food for our microbiome.
Without enough fibre, these lush ecosystems can suffer, leading to a host of issues with immune, gut, and brain health!
Cruciferous veggies are known to pack a lot of fibre in a small package. They are low in simple carbs and high in complex carbohydrates and soluble and insoluble fibres, making them the perfect gut-loving superfood! One word of caution–if you’re not used to eating a lot of fibre, you might want to start slowly with smaller servings to give your microbiome time to adjust so you don’t get too bloated or gassy.
To beat the summer heat, try a bowl of this Almond and Cauliflower Chilled Soup . It’s super simple and super flavourful!
These veggies pack a lot of nutritional punch per serving. You are going to be getting an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants with every mouthful. They contain lots of folate (or vitamin B9), which is necessary for the proper formation of DNA and red blood cells. You’ll also find loads of vitamin C, to support immune, skin, and adrenal health!
Another nutrient that we don’t often discuss is vitamin K. It works synergistically with vitamin D to support bone health, in addition to promoting healthy blood clotting. Cruciferous veggies are one of the best food sources of this important nutrient. Just make sure to enjoy them with some healthy fats, since they are one of the fat-soluble vitamins along with vitamins A, D, and E.
This Kale & Sundried Tomato Rustic Galette has everything you need to absorb the most nutrients possible from your veggies! It’s also quite a show-stopper to make if you have company.
How much cruciferous veg should I eat?
The recommended daily intake of these nutrient-powerhouse veggies is approximately 2.5 cups a day for women and 3 cups daily for men. A quick note about serving size: for the leafy greens such as arugula, collards, or watercress, 2 cups of loosely packed leaves equals 1 cup of your daily recommended intake, since they are not as densely packed as the broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other hardier Brassicas.
You can easily meet your daily serving goal by enjoying a Broccoli Sweet Potato Feta Frittata for brekky, Creamy & Dreamy Kale Salad for Lunch, and Cauliflower Tacos with Mango Red Pepper Salsa for dinner!
If you’re looking for more cruciferous veggie inspo, you can also easily search for a specific veggie on my blog and all of the recipes that contain it will pop up for you! I hope you enjoy crunching on these incredible veggies all summer long!
Xo Joy
