The 10 Healthiest Foods:

 Broccoli Rabe

By: Caley Walsh

Composed of leafy stalks, broccoli rabe is not a type of broccoli and is more closely related to mustard greens or turnips. Pronounced “broccoli rob” and often going by its nickname rabe, this vegetable is available year-round but best in the winter. You can reduce the bitterness of rabe by briefly blanching in salted, boiling water and then placing in ice water. A bit of crushed red pepper also nicely balances out rabe’s bitterness.

Here are some of Broccoli Rabe’s nutritional benefits:

• Calcium- Rabe is a great source of calcium, which in addition to helping prevent osteoporosis, may assist in weight loss.
   
• Vitamin K- Rabe is rich in this vitamin, which helps the body use calcium and assists in processes like blood clotting.
   
• Folate- Broccoli rabe contains this B vitamin which is helpful in preventing heart disease.
   
• Antioxidants- While all “Brassicas” (Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage) contain antioxidants, rabe is a particularly great source of compounds called “glucoinolates” shown to be effective against lung, stomach and colon cancer. A 3.5 oz serving of rabe contains more than half your daily requirement of the antioxidants Vitamin A and C.