Broccoli for Weight Loss – Here’s How It Can Help

Maintaining an optimal weight for good health is essential, and many of us have probably tried to do it! An active lifestyle and nutritious diet are important parts of weight loss, and adding certain foods to your diet can help you reach your goal faster.

For example, broccoli is an excellent vegetable that can help you reduce your weight.

A member of the cruciferous vegetable family, broccoli has many nutritional benefits and may even aid in weight loss. Other members of this family include bok choy, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Broccoli contains lots of antioxidants that help boost the immune system. Plus, it can help protect against several ailments and support gut health, making it an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

Nutritional properties of broccoli

Broccoli is a very nutritious vegetable, low in carbohydrates and contains many essential vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and phytonutrients.

According to USDAthe main nutrients for 100 g of raw broccoli are:

Eating raw broccoli is highly recommended by health coaches due to its high nutritional value.

It is rich in antioxidants which can protect against free radicals and is high in dietary fibre, protein and vitamins A, C and E, all of which are essential components of a healthy diet.

Broccoli – What the Research Says

Research shows that compounds in broccoli, such as ethanol and chloroform, have been shown to have anti-obesity effects, which may help individuals lose weight. Therefore, regular consumption of broccoli can be a useful tool in achieving a healthy weight.

How does broccoli help with weight loss?

The nutritional value of broccoli meets all the requirements for weight loss.

• A bowl of cooked broccoli contains between 50 and 65 calories per serving and about 39 calories per 100 grams, which classifies it as a low calorie food. To successfully lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume.
• Broccoli is an excellent source of dietary fiber, containing 3.3 grams per 100 grams. Fiber absorbs water, increasing the volume of food in the stomach, which helps you feel full longer. It then reduces your appetite, giving you a feeling of satiety, thus avoiding snacking in the middle of a meal.
• Broccoli is rich in vitamin C, which can help burn fat, boost immunity, and promote healthier skin and hair.
• Broccoli contains vitamin K, which is beneficial for glucose and fat metabolism. It is particularly useful for burning belly fat.
• Broccoli contains carotenoids, a natural plant compound that can help stimulate fat burning and thus contribute to weight reduction.
• With a water content of 90%, broccoli is an excellent food for supporting a healthy metabolism and staying hydrated. A healthy metabolism is essential for efficient calorie burning.
• It also has the advantage of having a negligible amount of fat.

Note from The Fitness Freak

Broccoli is a great option for weight loss due to the low calorie and low fat benefits. rich in fiber. Despite the many benefits of broccoli, there are some potential downsides to be aware of. Large amounts of the vegetable can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland, leading to changes in hormone levels and associated symptoms, such as weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, and mood swings. Additionally, it can lead to digestive issues like constipation, gastrointestinal discomfort, and bloating, as well as bowel issues.

Healthy broccoli recipes for weight loss

You can reap the nutritional benefits of broccoli by eating it both cooked and raw. Stems and florets are both edible and can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as boiling, microwaving, sautéing, and steaming.

However, cooking methods can affect the nutritional composition of the vegetable, decreasing vitamin C, soluble protein and sugar levels.

A to study suggests that steaming may be the best cooking method to preserve the most nutritional value. Here are some easy recipes to tickle your taste buds and maintain good health.

Broccoli salad

• Total duration: 10 minutes
• Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• Broccoli: 3 cups
• Chopped onion: 1
• Grated garlic: 3 cloves
• Salt to taste
• Red pepper flakes: 1 teaspoon
• Vinegar or lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
• Olive oil: 3 tablespoons

Method:

• Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces.
• You can also steam the broccoli.
• Drain and reserve.
• In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, oil and vinegar. Mix well.
• Add the cooked broccoli and mix well.
• Serve the salad.

2. Broccoli and vegetable soup for weight loss

• Total duration: 30 minutes
• Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• Broccoli florets: ¼ cup
• Broccoli stalks: ⅛ cup
• Low-fat butter: ⅓ tsp.
• A small cup of chopped onions
• Low-fat, 99.7% fat-free milk: ⅛ cup
• Whole wheat flour: ⅛ teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the stems and keep only the florets.
• In a deep nonstick saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Add the broccoli florets, mix well and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat.
• Add the whole wheat flour, mix well and cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent the flour from burning.
• Add two cups of water.
• Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until tender.
• Once cooled, add the broccoli to a blender and grind until smooth.
• Transfer the combined ingredients to the same deep nonstick saucepan.
• Stir in milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Cook it for 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat.
• Serve the broccoli vegetable soup hot.

3. Basic Cooked Broccoli with Roti

• Total duration: 25 minutes
• Servings: 2

Ingredients

• Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
• Mustard seeds: 2 teaspoons
• Broccoli: 300g
• Red peppers: 2 whole
• curry leaves
• Aesofetida (Hing): A pinch
• Cumin seed: 1 teaspoon
• Freshly grated ginger: 50g
• Chopped garlic: 2 tablespoons
• Tamarind soaked in water: 20g
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in an iron pan, add the cumin, the curry leaves, the mustard, let them crackle and add the hing.
• Add garlic, red chillies and ginger and sauté until light brown,
• Add broccoli, salt, tamarind water and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
• Add water and cook the broccoli until tender.
• Add salt and tamarind to the dish at the final stage, then boil.
• Serve hot.

Other Health Benefits of Broccoli

Here are some benefits that broccoli offers. You can use it by including it in your diet. To start your healthy journey right away, contact one of our coaches at HealthifyMe.

Improves heart health

Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, improve blood circulation and strengthen your heart. According to researcheating broccoli often helps relax your blood vessels, which helps lower your blood pressure.

Improves eyesight

The lutein and zeaxanthin in broccoli help improve eyesight. As a result, you can avoid retinal degeneration caused by aging.

Prevents cancer

Since broccoli is high in antioxidants, it helps prevent cell damage and therefore may prevent cancer. Hence, it helps in stopping the development of cancerous cells.

Decreases inflammation

The antioxidant properties of sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli, help reduce inflammation in the body.

Lowers cholesterol

Broccoli is a rich source of soluble fiber. Thus, it helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. This is because the fiber in broccoli helps in the digestion of bile acids by binding to them. This therefore facilitates the elimination of cholesterol from our body.

Note from The Fitness Freak

Broccoli is high in insoluble fiber and takes longer to digest. The best time to consume broccoli is around breakfast or lunch so your body has time to absorb it. You should eat it often as it is a green vegetable with various nutritional benefits. You can eat broccoli 2-3 times a week to lose weight. You can aim to consume 400 grams of broccoli in a week.

The conclusion

Adding broccoli to your diet is a great way to reach your health goals. This superfood contains essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, fiber and antioxidants that have many health benefits.

Low in calories, broccoli is one of the few vegetables with immense medicinal potential. Although additional photochemical analyzes are still needed to better understand it, it is clear that this nutritious vegetable can help you achieve your health goals. Remember, however, that no food can guarantee good health. A balanced diet is the key to success.

Sources of support

1. Scott O, Galicia-Connolly E, Adams D, Surette S, Vohra S, Yager JY. The safety of cruciferous plants in humans: a systematic review. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:503241. DOI: 10.1155/2012/503241. Published online February 22, 2012. PMID: 22500092; PMCID: PMC3303573.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22500092/

2. Mali PY, Bigoniya P, Panchal SS, Muchhandi IS. Anti-obesity activity of chloroform-methanol extract of Premna Integrafolia in mice fed a cafeteria diet. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013 Jul;5(3):229-36. DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.116825. PMID: 24082700; PMCID: PMC3778593.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24082700/

3. The US Department of Agriculture | Nutritional data

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/747447/nutrients

4. Yuan GF, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang QM. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds in broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009 Aug;10(8):580-8. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B0920051. PMID: 19650196; PMCID: PMC2722699.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722699/

5. Suresh S, Waly MI, Rahman MS, Guizani N, Al-Kindi MAB, Al-Issaei HKA, Al-Maskari SNM, Al-Ruqaishi BRS, Al-Salami A. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) Reduces oxidative damage to pancreatic tissue and combats hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. Previous Nutr Food Sci. 2017 Dec;22(4):277-284. DOI: 10.3746/pnf.2017.22.4.277. Published online December 31, 2017. PMID: 29333379; PMCID: PMC5758090.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29333379/