For me, cauliflower is synonymous with my mother’s rich, decadent gobi aloo or gobi manchurian. But the fact is that when done properly, cauliflower is one of the healthiest and most versatile vegetables. But, if you deep fry and cook anything with oodles of butter, it will become very fattening. Cauliflower actually contains a high amount of Vitamin c, fiber, folic acid and a component called indole, all of which together make it a potent cancer fighting agent.
Take a look at the nutritional chart for cauliflower:
Serving Size1/2 cupCalories15Fat<1 gSaturated Fat0gCholesterol:0mgCarbohydrate:3gProtein:1gDietary Fiber:2gSodium:9mgVitamin C:88mgFolic Acid:27mgPotassium:28mgSince half a cup cauliflower contains only 15 calories, it can be considered as a nutrient-rich food. This means that you can eat large amounts of it, without worrying about going overboard. Since it contains only 6gm of carbs per cup, it can be considered a low carb alternative to the traditional carbohydrates like rice or potato. It is a staple item in the currently popular Paleolithic/primal diet. With a little bit of creativity, it can be used in the place of many common carbs.
Here are some quick ideas on how to incorporate cauliflower into the mix of some popular comfort food items and help in losing weight without letting go of taste!
A quick fix to make the family favorite mashed potato into a healthy dish is by replacing half the potato with the same amount of cauliflower. Just boil the cut cauliflower with the potato and mash it. You can even replace the whole dish with cauliflower instead of potato and add a little bit of spread cheese to make it creamier. The added benefit is that one can enjoy a larger serving, since it is much lower in carbohydrates.
For Indians, rice is unavoidable, but using cauliflower in place of rice actually tastes better than the real deal. All you have to do is use a shredder to shred the cauliflower into a rice like consistency. Then toss the cauliflower in a pan with a little bit of oil or cooking spray, till it gets a rice-like texture. The rest of the dish can be prepared as usual. Add the cauliflower at last, give it a good toss and it is all set to be served. The cauliflower rice can even be prepared separately and be paired with various forms of curries as a low-calorie and low-carbohydrate main dish.
Give the pizza a makeover by using a crust made up of a combination of cauliflower with some herbs and cheese. The way to do this is by processing the cauliflower in a food processor, placing the crumbs in the oven to absorb the moisture. The dry crumbs are further mixed with some cheese and herbs of choice. The mix is then pressed firmly onto a well-greased pizza pan and baked till the edges start browning up. This prepared crust can be topped with vegetables, sauces and meats of choice and baked again for 10 minutes.
Since cauliflower is rather bland in itself, when it is added to other flavors, it quickly absorbs the flavor and add bulk to the food. Therefore, when cauliflower is added to soups and purees, it gives it a creamy feel without the addition of usual thickening agents like corn starch, potato, or cheese, which actually pile on the pounds!
As most preferred snacks are high in carbohydrates, prepare the cauliflower snacks to avoid carbs. Many varieties of cauliflower snacks can be prepared by using a little imagination and creativity. The options include cheesy cauliflower poppers, buffalo cauliflower bites, cauliflower tater tots, even cinnamon caramelized cauliflower treats.
But the main problem in our country is that most cauliflowers contain a whole lot of chemicals or they contain worms. The best way to deal with either of these problems is by doing the age old tradition of breaking it up slightly and putting it in a pot of water with some turmeric in it. This will draw out and kill the worms, which may be present. It will also draw away a major portion of the chemical content from the cauliflower.
But with any diet, it is important not to focus on a single food item and try having a well-rounded diet containing all food groups. But go ahead and try these cauliflower recipes for losing weight and let us know how this cauliflower and weight loss relation turns out to you.
Drop us a line and let us know how you prepare your healthy recipes of cauliflower for weight loss.