You might know broccoli for its strong taste and smell when cooked. This is because it’s considered a cruciferous vegetable—meaning it has sulfur-containing compounds. Not only does this create a boost for your senses, but it’s also a powerhouse for cancer prevention, lowering cholesterol, eye health, and more!

Broccoli is a Good Source of:

• Fiber—great for liver and digestive health
• Vitamin C—a powerful antioxidant for your immune system
• Vitamin K—aiding bone and brain health
• Potassium—helps body tissues and cell function
• Iron—improves muscle and brain function

Did You Know?

• Compared to most vegetables, broccoli’s protein content is quite high—making up 29% of its weight!
• Broccoli is part of the cabbage family.
• Broccoli wasn’t well known in the United States until the 1920s.
• One cup of broccoli only contains 55 calories!
• If you have a lot of fresh broccoli and can’t get it eaten before it goes bad, blanch it and then freeze it! Blanch broccoli by boiling for 3 minutes or steaming for 5 minutes and then placing it in ice water immediately after. Blanching vegetables before freezing them is one of the best ways to preserve flavor, color, and nutrients.

When to Harvest and How to Store Broccoli

Broccoli is ready to eat when the buds are bright, tight, and compact. A sign the vegetable is going bad is when the buds start to appear yellow or brown, and take on a limp. Store broccoli in the refrigerator wrapped in damp paper towels or with the stem submerged in water. Never store in a sealed container, as it prefers air circulation!

Tips to Get Children to Eat Broccoli

• Let them dip raw broccoli in their favorite condiment, like ranch dressing
• Cut florets into small pieces and add to their favorite pasta sauce
• Use a grater to shred into small piece and add to hamburger patties, meatballs, casserole-like dishes, or soups
• Top roasted or steamed broccoli with melted cheese
• Keep trying! Offer broccoli in different ways multiple times. It takes time for kids to warm up to certain foods. But the more you offer it the better the chance they will find a variation they like.

Ways to Prepare Broccoli

• Raw
• Steam
• Sauté
• Roast

Broccoli is widely hailed by nutritionists and other health experts. High in the antioxidants beta-carotene and Vitamin C, the vegetable has been linked to reduced risk of heart disease and several cancers (notably of the prostate). It is also known to prevent cataracts.

Broccoli is a rich source of folic acid and calcium, and provides a healthy balance of insoluble-to-soluble fiber.

As you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Your local markets carry a wide variety of nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. However, harmful bacteria that may be in the soil or water where produce grows can come in contact with fruits and vegetables and contaminate them. Fresh produce may also become contaminated after it is harvested, such as during storage or preparation.

Eating contaminated produce can lead to foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” So as you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect you and your family.

Buy Right

You can help keep produce safe by making wise buying decisions.

• Choose produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• When buying pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce — such as half of a watermelon or bagged salad greens — choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat, poultry, and seafood when packing them to take home from the market

Store Properly

Proper storage of fresh produce can affect both quality and safety.

• Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check! If you’re not sure whether an item should be refrigerated to keep its quality, ask your grocer.
• Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or packaged .

Separate for Safety

Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood and preparing produce that will not be cooked.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use

Prepare Safely

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.
• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface

What About Pre-Washed Produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce items are pre-washed and ready-to-eat. If so, it will be stated on the packaging, and you can use the produce without further washing.

If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils. This will help to avoid cross contamination.

About Foodborne Illness

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.

Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache

Take Action

If you think that you or a family member has a foodborne illness, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

• Broccoli is a plant of the cabbage family, Brassicaceae, formerly known as Cruciferae. It is classified as part of the Brassica oleracea Italica Group and is related to cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collard greens and Brussels sprouts.

• Eventually, the vegetable was named brocco in Italian, meaning branch or arm. The word broccolo is the diminutive form of brocco and refers to cabbage sprout, while broccoli is plural and refers to the numerous flower-like shoots that form the head of the plant. In agricultural terms, it is often referred to as a cole crop, meaning that it is grown for the head it produces.

• People worldwide are eating over 940% more broccoli today than 25 years ago.

• Today, the average person in the United States eats 4.5 pounds of broccoli each year.

• Broccoli is one of the most popular garden vegetables to date, mostly because it is very easy to grow.