Broccoli is our favorite green vegetable because it’s totally packed with nutrients, is easy to prepare and has a nice mild flavor. 

Since many other of the healthiest green vegetables have strong bitter flavors (such as kale, chard and spinach), broccoli’s milder flavor gives it a serious advantage.  It makes broccoli TOTALLY versatile in the kitchen!

It’s easy to get bored with broccoli if you just eat it steamed each day, but there are a whole host of ways you can spice it up and make it more flavorful so that you, and even your kids, won’t be able to resist it!

We’re going to give you 10 easy ways to cook broccoli… so easy in fact that they don’t require a real recipe!

Even broccoli haters will find themselves buying fresh broccoli on a regular basis once they try these broccoli recipe secrets!

Any of these healthy broccoli dishes can be made with fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli florets.  While you are welcome to eat the broccoli stem if you like, it’s the green broccoli heads that have the greatest nutritional value.

Before we get to those, let’s look at some of the health benefits of eating this amazing super food.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BROCCOLI

Broccoli has many health benefits that should make it your healthy veggie of choice.

Broccoli contains calcium and magnesium, both of which are great for bone health and regulating blood pressure.  Just one cup of this fresh vegetable also contains the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C.  Vitamin C is actually an antioxidant, which means it helps fight off free radicals that can lead to cancer.

As we all know, vitamin C is also a potent antihistamine and helps us avoid and fight off colds. But broccoli keeps you flu-free in other ways too!  It’s high in beta carotene, and contains trace minerals like zinc and selenium, all of which work together to strengthen the immune system.

Broccoli’s also great for eye health, thanks to the vitamin A and the carotenoid lutein.  The carotenoid lutein also supports heart health, along with vitamins B6 and folate which reduce risk factors for heart disease.

How many nutrients did we just talk about?  A LOT.  And there’s more I didn’t mention.  Broccoli definitely deserves its place on your plate every day!

Weight Loss Benefits of Broccoli

Can broccoli help you lose weight?  It totally can!

First, because broccoli is high in fiber, it will help increase satiety (fullness) at meals, aid digestion and decrease blood sugar levels.  It’s also super low in calories, so you really get a lot of bang for your nutritional buck!

The high levels of potassium found in broccoli promote muscle growth, so eating this green veggie regularly will support all your hard work at the gym!

Finally, the vitamin K in broccoli works with its calcium to promote bone health – super important to prevent fractures.

With all the potential health and weight loss benefits, why wouldn’t you eat this nutritious green vegetable every day?

Afraid you’ll get sick of it?

We’ll help make sure that doesn’t happen with the awesome broccoli recipe tips that follow!

10 Ways to Make Broccoli Taste AWESOME

Ok, now that we know why broccoli is so healthy for us, let’s focus on the fun part – making it taste amazing! 

Here are some quick easy ways to boost broccoli’s flavor and make you look forward to eating it!

1)      Crispy Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan

This garlic roasted broccoli recipe is sure to turn broccoli into one of your favorite vegetables. Chop the broccoli into florets and one or two cloves garlic. Drizzle with it with one or two tablespoons oil and a little salt and pepper and bake for for 20 – 25 minutes in the oven.  Then top it with lemon juice, pine nuts and parmesan.  The broccoli will come out with a nice tender-crisp texture!

2)      Onions, Garlic and Butter

Garlic and butter help make broccoli taste irresistible. Simply sautee the broccoli in a pan with just a little butter, some onions and grated garlic and voila! Add a drizzle of lemon if desired.

3)      Cheesy Broccoli with Bacon Bits

Want to get a guy to eat broccoli?  This is the easiest way!  Bake the broccoli florets with a topping of cheddar cheese and bacon bits and a couple of garlic cloves. Make it lower calorie by going with light cheddar.  Yum!

4)      Top With Hummus

Just steam the florets of broccoli over boiling water on medium heat until it reaches a desirable texture, and then top it with or dip it in cold hummus.  Not only does this taste great, it makes a great portable snack, too.  The fiber in the broccoli and the protein in the hummus help fill you up!

5)      Broccoli Dip

You can make a great low calorie dip by blending steamed broccoli, low fat yogurt, chives (or green onions), paprika and fresh garlic.  Dip carrots or raw zucchini in it!

6)      Broccoli Almandine

Super easy and tastes gourmet!  Steam the broccoli over boiling water first while sauteeing sliced almonds in a little bit of butter.  Stir in a little lemon juice and a pinch of Kosher salt and then toss it with the broccoli!  This could also work with cashews or macadamias.

7)      Spicy or Zesty Stir Fry

Stir fry it in a little olive oil with bell pepper, salt and crushed red pepper flakes.  It’s that easy!  If you want to make it zesty, add in a little orange or grated lemon zest, a tablespoon or two of orange or lemon juice and some black pepper. This makes an excellent side dish to pair with chicken or steak!

8)      Make It Marinara

Pour some warm marinara sauce over steamed broccoli.  Top with a little parmesan or low fat mozzarella.

9)      Stir Fry In Sesame Oil

Sesame oil gives a distinctive Asian flavor, so this can make broccoli an ideal side with any Chinese or Thai inspired dish.  You can also toss in some green or red bell pepper if you like.

10)      Mediterranean Broccoli Salad

Toss some lightly steamed broccoli with some feta cheese, grape tomatoes, olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Now you see just how easy it can be to prepare a broccoli side dish or salad that is tasty and enjoyable.  If you really get into a broccoli groove, you can find plenty of recipes online for broccoli soup, classic broccoli slaw, and more. Go get you some of that broccoli goodness!

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There’s no counting, measuring or tracking involved!  Check out this helpful tip for how to divide up your plate for best results, and then read on to see how our X-Factor Meal Plan helps you tailor your nutrition to your specific goals!