Broccoli Is Not A Health Food In My House

Broccoli is said to be one of those super foods that are very healthy and good food you. It is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, iron, and potassium which are four very good reasons to eat it often. And we do like broccoli at my house. Some of our favorite foods contain broccoli: broccoli covered with cheese sauce, cream of broccoli soup, broccoli and cheese dip, broccoli cheese soup, and deep fried broccoli cheddar bites. Yes, at my house we only like broccoli if it's swimming in cheese or cream, or has been battered and deep fried. Even when I steam broccoli in an effort to eat it more healthfully my entire family puts butter on it to make it taste better.

While I think it's good that we are eating broccoli, I think the high fat foods we are eating with are so bad for us that we are better off skipping the broccoli and batter, cream, and cheese sauce that goes with it.

I have even tried cutting raw broccoli in small pieces and hiding it in a tossed salad. Those small pieces of broccoli stuck out like neon signs and my family picked out every last piece before eating their salad. I at least tried one bite before picking the broccoli out my salad.

What can a person do when they know there are food that are really healthy and good for them, but cannot seem to find a way to enjoy them in healthy way or at least a semi-healthy way?

After years of struggling to find a way to way to consume broccoli in a way that's at least semi healthy I found two ways that my family loves it and that no longer leaves it swimming in a complete sea of fat.

The first way; we have it in a stir fry! The strong yet delicious flavor of stir fry sauce cut the strong taste of broccoli and makes it rather tasty. I've found that beef or chicken with broccoli is pretty good; but my favorite is chicken with broccoli, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts.

The second way is a broccoli and cauliflower salad that does contain some salad dressing but it's not an overwhelming amount. To make it you'll need: 1 large bunch broccoli with the florets cut into bite sized pieces; one large head of cauliflower with the florets cut into bite sized pieces; 1/3 cup chopped red onion; 1 cup Miracle Whip light; 1/3 cup sugar or sugar substitute; 2 tablespoons vinegar; 2 hard boiled eggs. Optional: 4 strips bacon cooked and crumbled and 1/3 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese.

In a large bowl combine the broccoli, cauliflower and onion (add bacon and cheese at this time if using). Set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together the Miracle Whip light, sugar or sugar substitute, and vinegar. Pour over vegetable mixture and chill. Slice the hard boiled eggs and garnish the salad with them before serving.

Even though I listed the cheese as optional I do admit that I usually put it in the salad. I haven't totally avoided having cheese with my broccoli but it's a much healthier cheese than the processed cheese sauce I used to have my broccoli go swimming in.

If you aren't a fan of broccoli yet but want to try and eat more of it because it is so healthy and good for you, try it in the salad recipe above or in a stir fry. While it may not become one of your favorite foods, it may become a food you enjoy having.