July through October is eggplant season! We love this low-carb, high-fiber veggie and want to talk about it. It can be rare to see eggplant outside of eggplant parmesan. Once it’s breaded and baked into a casserole, the vegetable is a lot less healthy than it can be in other recipes. In the summer, including eggplant on vegetable skewers on the grill is a great way to enjoy it!

One hundred grams of eggplant has 25 calories, six grams of carbs and three grams of fiber with a GI of 15! It is rich in vitamin C, folate, manganese and potassium. They are also high in antioxidants, which means they can help lower the risk of some diseases. The fiber aids blood sugar and curbs appetite.

If it’s a food you don’t cook with often, it can be hard to know how to pick or store them. When choosing your eggplant, you want something not too firm and not too soft, a little give when you squeeze them is okay. Larger eggplants can taste bitter. Keep them in a cool spot outside of direct sun on your counter. Glossy skin without wrinkles in a sign the eggplant is fresh.

Outside of cooking it on the grill, you can roast, fry, bake, steam or sauté the vegetable. You should use any form of oil very sparingly as the vegetable will soak it — or any other fluids — up. Because of its hearty flavor, it can be used in the place of meat, like in eggplant parmesan, which is usually a chicken dish.

Many people think they dislike eggplant because it has a weird texture. However, that’s a mistake in how it is cooked. There are simple ways to avoid that, like paying attention to oil and overcooking. Just follow the instructions on the recipe and you’ll be fine!