Bok choy is a vegetable found in most supermarkets that many of us pass by. It’s just not something we pick up. It’s there, next to the other leafy greens, but unless we’re making an Asian recipe that calls for it, we usually ignore it. That’s a mistake: this nutrient-rich veggie can be a healthy way to add variety into your diet in new, interesting ways!
Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage that looks nothing like a cabbage! It’s a good source of protein and fiber with no fat and only nine calories in a serving! A cup has one gram of protein, 1.5 grams of carbs and one gram of fiber. It also has 35 percent of your vitamin C, 27 percent of your vitamin K, 17 percent of your vitamin A, 12 of your folate, as well as calcium, manganese, potassium and more. It’s a powerhouse of a food. Bok choy is rich in healthy antioxidants. Cruciferous vegetables, like bok choy, have been linked to a lower risk of cancer. A study found that people who ate bok choy at least once a week were significantly less likely to have breast, colorectal, esophageal, kidney or oral cancers. Bok choy may also aid thyroid function, bone health, heart health and more.
Bok choy contains choline which can aid memory and learning, muscle health, sleep and reduce inflammation. Selenium in the veggie can boost the immune system and help the production of T-cells. With its high vitamin K levels, you should be careful about adding it to your diet if you are on blood thinners and talk to your doctor before doing so.
Its ratio of carbs to fiber makes bok choy great for people with blood sugar concerns. Some studies have found that cruciferous veggies help regulate blood sugar. But, that evidence has been weak. While bok choy might not be helping your blood sugar outright, it also won’t upset it, and that’s always great. Any way to help you get more nutrients while also maintaining normal blood sugar is excellent!
As bok choy isn’t something we usually eat, it can be a little overwhelming to add it to your diet. It can be excellent when it’s shredded and added raw into a salad for some extra crunch. It can be added to soups to wilt — like in Zuppa Toscana. It’s also great in stir-fried dishes, roasted and sautéed! Or, you can use it as lettuce for wraps!
While bok choy isn’t a staple vegetable for most of us, it should be! It’s so nutritious while being very low in calories. You should try it and see what you think. If you like it, you’ll have added a great veggie to your diet!
