Red Cabbage: A Nutritional Powerhouse for Your Holiday Dinner

Red cabbage isn’t often at the top of people’s shopping lists, and this may be because most of us don’t know what to do with it. This purple vegetable can be used to make some delicious soups and stews or shredded into salads or coleslaw, but it also contains some great nutrients you should know about before you cook with it. Here are five nutritional benefits that red cabbage can provide you with, so you can make healthier holiday meals that everyone will enjoy!

What Is Red Cabbage?

Red cabbage is a winter vegetable often found alongside traditional holiday fare. Thanks to its high concentration of anthocyanins, an antioxidant that's more powerful than vitamin E, red cabbage provides numerous health benefits. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals, which can cause health problems when left unchecked. Red cabbage’s particular antioxidant anthocyanin helps protect against heart disease, certain cancers and brain deterioration by preventing free radicals from damaging cells.

Why Should You Eat It?

Red cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse. It's an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and manganese, as well as a good source of dietary fibre, folate, and vitamin B6. Among its nutrients are antioxidants that help support healthy blood vessels. This powerful vegetable can help your body fight harmful free radicals through its ample supply of beta-carotene and glutathione. In addition to supporting heart health, red cabbage helps lower cholesterol and protects against cancer (including breast cancer) by detoxifying carcinogens within our bodies. Red cabbage is also loaded with indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which has been shown to prevent certain types of tumours.

How to Choose the Best One

No matter what type of cabbage you choose to make your side dish, it’s important to consider its nutritional value. The best source of vitamin C—required for healthy bones and teeth and a healthy immune system—is red cabbage. It provides nearly double the amount found in green cabbage. But not only does red cabbage provide about 15 per cent of our daily vitamin C needs in one cup (compared to 10 per cent), but it is also high in potassium, dietary fibre and manganese—which helps regulate blood sugar levels.

How to Store and Prepare it

Red cabbage will last a few weeks in your fridge, even longer if you store it properly. To avoid that nasty cabbage smell that can permeate throughout your refrigerator, place it in a plastic bag and loosely close it; refrigerate at 40 degrees or below. When you are ready to prepare it, cut off about 1 inch from the base of its core and remove any wilted leaves. You can sauté red cabbage with onions and apples or add some to a sandwich to perk up your meal. By adding red cabbage to your diet, you’ll be getting more vitamin K than you do from spinach! Now that's something worth adding to your plate—even on Thanksgiving!

6 Red Cabbage Recipes

In our recipes, you'll find quick and easy ways to incorporate red cabbage into your diet. Whether you're looking for healthy side dishes or want to use red cabbage in your main course, we've got you covered. Here are six of our favourite recipes that feature red cabbage as a key ingredient. If you're interested in trying one of these delicious recipes at home, use them as inspiration to create your variations! You can also try adding different spices to each recipe, like ginger or garlic powder. You might be surprised by how versatile it is—and how much better it tastes than cooked kale! You could even substitute it for another vegetable if you don't have any on hand (like with potatoes). Try experimenting with other leafy greens in place of red cabbage if you're looking for new flavours and textures. However, note that cooking times may vary depending on what vegetables you choose.

1 Red Cabbage Soup 2 Red Cabbage Salad 3 Red Cabbage Stir Fry 4 Red Cabbage Coleslaw 5 Red Cabbage Fritters 6 Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage