Okra is often times misunderstood, highly under-appreciated and undervalued, but it can be a tasty nutritious addition to almost any dish from sweet to savory. It's a natural blood builder, has been touted as a great addition to a preventive diabetic diet, helps to normalize cholesterol levels and has a great source of vitamins A, C, iron, calcium, starch, fat, ash, thiamine and riboflavin.
It grows well in the summer months and 4 - 5 plants can conceivably keep an average family in a daily supply of okra for the entire season.
In this article you will learn
- 3 great reasons to add okra to your diet
- Okra's nutritional profile
- A few tasty ways to add okra to your diet
So let's dive in!
Years ago, when I was young and somewhat limited in my taste experiences, I didn't like okra. I thought it was too slimy, didn't have enough flavor and didn't go with many foods. I can now say, ‘I was wrong!' and have since included it in many recipes large and small, savory to sweet. It's also a great 'additive' to heighten the moisture content, in a very healthy way, to get all those nutrients into your system. One day I decided to add it to, and I know this may sound a bit over the top, cake. I blended it up in the blender and put it right into the batter. Results? It was AWESOME! the moisture, flavor and health benefits increased exponentially, and I became an even bigger believer!
I had an adage I've held onto for years reinforced with that experiment… You can pretty much like anything; you just have to have it prepared in a way that works for you.
This brings us to these reasons to add okra to our diets…
3 Reasons
Okra's tasty, versatile and very healthy.
Nutritional Profile
According to Nutrition Data, okra's got the following nutrients and then some: vitamins A, C, B6, K, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Omega 6, Omega 3, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Ash, Protein, Carbohydrates, Sugars, Water and Dietary Fiber [which helps slow the uptake of sugar into the bloodstream], not to mention its anti-inflammatory properties. It’s been coined as a natural aid in the fight against diabetes.
Tasty Ways To Add To Your Diet
Okra can be used in many ways: as an additive, in its whole form and / or as a part of the greater dish, like in Calaloo, gumbo, some types of succotash, etc.
So there it is. I didn't always like okra, but once I found ways of preparing it, its overall benefits, its versatility… I realized that I couldn't be without it. Maybe after reading this, you'll discover new ways to add this highly underused edible pod to your culinary repertoire.
Look at Okra Nutrition Profile for more information.
As always, it’s my pleasure sharing this information with you. Until next time…
