Useful properties, composition and calorie content of red cabbage. Contraindications to use and "pitfalls" in cooking. How to cook a vegetable at home? It is interesting! Red cabbage partially neutralizes the effect of alcohol, therefore it is recommended to consume it both before alcoholic drinks and during long festivities, which will allow you to stay in shape and feel less headache and nausea in the morning.
Harm of red cabbage and contraindications to use
The harm of red cabbage can manifest itself only if certain rules for its use are violated, which, when compared with the benefits of the product, are not so many. Below we will consider cases when it is necessary to limit the use of this vegetable and contraindications in which it must be abandoned altogether.
Eat red cabbage with caution in these situations:
- Gout … Red cabbage contains 8% of the daily value of purines, therefore, with such a diagnosis, it must be consumed in limited quantities so as not to provoke a deterioration in the condition.
- Lactation … Eat cabbage with caution and in small portions, look at the baby's allergic reactions. If they appear, then it is better to abandon it for at least six months.
- Stool disorders … If the phenomenon is temporary, then you need to normalize the bowels before including red cabbage in your diet.
Contraindications to red cabbage:
- Exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract … At the time of an exacerbation, red cabbage will have to be abandoned, but with the permission of the attending physician, you can eat small portions during remission.
- Difficulty digesting food … In diseases with such symptoms, cabbage is forbidden to eat: it is a rather heavy food due to its fiber.
- Individual intolerance … It can manifest itself both in the form of allergies and indigestion of this vegetable. In this case, you will have to give it up completely.
Red cabbage recipes
In many cookbooks, you can find what to make with red cabbage, but remember that in the finished dish it can color all the ingredients in a pleasant, but inappropriate purple color. In order to avoid this problem, it is enough to add a little acid: vinegar or lemon juice. Red cabbage can be used to make a side dish, a main course (if stewed according to the classic recipe), and many healthy vegetable salads. Here you can give free rein to your imagination: if you do not know what to add to a summer or winter salad, but clearly something is missing - use this chance to try red cabbage. After that, she will become your constant assistant in the preparation of delicious and healthy dishes.
We have found for you some unusual and nutritious red cabbage recipes that you can make at home:
- Sweet and sour side dish … Peel the red cabbage (1 medium head) from the top leaves, chop into small strips. Peel sweet apples (200 grams), cut into 4 pieces, cut into medium slices. Peel and finely chop a small piece of fresh ginger. Heat a cauldron with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, add ready-made products, fry over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in 150-200 ml of balsamic vinegar, add 1-2 tablespoons of cane sugar, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender (until cabbage is tender). Serve as a side dish with grilled meat.
- Vegetable salad with rice noodles and red cabbage … Put 200 grams of rice noodles in boiling water, let it brew for 3-4 minutes, drain into a colander. Mix 1 tablespoon of cane sugar with 1 tablespoon of tartar sauce and 1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice. Cut red cabbage (250 grams) into thin strips, add 100 grams of Chinese shredded cabbage, 100 grams of carrots in thin strips, 250 grams of bean sprouts, 250 grams of grated cucumber, add basil, pour in the dressing, stir.
- Diet salad … Chop half a fork of red cabbage, 200 grams of cucumber and 200 grams of carrots into thin strips, add finely chopped green onions and parsley. Sesame seeds can be added if desired. Season the salad with sesame oil, serve only fresh.
Interesting facts about red cabbage
No wonder the ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras studied the beneficial properties of cabbage and was engaged in its selection. Perhaps, if not for his labors, red cabbage would have remained food for the poor for a long time. But now we, already knowing its useful properties, can use this gift of nature.
Red cabbage has one unusual property that was attributed to witchcraft in ancient times. The color of the growing cabbage is directly related to the acidity of the soil. So, in alkaline soil, cabbage becomes blue, and in acidic soil, it becomes red. This is due to the oxidation of dyes: carotene, xanthophyll and cyanine. A similar experiment can be carried out in an ordinary kitchen: sprinkle some of the cabbage with soda, and pour the rest with vinegar in another cup. In the first case, the cabbage will turn blue, and in the second - raspberry.
Red cabbage contains 4 times more beta carotene than common cabbage, but is less common. This is despite the fact that the growing conditions are much simpler and more comfortable. Most likely, the hostesses just got used to the fact that you don't always find it on the shelves, and learned to get by with the simplest and less useful cabbage. But in vain.
Red cabbage goes well with meat dishes, improves digestion and does not create such heaviness as after high-calorie potatoes and pasta. And now, when you can buy a healthy purple head of cabbage in any vegetable market, you should try to replace it with the usual, but not always healthy food.
What to cook from red cabbage - watch the video:
