Pack with Vitamins, Minerals and Bioactive Compounds

A cup of raw broccoli has just 25 calories, fewer than 5 grams of carbohydrate, no fat, and only a few grams of plant protein. Nonetheless, broccoli is high in nutrients. One cup cooked provides nearly 250% of the daily target for vitamin K, which helps blood clot and is needed for bone health.

That same serving size also provides 135 percent of the daily goal for immune- and collagen-supporting vitamin C, more than 50 percent of the target for chromium, a mineral that aids in energy metabolism and blood sugar regulation, and more than 40 percent of the target for folate, a vitamin linked to memory and mood.

A cup of cooked broccoli also provides more than 10% of the daily requirement for vitamins A, B6, B2, and E, as well as phosphorus, choline, manganese, copper, and potassium, and at least 5% for magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, and selenium. This powerhouse veg also contains plant-based omega-3 fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALAs, which are linked to anti-inflammation and improved circulation.