I LOVE bok choy! It’s even fun to say! Go ahead, say it 4 x’s really fast!
Ok, now…try to imagine China 6000 years ago when bok choy was first grown! Wow! It’s been around all that time and I’ve never cooked with it until I started living the ME-gan Lifestyle! Amazing! I was stuck on boring old everyday greens! Not anymore though, I’ve broadened my horizons! It’s fun and exciting to try new things! How will we ever learn if we don’t? Get out there and learn your veggies!
Bok Choy also goes by the name of pak-choi or Chinese cabbage. It’s often used in Chinese cooking. I use it in my vegetable stir-fry as well as soups and salads! I’ve listed the nutritional value below, and as you see it’s low in fat and calories but well-endowed with nutrients! This is exactly what I want my food to be – it’s perfect! Bok Choy is delicious and adds crunch to the dishes. Dark green leaves are highest in flavor and vitamin content. Avoid stalks with brown spots; this alerts us to poor growing conditions. Yellow leaves and small stalks or bunches are signs that it is old product. There is also baby bok choy which is equally delicious. Don’t throw away the stems! If you are making a stir-fry, cut them separate from the leaves and add them first to the pan, giving them a few extra minutes to tender up! But they can also be eaten raw in a salad! It’s all good – no matter how you cook it!
The nutritional information for one serving of bok choy – which is 1 cup shredded raw bok choy, or 70 grams, is as follows:
Macronutrients:
- Water: 66.72 g
- Calories: 9
- Protein: 1.05 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.53 g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Sugars: 0.83 g
- Total Fat: 0.14 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.018 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.011 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.067 g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Micronutrients:
- Calcium: 74mg
- Iron: 0.56 mg
- Magnesium: 13mg
- Phosphorus: 26mg
- Potassium: 176mg
- Sodium: 46mg
- Zinc: 0.13 mg
- Vitamin C: 31.5 mg
- Thiamin: 0.028 mg
- Riboflavin: 0.049 mg
- Niacin: 0.350 mg
As you can see, bok choy is a significant source of vitamins A and C. 1 serving gives you 60% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A, as well as 1/2 of the recommended daily value of
vitamin C. Bok choy is also rich in folate, and is very low in sodium – 2% of the daily recommended allowance!
Learning about and cooking with new fruits and vegetables will turn you into one awesome chef! You will create new dishes and enhance old recipes – making them succulent masterpieces! Why wait? Try something new today and enjoy food in a different way!
Green love,
Mary
The ME-gan Lifestyle 