In Season: Brussels Sprouts

Last week I discussed one of my two favorite fall foods, sweet potatoes. This week I'm back to talk about the other food I get excited for every autumn: brussels sprouts. 

Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable. This family of plants also includes broccoli, kale, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, kohlrabi, collards, mustard greens, radish, rutabaga, watercress and turnip. Existing research has shown a link between cruciferous vegetables and protection against cancer, just one of the reasons brussels sprouts are so great.


1/2 cup of boiled & drained brussels sprouts, prepared without salt, provides a significant source of disease-fighting phytochemicals: vitamin A (12% daily value), vitamin C (81% daily value), and folic acid (12% daily value). This serving of brussels sprouts also provides 137% of your daily needs for vitamin K (needed for blood clotting), 8% of your daily fiber needs and some heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids...all for just 28 calories.

Brussels sprouts are generally available year round but peak season comes along with the return of the cool fall weather and lasts from about September through February. Choose brussels sprouts that are small, bright-green, compact and free of bruises or blemishes. Try to find brussels sprouts that are similar in size so they will cook evenly.

While brussels sprouts have a reputation for being the vegetable equally despised by both kids and adults, when prepared properly they are tender and sweet and may even give off a bit of a buttery or nutty flavor. The key to avoiding mushy or bitter brussels sprouts is to not overcook them. 

Try 'em...you just might find you really like them! Below are some recipes to get you started. Just tonight I enjoyed brussels sprouts tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, olive oil, salt & pepper and roasted in a 400 F degree oven for 20-25 minutes.


To read more about the power of cruciferous vegetables, check out this article from WebMD: 

The Super-Veggies: Cruciferous Vegetables - from WebMD by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

Brussels sprouts recipes:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Whole Living

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad - Martha Stewart

Nutty Brussels Sprouts - Emeril Lagasse via Martha Stewart


Image is taken from WholeLiving.com

Last week I discussed one of my two favorite fall foods, sweet potatoes. This week I'm back to talk about the other food I get excited for every autumn: brussels sprouts. 

Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable. This family of plants also includes broccoli, kale, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, kohlrabi, collards, mustard greens, radish, rutabaga, watercress and turnip. Existing research has shown a link between cruciferous vegetables and protection against cancer, just one of the reasons brussels sprouts are so great.


1/2 cup of boiled & drained brussels sprouts, prepared without salt, provides a significant source of disease-fighting phytochemicals: vitamin A (12% daily value), vitamin C (81% daily value), and folic acid (12% daily value). This serving of brussels sprouts also provides 137% of your daily needs for vitamin K (needed for blood clotting), 8% of your daily fiber needs and some heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids...all for just 28 calories.

Brussels sprouts are generally available year round but peak season comes along with the return of the cool fall weather and lasts from about September through February. Choose brussels sprouts that are small, bright-green, compact and free of bruises or blemishes. Try to find brussels sprouts that are similar in size so they will cook evenly.

While brussels sprouts have a reputation for being the vegetable equally despised by both kids and adults, when prepared properly they are tender and sweet and may even give off a bit of a buttery or nutty flavor. The key to avoiding mushy or bitter brussels sprouts is to not overcook them. 

Try 'em...you just might find you really like them! Below are some recipes to get you started. Just tonight I enjoyed brussels sprouts tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, olive oil, salt & pepper and roasted in a 400 F degree oven for 20-25 minutes.


To read more about the power of cruciferous vegetables, check out this article from WebMD: 

The Super-Veggies: Cruciferous Vegetables - from WebMD by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

Brussels sprouts recipes:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Whole Living

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad - Martha Stewart

Nutty Brussels Sprouts - Emeril Lagasse via Martha Stewart


Image is taken from WholeLiving.com