Baby Bok Choy Benefits: Why Should You Add this Veggie to Your Diet?

Baby bok choy is a tasty, fiber-rich veggie that rarely receives praise for its health benefits. There is a reasonable likelihood that upon taking this veggie to the register to check out, your cashier may not initially recognize it or have any familiarity with how to prepare a dish that contains baby bok choy as an ingredient.

With veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, green beans, collards, and spinach reigning high on the top ten list of favorite vegetable side dishes, its no wonder that baby bok choy may have escaped your purview of options.

Don't worry the purpose of this article is to bring you up to speed about the powerful benefits of adding this veggie to your diet.

Baby Bok Choy is a member of the cabbage family. It is a rich source for antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Baby Bok Choy also offers consumers a fair amount of vitamin A (more than 144 percent Daily Value) and vitamin K (more than 70 percent Daily Value) as well as iron. It is identified as being one of the vegetables with the most calcium.

Let's take a closer look a the benefits.

Fiber: Baby Bok Choy contains 2.7 grams of fiber which is important to digestion and prevention of constipation.

Calcium: Calcium is not only good for strengthening bones, but calcium can play a role in the prevention of cancers, heart disease and the lowering of blood pressure.

Vitamin A and Betacarotene: Betacarotene is sometimes referred to as provitamin A. it is converted to Vitamin A. Vitamin A is good for healthy eye sight, skin and bones.

Beta-carotene plays a role in the prevention of coronary artery disease including heart attack and stroke. It also fights against cancer and precancerous conditions. Studies have also shown that betacarotene may reduce risks associated with asthma.

Baby Bok Choy is a healthy addition to any meal or can be served as a main dish with the right ingredients.

Only select grocery stores carry Baby Bok Choy or you may easily overlook this little jewel amongst all of the other greenery. Nonetheless, if you are lucky enough to locate this vegetable in the produce section, there are a few characteristics to consider:

1. Select Baby Bok Choy with white stems.
2. Leaves should be green and crisp.
3. Do not select bok choy that have leaves that are wimpy or limp in appearance. In addition, avoid leaves that are yellow in appearance.
4. Consider the number of people you are planning to feed. Usually, one head of Baby Bok Choy will feed one person.
5. Baby Bok choy should be stored in the refrigerator but not for more than one day.

Here is a simple Stir Fry Bok Choy recipe for beginners.

Baby Bok Choy is best if steamed or stir fried. They taste great as a part of a vegetable stir-fry medley but also mixed in with rice or pasta. The leaves can also be a wonderful addition to soup.

When preparing to cook Baby Bok Choy, cut the stems so that you remove most of the core. Wash carefully so that you remove dirt and grit prior to cooking or; soak Baby Bok Choy in cool water to help remove the dirt or grit.