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The nutritional value of different vegetables and their different parts

geordiefgeordief Posts: 21
in Fruit & veg
My spinach plants have ,as usual bolted and until new beds come on stream I have to either buy from a shop or scavenge  the edible parts that remain

The florets are no problem and are not unpalatable and the stems too can be cooked  but I am wondering is their actually  any nutritional value in them

I think the vitamins are in the leaves.

Is there anything actually  worth eating in the stems?


Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,142
    Yes - there's plenty of good stuff in the stems too.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • geordiefgeordief Posts: 21
    Pete.8 said:
    Yes - there's plenty of good stuff in the stems too.
    Thanks.What about stuff like the inner leaves in ,Dutch cabbage ?They don't get any light ,are they much poorer in nutritional  value than the outer leaves(suppose that would also  apply to the nicest part of celery ,the heart)
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,814
    What do you mean by nutritional value? Calories, fibre, protein, fats, oils, vitamins, trace elements? It seems to be an undefined term which serves no real purpose.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,142

    As tasty as they are, spinach stems are also good for your health. They’re packed with vitamin A, B6, C, Calcium, Iron and Magnesium.
    Chop the stems to any length you prefer. Melt some butter in a pan and add the stems,
    a pinch of salt & pepper and 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan and cook the stems for about 4-5 minutes over medium heat. You can serve them once the water has mostly evaporated, stems are still bright green and tender.

    From-
    https://www.respectfood.com/article/delicious-ways-to-use-up-spinach-stems/#:~:text=As%20tasty%20as%20they%20are,other%20residues%20off%20the%20stems.


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,442
    Some veg are good sources of Fibre. Celery and white cabbage amongst them.  Your "greens" don't have to be green to be beneficial.   I don't eat anything I don't like just because it's good for me. From when I started paying for my own food, if I want to fry an egg and just eat the yolk, that's what I do.   I make a version of moussaka without aubergines .  I hate brussels sprouts and turkey. I don't drink tea, only coffee or Milo or hot chocolate.  So long as you eat a variety of foods  you will be all right.
  • geordiefgeordief Posts: 21
    fidgetbones said:
    Some veg are good sources of Fibre. Celery and white cabbage amongst them.  Your "greens" don't have to be green to be beneficial.   I don't eat anything I don't like just because it's good for me. From when I started paying for my own food, if I want to fry an egg and just eat the yolk, that's what I do.   I make a version of moussaka without aubergines .  I hate brussels sprouts and turkey. I don't drink tea, only coffee or Milo or hot chocolate.  So long as you eat a variety of foods  you will be all right.
    Indeed ,but if I am going to go to the bother  of picking off the tiny bitterish leaves and the ,at times  stringy stems of the  old spinach plants(the alternative  could be to take them out ,compost them and replant the bed) it is good to know that there is something beneficially nutritious in the  fiddly  harvest.

    Sure ,"nutritional  value " was something of a catchall term ,but that was how I intended to use it.

    Plenty of ways  food can be useful.

  • IlikeplantsIlikeplants Posts: 894
    If it’s fiddly and more trouble than it’s worth, pull away and compost it. My pak Choi bolted immediately  probably because it was sown too early and got dehydrated. It happens. New seeds sown.
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