Eggplants'
bitter flavor and spongy texture taste best when grilled or broiled, and they
can be added to sauces or roast vegetable mixtures such as caponata. This
fiber-rich vegetable provides a number of vitamins and minerals along with
disease-fighting antioxidants, making it a healthy addition to any diet.
Nutrients
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a minimum of 2 ½ cups of vegetables
per day for most adults. One cup of diced eggplant counts toward this
recommendation. In this cup, you get 9 g of carbohydrates, the body's primary
source of fuel. It also provides 2 percent of the recommended dietary allowance
of vitamin C and 1 percent of vitamin A, calcium and iron, based on a
2,000-calorie diet. Eggplant contains 4 percent of the RDA for vitamin K, which
helps with blood clotting. It also provides 6 percent of the RDA for manganese,
which acts as an antioxidant to help with wound healing and bone health.
Fiber
Eggplants
provide 2 g of fiber per cup. The Institute of Medicine recommends most adult
women consume 25 g of fiber daily and men 38 g. Fiber helps with digestion and
colon health.
Weight-Control Potential
Eggplant
is low in calories, with just 35 per cup. It contains no fat and its high fiber
content can help you feel full. Using eggplant in lieu of higher-calorie pastas
or rice in casseroles or side dishes can help you eat fewer calories while
still enjoying satisfying portions.
Antioxidants
Along
with manganese, eggplant skin contains the antioxidant nasunin. A study in the
journal "Toxicology" published in August 2000 found that nasunin from
eggplants helped prevent cellular damage in the brains of rats. Eggplants also
are high in a chlorogenic acid, a powerful antioxidant offering antimicrobial
and antiviral activities along with the ability to help lower bad cholesterol
levels.
Considerations
Sauteed
and fried eggplant tend to have a significantly higher number of calories than
grilled, roasted or boiled varieties. Eggplant acts like a sponge and soaks up
the oil. Beware of one of the most popular eggplant dishes, eggplant Parmesan,
in which the vegetable is breaded and often fried and then doused in sauce and
cheese. A serving of eggplant Parmesan at restaurants can contain 850 calories
or more, and 35 g of fat.
References
- Olive Garden: Nutrition
- Pubmed.gov: Antioxidant Activity of Nasunin, an Anthocyanin in Eggplant Peels.
- Linus Pauling Institute: Manganese
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Scientists Get Under the Skin of Eggplants
- USDA: Nutrient Database
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