Broccoli · cooked

Broccoli is a very low-calorie green vegetable (35 kcal/100 g cooked) yet rich in fibre (3 g), vitamin C and micronutrients. It adds volume and satiety for almost no calories — the ideal ally to eat your fill in a deficit.

It also contains some plant protein (2.8 g), minor, but every gram counts in a well-managed diet.

Steamed, pan-fried or roasted, it perfectly accompanies a protein source and a starch. Short cooking (steamed, crunchy) preserves its vitamins better than long boiling. A drizzle of olive oil and garlic easily lift its taste.

Beyond macros, green vegetables like broccoli bring fibre, vitamins and minerals that support health and digestion — often the weak link in 'protein + starch' diets. Adding some to every meal is a good habit.

Broccoli perfectly illustrates 'volume eating': filling half the plate with a very low-calorie vegetable doubles the meal's volume for almost no calories. As a result, you eat your fill, your stomach is full, and the deficit is far easier to hold.

It is an underrated psychological lever when cutting: rather than shrinking portions to the point of hunger, add vegetables to keep plates hearty and filling.

Beyond its 35 kcal, broccoli is a small goldmine of micronutrients: vitamin C, vitamin K, folate (vitamin B9), potassium and a little iron and calcium. A 150 g serving alone covers a good part of daily needs for vitamin C and vitamin K, which is valuable for blood clotting and bone health.

Like all cruciferous vegetables, it also contains sulphur compounds, including sulforaphane, studied for their antioxidant properties. Do not treat them as a miracle cure, but as a bonus on top of everything else in a varied diet.

Steaming for 4 to 6 minutes gives a bright green broccoli, tender yet still crunchy. Once it turns dull and soft, it has lost part of its vitamin C, which is heat-sensitive and leaches into the cooking water. If you boil it, use little water and be quick.

In the oven at 200 °C (390 °F) for 15 to 20 minutes with a drizzle of oil, the florets caramelise slightly and become very tasty. In a pan or wok, pre-cook it for one minute in steam before searing: it will stay crunchy, cook evenly and absorb less fat.

Pick a broccoli with a tight head, an even dark green colour and a firm stem. Yellowing florets or a strong sulphurous smell signal an old vegetable. Frozen broccoli is an excellent option: frozen soon after harvest, it keeps most of its nutrients and cooks in a few minutes.

In the fridge, keep it unwashed in the crisper drawer, in a perforated bag: it lasts 4 to 5 days. Wash it just before cooking, soaking it in cold water to dislodge dirt between the florets. Remember to use the stem: peeled and cut into sticks, it is tender and sweet.

Rich in fibre and fermentable sugars, broccoli can cause bloating in some people, especially raw or when you eat a lot at once after rarely having it. The fix is simple: increase amounts gradually, cook it well and chew slowly.

Drinking enough water helps fibre do its job. If you have a sensitive gut, start with the florets rather than the stems and favour steaming, which is gentler to digest than raw vegetables.

A serving of 150 to 250 g cooked per meal amounts to only 50 to 90 kcal: you can eat it generously, whether cutting or bulking. The idea is to include it at one or two meals a day, alternating with other vegetables to vary the micronutrients.

You will find it in the Chicken, basmati rice and broccoli bowl, the Steamed cod with lemony broccoli, the Tofu, brown rice and broccoli bowl, the Turkey and broccoli stir-fry or the Shrimp and broccoli stir-fry. Lemon, garlic, ginger or a little parmesan completely change the taste.