Brussels sprouts look like baby cabbages not because they are baby cabbages, but because they’re part of the same family. With cabbages, we eat the head that grows out of the ground. Brussels sprouts, on the other hand, are buds that grow along the length of a thick, fibrous stalk.
While early versions of the vegetable are said to date back to ancient Rome, modern-day Brussels sprouts were embraced and widely cultivated in Belgium as early as the 16th century.
Originally, Brussels sprouts are said to be bred from wild cabbages found in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Chinese medicine, they are prescribed to improve digestive health.
So many people hate Brussels sprouts because of the memory of stinky smells emanating from mom’s kitchen way back when. The smell is associated with glucosinolate sinigrin, an organic compound that contains sulfur: hence the odor. It also happens to be responsible for the cancer-fighting characteristics of Brussels sprouts.
Brussels sprouts can have undesirable side effects for anyone on anticoagulant medication. A man in Scotland was hospitalized last year for eating too many of the cruciferous vegetables, which are high in blood clot-promoting vitamin K, after they counteracted the effects of his medication
Dozens of varieties of Brussels sprouts exist today. They come in all sizes, from marble-sized button buds to golf ball-sized ones. Popular breeds include Bubbles, Prince Marvel and Oliver.
Health benefits
– Brussels sprouts can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will use a steaming method when cooking them. Raw Brussels sprouts still have cholesterol-lowering ability — just not as much as steamed Brussels sprouts.
– Brussels sprouts may have unique health benefits in the area of DNA protection.
– For total glucosinolate content, Brussels sprouts are now known to top the list of commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables. Glucosinolates are important phytonutrients for our health because they are the chemical starting points for a variety of cancer-protective substances. All cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates and have great health benefits for this reason.
– The cancer protection we get from Brussels sprouts is largely related to four specific glucosinolates found in this cruciferous vegetable: glucoraphanin, glucobrassicin, sinigrin, and gluconasturtiian.
– Brussels sprouts have been used to determine the potential impact of cruciferous vegetables on thyroid function.
– Brussels sprouts are an important dietary source of many vitamin antioxidants, including vitamins C and A (in the form of beta-carotene). The antioxidant mineral manganese is also provided by Brussels sprouts. Flavonoid antioxidants like isorhamnetin, quercitin, and kaempferol are also found in Brussels sprouts, as are the antioxidants caffeic acid and ferulic acid.
– Brussels sprouts can help us avoid chronic, excessive inflammation through a variety of nutrient benefits.
– The fiber content of Brussels sprouts — 4 grams in every cup — makes this cruciferous vegetable a natural choice for digestive system support.
Good quality Brussels sprouts are firm, compact, and vivid green. Brussels sprouts are available year round, but their peak growing period is from autumn until early spring.
Keep unwashed and untrimmed Brussels sprouts in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Stored in a plastic bag, they can be kept for 10 days.
Before washing Brussels sprouts, remove stems and any yellow or discolored leaves. Wash them well under running water to remove any insects that may reside in the inner leaves.
Brussles sprouts cook quickly and taste the best when they are cut into small pieces. We recommend either cutting them into quarters or chopping them into smaller pieces and then letting them sit for 5 minutes before cooking to enhance their nutritional benefits.
Cooking Without Limits 
Very interesting, it is always good to know where your food comes from and its health benefits. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you
Very informative article ..Thank you
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You learn every day hey. lol still not gonna eat them though
That looks AMAZING! I finally became a lover of brussels sprouts and make a great recipe with pine nuts!
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I don’t know why brussel sprouts get such a bad rap, I LOVE them! Roasted in the oven they almost taste sweet and caramelized. Best side dish ever. Thanks for the informative post 🙂
You are welcome.
Delicious! Look forward to receiving and sharing more posts from you!
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LOVE the photos – simply beautiful! Also, very informative post, brussel sprouts are great! I love them, but only crispy cooked. I am not able to get them crispy though, I usually eat them at a restaurant – do you have a good recipe for baked brussel sprouts?
Thank you. I will put here a really good recipe and simple recipe. Just keep looking. I promise you will love it.
The Brussels sprouts look great on this post and surely they have great health benefits. I have to sheepishly admit that I still can’t eat them 🙂
I LOVE Brussels sprouts. I have been experimenting with roasting them with apples, and even pears to mix things up!
Interesting idea. I will give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
with apples?? I’m intrigued! Sounds delicious.
Beautiful photos!!! My little one LOVES brussel sprouts and to know that they’re THIS healthy is great!
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LOVE brussels sprouts!!! It’s funny that you mentioned that they look like little cabbages. When I would young I would always ask my mom for the baby cabbages haha
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Thanks for “liking” my Australia Day post – and my butterscotch pudding! Honestly, it wasn’t a very good pic at all 😉 Anyway, I saw some of your pics in your Portfolio on your website and I adore your food photography lighting! 🙂
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I love your style and your recipes look lovely! I can’t wait to try some and hopefully link back! Thank you for checking out my site and liking my intro to our adventures in gluten/casein-free cooking. I so miss the decadence of dairy, but your photos are filling the void nicely – at least one of my senses can enjoy it! 😉 Thank you for your beautiful work!
Thank you very much. I hope with my future photos one of your senses will keep enjoy it.
Love me some Brussels sprouts! I add them in a fried mixture of veggies. Thanks for the great info!
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Great information here. One more reason to love Brussels sprouts. Sometimes they are available for purchase on a stalk, like the one that you mentioned. I really enjoy them roasted, simply with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
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wow! i’ve always loved my brussel sprouts but didn’t know about a lot of things you posted. thanks for dedicated a whole post to these bad boys!
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Kids they don’t really like them, i found that one out. What you should do is, take some beef put that with some salt and peper in a pan and bake it. Then you take a baking dish and you poor in the beef, on toip of that you put some sliced or grated cheese and then you take the sprouds, if possible slice them in half and bake them for 5 minutes on a high fire. Poor them over the beef and than make a cheese, potato puree and poor that over the sprouds. Kids will love it.
Nice writing:)!
Thank you for your recipe.
you’re welcome
Oh man do I love me some sprouts. The pizza joint I worked in turned me onto them and now the GF and I make them at least once a week.
I love brussels sprouts. Thanks for all the interesting detail. Thanks also for visiting and liking my blog.
How interesting – I didn’t know that Brussels sprouts had such high nutritional value!
Thank you for this useful information about Brussels sprouts that I may overlook. I think about cooking them more often.