This is my fourth article in my series of in season Veg. Today it’s all about the so good for you Rocket.
Rocket is a very ‘English’ leaf, and has been used in salads since Elizabethan times. It has a strong, peppery flavour, and the leaves have a slight ‘bite’ to them. If you see ‘rucola’ or ‘arugula’ for sale or on a restaurant menu, it’s the same thing.
Health benefits
As in other greens, Rocket also is one of the very low-calorie vegetables. 100 g of fresh leaves hold just 25 calories. Nonetheless, it has many vital phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals that may immensely benefit health.
- Salad rocket has the ORAC value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity, a measure of antioxidant strength) of about 1904 µmol TE per 100 grams.
- Fresh salad rocket is one of the greens rich in folates. 100 g of fresh greens contain 97 µg of folic acid.
- Likewise, as in kale, salad rocket is an excellent source of vitamin A. 100 g fresh leaves contain 1424 µg of beta-carotene, and 2373 IU of vitamin A. Carotenes convert into vitamin-A in the body.
- This vegetable also an
- excellent source of the B-complex group of vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), and pantothenic acid those are essential for optimum cellular enzymatic and metabolic functions.
- Fresh rocket leaves contain healthy levels of vitamin-C. Vitamin-C is a powerful, natural anti-oxidant. Foods rich in this vitamin help the human body protect from scurvy disease, develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity), and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
- Salad rocket is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 90% of recommended intake. Vitamin K has a potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity.
How do you eat rocket. Wash it well and drizzle with the homemade vinaigrette recipe from my previous in season veg post. Or substitute the watercress for rocket in this simple marinated tofu recipe https://www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk/blog/crispy-tofu-with-nutritionist-fiona-waring_
Thank you for reading. Locally produced #SeasonalVeg is tasty, nutritious, and sustainable. Find out more at www.vegpower.org.uk/seasonalveg @VegPowerUK
