Asian Online Recipes (Food Articles)
Asian Online Recipes - Articles

Eggplant - A high fiber food

About eggplant as a high fiber food

Eggplant is a high-fiber food with only minimum amounts of vitamins and minerals. One-half cup steamed eggplant has 2.5 g of dietary fiber and 0.5 mg vitamin C (0.8 percent of the RDA).


In 1992, food scientists at the Autonomous University of Madrid studying the chemistry of the eggplant discovered that the vegetable's sugar content rises through the end of the sixth week of growth and then falls dramatically over the next 10 days. The same thing happens with other flavor chemicals in the vegetable and with vitamin C, so the researchers concluded that eggplants taste best and are most nutritious after 42 days of growth.

 

Eggplants are members of the nightshade family, Solanacea. Other members of this family are potatoes, tomatoes, and red and green peppers. These plants produce natural neurotoxins (nerve poisons) called glycoalkaloids. It is estimated that an adult would have to eat 4.5 pounds of eggplant at one sitting to get a toxic amount of solanine, the glycoalkaloid in eggplant.

 

The eggplant's two culinary virtues are its meaty texture and its ability to assume the flavor of sauces in which it is cooked. As a result, it is often used as a vegetarian, no-cholesterol substitute for veal or chicken in Italian cuisine, specifically dishes ala parmigiana and spaghetti sauces. However, in cooking, the eggplant absorbs very large amounts of oil. To keep eggplant parmigiana low in fat, use non-fat cheese and ration the olive oil.

More Articles

Copyright © 2003-2024 Asian Online Recipes. All rights Reserved.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy