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The Nutrition of Kohlrabi

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Kohlrabi is one of the few foods that is both nutritious and filling. This makes it one of the better choices for weight loss. It also has an abundance of essential nutrients per calorie which makes it a healthier choice over other foods.

Calorie Information

A cup of raw kohlrabi only contains 36 calories. This is an excellent trade off for the vitamins and minerals it contains. Out of the 36 calories, almost 30 calories or 83% are from carbohydrates, 5.6 calories or 15% are from protein and the rest are from fats.

If you're on a diet that requires a low calorie intake and you want to make sure that every calorie counts, then snack on some raw kohlrabi dipped in your favorite low-fat or non-fat dressing. It is a great source of energy that will keep you sated until the next meal.

High in Carbohydrates

Kohlrabi is a carbohydrate-rich food. It has approximately 8 grams of carbohydrates and, almost 5 grams of this is from dietary fiber. Because of this, it is not only a good source of energy but it is also beneficial for good digestion.

Perhaps the only downside to kohlrabi is that 3 out of its 8 grams of carbohydrates are from sugar. This, however, is negligible since kohlrabi can do more good than bad.

Vitamin Content

If you need an instant immune system boost, then try snacking on a cup of raw Kohlrabi. Of all the vitamins in kohlrabi, vitamin C is the most abundant. In fact, a cup of raw kohlrabi has almost 84 mg of vitamin C, which is more than enough to meet your daily requirement.

It also has a good amount of the B vitamins, such as vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. B vitamins play a role in increasing metabolic rates and maintaining healthy skin and hair.

Mineral Content

Kohlrabi is a powerhouse of minerals too. A cup of raw kohlrabi contains 14% of the Required Daily Allowance (RDA) for potassium. Potassium is best known for its role in protein synthesis and conversion of glucose to muscle energy or glycogen. Not too far behind is copper and manganese both at 0.2 mg, which is 9% of the RDA. One of copper's known roles is facilitating iron absorption. Manganese, on the other hand, has antioxidant qualities.

Other minerals that can be found in kohlrabi in small amounts are magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron and selenium.

Low in Cholesterol and Saturated Fat

The cherry on top, so to speak, when discussing the nutrition of kohlrabi, is that it's low in cholesterol and saturated fat. High cholesterol and saturated fat are linked to various heart or cardiovascular diseases.

Kohlrabi is considered one of the healthiest foods. There are only a few foods that can claim to be low in calories, high in nutrients and extremely low in cholesterol and saturated fat. So take advantage of all these health benefits by making kohlrabi a part of your diet.

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