They say it’s the healthiest vegetable in the world, but Poles don’t eat it. You can buy it for pennies

Its phenomenon is that it provides a lot of vitamins and minerals in a small portion. Studies comparing different leafy greens regularly rank watercress among the top in terms of expressed in calories.

Although watercress has little energy, it fills you up and satisfies your appetite. This is because it provides many microelements that are often missing in the daily diet. It is successfully suitable for both cold and hot dishes.

Watercress looks modest, but has a rich, precious composition. It contains vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as folatey. Additionally, there are minerals: calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. It’s no wonder that it is recommended for people who care about their immunity, skin condition and proper functioning of the circulatory system.

• Vitamin C supports immunity and helps absorb iron from other foods.
• Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting processes and bone health.
• Sulfur compounds, characteristic of cruciferous vegetables, are the subject of research to support the body’s natural protective mechanisms.

In one widely cited study by American scientists, several dozen vegetables and fruits were compared nutrient content versus caloric value. , ahead of, among others, spinach and kale.

There are several reasons and most of them have nothing to do with taste or price. It’s more about the lack of culinary traditions – lettuce, cabbage, chives, dill and parsley are more popular in our country. it is also rarely found in stores, although in supermarkets it appears more and more often next to sprouts, spinach and arugula. At last we do not fully know its potential, and we limit its use only to… plate decoration. Although this probably has a chance to change now, if we know that watercress tastes slightly peppery and is a great replacement for more expensive, fashionable greens. It is also low-calorie and very healthy.

It’s best to start with simple forms. Cress does not require complicated processing and goes well with many familiar flavors.

Try it as:

• addition to sandwiches instead of lettuce,
• base with olive oil, lemon and egg,
• ingredient of green smoothie with apple and cucumber,
• stewed briefly as an addition to fish or pasta.

When you decide to heat treat, it is important not to cook it for too long – high temperature reduces the vitamin content.