Bok choy nutrition facts
Bok choy or leafy Chinese cabbage is one of the
popular mainland crop in China, Philippines, Vietnam and other oriental
regions; nonetheless this humble brassica family vegetable has gained
popularity even in the western world for its sweet, succulent
nutritious stalks. It is also named as pe-tsai, pak choi, petsay, white
celery mustard, Chinese white cabbage…etc. Scientific
name: Brassica
campestris L. (Chinensis group).
|
| Bok choy. Note for small, upright,
cylindrical shaped stems with dark green leaves.
|
In structure, bok choy resembles collards and could
be described as a non-heading cabbage (Acephala group). It is basically
a small plant which grows upright from the ground with smooth white
romaine lettuce like stalks which spread in the end to fine, glossy
green oval or round leaves. Fully grown up plant may reach about 12-18
inches in length.
Brassica
campestris group can be further
categorized according to the color of the petiole in its leaves. White
petiole varieties include joi choi, pak-choy white, prize
choi, lei
choi, taisai, canton pak choi…etc. Green petiole types
are
chinese pak
choi green, mei qing choi…etc.
Health
benefits of bok choy
-
Bok choy is one of the popular
leafy-vegetables very low in
calories. Nonetheless, it is very rich source of many vital
phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals and health-benefiting anti-oxidants.
-
100 g of bok choy provides just 13 calories.
It is
one of the recommended vegetable in the zero calorie or negative
calorie category of foods which when eaten would add no
extra weight to
the body but in-turn facilitate calorie burns and reduction of
weight.
-
Like other brasisca family vegetables, bok
choy contains certain anti oxidant plant chemicals like thiocyanates,
indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and
isothiocyanates. Along with dietary fiber, vitamins these compounds
help to protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers and help
reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels in the blood.
-
Fresh pak choi is an excellent source of
water-soluble antioxidant, vitamin-C
(ascorbic acid). 100 g provides 45 mg or 75 % of daily requirements of
vitamin C. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body
develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful,
pro-inflammatory free radicals.
-
It has more vitamin A, carotenes, and other
flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants than cabbage,
cauliflower...etc.
Just 100 g of fresh bok choy provides 4468 IU or 149% of daily-required
levels vitamin A.
-
Pak choi is very good
source of vitamin K, provides
about 38% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has potential role in bone
metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in bone cells. Therefore,
enough
vitamin K in the diet makes your bone stronger, healthier and delay
osteoporosis. Further, vitamin-K
also has established role in curing Alzheimer's disease patients by
limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
-
Fresh bok choy has many vital B-complex
vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin, pantothenic acid
(vitamin B5), pyridoxine,
and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential
in the sense that our body requires them from external sources to
replenish.
-
It also contains good
amount
of minerals like calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron and
magnesium. Potassium is
an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling
heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a
co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
Iron is required for the red blood cell formation.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Bok choy (Brassica campestris (Chinensis group)),
Nutrition Value
per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient Value |
Percentage of
RDA |
| Energy |
13 kcal |
<1% |
| Carbohydrates |
2.18 g |
1.5% |
| Protein |
1.5 g |
3% |
| Total Fat |
0.20 g |
1% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary Fiber |
1 mg |
2.5% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
66 mcg |
16% |
| Niacin |
0.500 mg |
3% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
0.088 mg |
1.5% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.194 mg |
15% |
| Riboflavin |
0.070 mg |
5% |
| Thiamin |
0.040 mg |
3.5% |
| Vitamin A |
4468 IU |
149% |
| Vitamin C |
45 mg |
75% |
| Vitamin K |
45.5 mcg |
38% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
65 mg |
4% |
| Potassium |
252 mg |
5% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
105 mg |
10.5% |
| Iron |
0.80 mg |
10% |
| Magnesium |
19 mg |
5% |
| Manganese |
0.159 mg |
7% |
| Phosphorus |
37 mg |
5% |
| Zinc |
0.19 mg |
1.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-α |
1 mcg |
-- |
| Carotene-ß |
2681 mcg |
-- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
40 mcg |
-- |
Selection and
storage
Although bok
choy is available year-round, it is best during winter season. In the
markets, buy fresh harvest featuring firm stalks and dark green crispy
flavorful leaves. Avoid slump plant with leaves wilted and
lost their luster.
Once at home
store whole pak choi in the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator
set at high relative humidity. If stored appropriately, it stays fresh
for up to 3-4 days without the loss of much of nutrients. However, pak
choi is more nutritious, sweeter, and flavorful when used fresh.
Preparation and serving methods
Trim of the base and remove outer discolored
leaves. Wash the whole vegetable in cold water. Gently pat dry or place
it upside down until all the water drained out.
To prepare, separate the
stalks from the base using sparing knife and slice the leaves from the
stalks. Thus once you separate leaves and stalks, you may want to add
them in to a variety of recipes either combined or
individually.
Here are some of the preparation tips:
|
Bok choy stir-fry with ginger, garlic, soy
sauce and a bit of chili paste.
Photo courtesy: Scott
|
-
Crispy, sweet bok choy stalks can
be eaten raw, added to salads, sandwiches, and burgers.
-
Its stalks can be used with cabbage in
coleslaw.
-
Baby bok choy can be a very attractive
addition
to salads and stir-fries.
-
In China and other East Asian regions, it is
used much like cabbage in stew fries with added onion,
garlic, bell pepper, and green chillies mixed with steamed rice and
soya/chilli/tomato sauce to prepare chowmein.
-
Pak choi is one of the wonderful vegetable
used
generously in modern day recipes like stir fries, soups,
stuffing…etc.
-
It mixes well with cabbage,
chilies,
capsicum,
onion, ginger, garlic, rice, tofu, meat and
poultry.
Safety
profile
Like cabbage, bok choy contains
certain chemical compounds in it known as "goitrogens". These are plant
based
compounds, found abundantly in brassica/cruciferous vegetables like
cauliflower,
broccoli...
etc. Prolonged consumption of these vegetables may cause swelling of
thyroid gland, a condition known as goiter. It is therefore advised in
some individuals with thyroid dysfunction. However, they may be used in
moderation in healthy persons. (Medical
disclaimer)
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