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5 reasons why eggplant fits into a healthy lifestyle

5 reasons why eggplant fits into a healthy lifestyle

Eggplants are super versatile and have a cheerful purple color. They make every dish a party on your plate! In addition, the eggplant is low in carbohydrates and calories and contains many vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The aubergine is therefore the ideal vegetable to add to your dish more often. It fits well in a healthy lifestyle, even if you eat vegan, low-carbohydrate or gluten-free!

1. Eggplant is low in carbohydrates

The eggplant, like many other vegetables, contains few carbohydrates, namely about 7.5 grams per 100 grams. It is therefore a perfect addition to low-carbohydrate dishes as an alternative to pasta (25 grams of carbohydrates) and rice (28 grams). By using eggplant as an alternative, you also get a large part of your daily portion of vegetables! The weight of one eggplant is already equal to the daily portion of vegetables (250 grams).

2. Low in calories

Now that summer is in sight, we like to put light meals on the table. Eggplants are an ideal ingredient for this, as they contain only 20 calories per 100 grams. For example, make a nice healthy salad with mozzarella, dried tomatoes and slices of grilled eggplant. Ideal as a side dish or as a meal salad on a sunny day.

3. Full of vitamins and minerals

Eggplants contain vitamins and minerals that are important to feel good about yourself. For example, they contain vitamin C, magnesium, folic acid and manganese. The latter mineral is, for example, indispensable for our energy metabolism. Fun fact:the eggplant also contains a lot of antioxidants, which are mainly found in the skin. The aubergine owes its beautiful deep purple color to this!

4. High in fiber

Eggplants are very high in fiber. They contain 12.5 grams of fiber per 100 kcal! And that is a lot, because at 3 grams of fiber per 100 kcal, a product can already be called fiber-rich. Because of these fibers you are more saturated and you no longer have to snack in the evening. You also absorb other nutrients better and it contributes to a healthy intestinal flora. A win-win-win situation!

5. Ideal in gluten-free and vegan dishes

Do you (like to) eat gluten-free? With eggplant you can make a gluten-free variant of many dishes! For example, you can use aubergine slices in a lasagna instead of lasagna sheets, such as in the famous Italian casserole melanzane parmigiane. The aubergine is also very suitable for the grill, because of its good firm structure. Ideal for, for example, a vegetarian barbecue!

Read also: Recipe:Greek style BBQ aubergine with feta

Image and source: A8 &Green Food Lab