The dishes you must not forget to eat in spring are delicious and nutritious, and very suitable for losing weight and controlling blood sugar!

Asparagus in spring is crisp, tender, sweet and has a reputation as the "king of vegetables". You can taste the "flavor of spring" in one bite. It can be seen in home-cooked dishes, Western dishes and diet meals.

Compared to most vegetables we usually eat, asparagus is more expensive, ranging from more than ten yuan to several dozen yuan per kilogram. Even though it is so expensive, many people still like to eat it. What kind of vegetable is it?

How nutritious is asparagus?

Asparagus is also called asparagus, and its scientific name is Asparagus officinalis. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that can form tender stems in the genus Asparagus of the Liliaceae family. We mainly eat its tender stems, which are fresh and delicious. Asparagus is a native variety of Eurasia and a precious food in the Greek and Roman eras. It was later introduced to China. At present, China's asparagus planting area and output rank first in the world. There are green asparagus, white asparagus, and purple asparagus. Among them, green asparagus is the most common and has the highest output.

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Asparagus looks good and tastes crispy and sweet, making it popular among people. The nutrition of asparagus is medium among vegetables, and the calorie content is low, only 19kcal/100g, which is lower than that of spring bamboo shoots and about the same as that of Chinese cabbage . It is very friendly to those who need to lose weight and control their weight, and there is no need to worry about gaining weight by eating too much. Eating asparagus regularly can also provide us with some dietary fiber, mineral potassium, and a small amount of vitamin C and other nutrients.

1

Dietary fiber

Among vegetables, asparagus’ dietary fiber content is not excellent, but it is better than Chinese cabbage. Some literature mentions that the dietary fiber content of asparagus is 0.65%~1.3%; and data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrient database shows that the total dietary fiber content of asparagus is 2.1g/100g.

The dietary fiber content of different parts of asparagus is different. The soluble dietary fiber content of asparagus skin and asparagus stem is similar, but the insoluble dietary fiber content of asparagus skin is richer , about twice that of asparagus stem. Foods with high insoluble dietary fiber content can promote gastrointestinal mechanical movement, increase stool volume and frequency, and prevent constipation.

2

protein

Although we don't expect to eat vegetables to supplement protein, it is worth mentioning that the protein content of asparagus is quite good among vegetables, at 2.6g/100g, which is higher than most vegetables.

3

Mineral Potassium

Asparagus has a high potassium content of 304 mg/100 g, which is higher than the potassium content of shepherd's purse, baby cabbage, coriander, bitter melon, lettuce, beans, amaranth, broccoli, cabbage, etc. that we often eat. Eating it regularly is very helpful in improving blood pressure.

4

Antioxidant ingredients

Asparagus is rich in flavonoids such as rutin, kaempferol, and quercetin, which are higher than those in ordinary vegetables. Purple asparagus is also rich in anthocyanins . These ingredients have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, can help the body prevent chronic inflammation, and can also protect cardiovascular health.

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Generally speaking, the content of flavonoids in green asparagus tips is significantly higher than that in asparagus stems. The content of flavonoids in green asparagus tips (about 5 cm from the top) is about 14 times that of white asparagus tips. Overall, the content of flavonoids in green asparagus is significantly higher than that in white asparagus. There is little difference in the content of flavonoids in the tips and stems of white asparagus. Other studies have mentioned that quercetin in asparagus can induce apoptosis of various tumor cells such as colon cancer cells and human breast cancer cells by changing gene expression.

Where to buy fresh asparagus?

Asparagus is delicious and nutritious. How should you choose asparagus when buying it?

1

Look at the appearance

Fresh asparagus is juicy and has a distinct sweet taste. When buying, choose asparagus with an upright stem shape, tight flower buds at the tip, no damage or rancid smell, and bright and unshrunken skin.

2

Look at the color

Choose green or purple asparagus, not yellow ones, which are not very fresh.

3

Look at the bottom cut

The bottom of fresh asparagus will not be dry or woody when cut. You can pinch it gently with your fingernails. If you can pinch it and a small amount of juice oozes out, it means it is fresh. After buying it home, if the root can be easily broken, it also means it is fresh.

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How to store asparagus?

After the asparagus is harvested, the active young shoots will continue to grow, constantly consuming sugar and other nutrients, so it is important to eat them as soon as possible after buying them, otherwise the flavor of the asparagus will gradually fade, the juice will be lost, and the taste will become rough.

In addition, studies have shown that asparagus has a respiration rate that is 1 times higher than spinach and 14 times higher than apples. After 3 days of storage at room temperature, it will become severely fibrous and hard in texture. After 5 days of storage, bacteria will multiply and it will begin to rot and deteriorate. Even in an environment below 20°C, its quality can only be maintained for 24 hours.

Low temperature can significantly inhibit the respiration of asparagus and delay the process of quality deterioration. The most suitable storage temperature is 0~1℃ , and it can be stored for more than 30 days. You can also wash and soak the asparagus (no more than half an hour), and then place it in 95~100℃ hot water for 1~3min or 85~95℃ hot water for 1.5~3min, take it out, drain the water, seal it and put it in the refrigerator at -18℃. It can be stored for nearly 300 days.

If you buy less, prepare a container with water and soak the bottom of the asparagus in the water. This will keep the asparagus fresh for two or three more days.

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Summary: Asparagus will be available in large quantities in spring. If you want to eat fresh, crispy and sweet asparagus, you have to hurry up. Blanched asparagus, asparagus fried with mushrooms, asparagus fried with shrimp, asparagus soup, etc. are all very good!

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Huang Jiali, Tang Hongmei, Fan Caifeng, et al. Research progress on the nutritional and health effects of asparagus and its processing[J]. Food Safety Guide, 2022, (23): 122-125. DOI: 10.16043/j.cnki.cfs.2022.23.026.

[3]https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168389/nutrients

[4] Mao Hongyan, Wang Rongrong, Xiao Qian, et al. Research progress on chemical composition and pharmacological activity of asparagus[J]. Agricultural Products Processing, 2021, (13): 81-85. DOI: 10.16693/j.cnki.1671-9646(X). 2021.07.019.

[5]Mitchell SC, Waring RH. Asparagusic acid. Phytochemistry. 2014 Jan;97:5-10. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.09.014. Epub 2013 Oct 4. PMID: 24099657.

[6]Waring RH, Mitchell SC, Fenwick GR. The chemical nature of the urinary odour produced by man after asparagus ingestion.

[7] Zhang Yong. Asparagus cultivation technology[J]. Henan Agriculture, 2020, (10): 47-48.

[8] Liu Hongyan. Research progress on postharvest quality deterioration and preservation control of green asparagus[J]. Food Safety Guide, 2023, (05): 185-189. DOI: 10.16043/j.cnki.cfs.2023.05.042.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Ruan Guangfeng, Science and Technology Department, Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Fu Sijia

Editor: Fu Sijia