What Do You Know About Celery?

Nowadays, with strict emphasis being placed on green leafy veggies, there is one green vegetable that tends to go unnoticed: celery!  In celebration of National Celery Month, I felt I should take the time to highlight the healthful benefits of celery which by the way go beyond using it as a side on your plate of chicken wings!

Celery stalks are eaten by many as a crunchy, low calorie snack.  In fact, the reason why celery contains such few calories is because it’s mainly water, making it a hydrating food (remember, you don’t have to drink water to get water!).  The high water content of celery along with the variety of antioxidants and vitamin C it contains makes it a great vegetable for your skin as well.  Additionally, celery is a rich source of vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium and dietary fiber, which is why it is thought to be beneficial for the digestive tract.

Other potential health benefits celery could have include enhancing cardiovascular health.   It is thought that the celery seed could possibly have antihypertensive properties by lowering blood pressure.  Furthermore, celery contains a flavonoid called luteolin which has been researched for its role in cancer prevention.  Celery is also used for certain therapeutic purposes such as relieving joint pain and soothing the nervous system, however there is no scientific evidence to back up those claims.

To some people, celery has a sharp flavor making it not the most enjoyable vegetable to snack on by itself.  However, that doesn’t mean you cannot incorporate celery into recipes or add various ingredients to make it more palatable.  Here are some of my favorite ways to eat celery:

• Add celery to a pot of soup or stew to soften the stalk and enhance the flavor of the meal.
• Blend celery into smoothies containing other fruits and vegetables.
• Dice up celery stalks to add a crunch to tuna or chicken salad, sautéed vegetables, homemade salsa or tacos.
• Braise celery in low sodium vegetable stock and season with your favorite herbs and spices for a quick, low calorie side dish.
• Create a kid friendly snack by spreading peanut butter, low fat cream cheese or hummus onto celery and topping with dark chocolate chips, raisins or berries.  This one is called Ants on a Log!

Your turn to take action: What is your favorite way to eat celery?

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