You'll find plenty of asparagus casserole recipes online and in cookbooks. Their nutritional values vary according to added ingredients. "Asparagus officinalis" is the perfect starter for a one-dish, heart-healthy meal -- just combine the asparagus with other wholesome ingredients such as grains, vegetables, nuts and spices for a nourishing and delicious dish.
The Main Ingredient
Asparagus is one of nature's most nutritious and healthful foods. The stalky vegetable has few calories, little sodium, no fat and no cholesterol. A 5.3-ounce serving -- about two-thirds of a cup -- provides 60-percent of the recommended daily amount of folic acid needed to build your blood, protect your heart and prevent liver disease. The Washington Asparagus Commission and the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board note that asparagus is also a rich source of the powerful antioxidant, gluthathione, an anti-viral, anti-cancer agent.
Grains for Good Health
Whole grains -- raw, unrefined cereal grass seeds with bran and germ intact -- add abundant nutrition to a healthy casserole. MayoClinic.com stresses the importance of whole grains in adding vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates to your diet. Brown rice, wild rice, barley, buckwheat, bulgar wheat, oatmeal and popcorn are whole grains. On its web page titled, "Health Gains from Whole Grains," the Harvard School of Public Health explains that the fiber, bran and antioxidants in whole grains lower your cholesterol, prevent Type 2 diabetes and fight cancer. Phytoestrogens -- plant estrogens -- and essential minerals such as magnesium, selenium, copper and manganese may also reduce your risk of these diseases.
Vitamins, Minerals and Vegetables
The flavor of asparagus blends well with a variety of other vegetables. Consider color, texture and nutrition when making your selection. A handful of five medium-sized mushrooms provide 9 percent of your daily value of potassium, 1 percent of your total carbohydrate and 4 percent of your needed dietary fiber. One carrot is packed with 110 percent of your requirement of vitamin A. A medium bell pepper contributes 190 percent daily value of vitamin C.
Nuts
Crunchy nuts, unsalted, are another of nature's healthful foods -- a wholesome snack and a perfect complement, in texture and flavor, to asparagus. The International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation's website is a non-profit organization that supports nutritional research on nine tree nut varieties: almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. One oz. of walnuts -- 14 shelled walnut halves -- contains a full day's supply of omega-3 fatty acids, 50 percent of the daily value of manganese, 25 percent copper and 10 percent magnesium and phosphorous, with lesser amounts of zinc, B vitamins, folate, iron and potassium. According to MayoClinic.com, the unsaturated fatty acids and nutrients in nuts are believed to be beneficial to your heart.
Cooking Methods & Nutrition
In December 2007, Science Daily reported that a small number of new research studies led Italian researchers Nicoletta Pellegrini and colleagues to speculate that cooking vegetables, in some cases, enhanced the nutritional value of some vegetables. The research tested whether boiling, steaming and frying carrots,
zucchini and broccoli had any effect on their nutritional content. Although incomplete, the data suggested that frying was the only cooking method that effected a loss of antioxidants. In the case of broccoli, it appeared that steaming increased its glucosinolate content -- a plant compound that is attributed with cancer-fighting properties.
References
- USDA Plants Profile: Garden Asparagus
- Washington Asparagus Commission:Asparagus Health
- Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board: Nutrition Information
- Mayo Cliinic: Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet
- Harvard School of Public Health: Health Gains from Whole Grains
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Vegetables Nutritition Facts
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