The sight and smell of a freshly baked vegetable lasagna coming out of the oven is more than enough to make anyone's mouth water. Even better, vegetable lasagna has a handful of important health benefits. From slimming your waist to building your bones, vegetable lasagna's health benefits make it one of the healthiest Italian cuisine options.
Prostate
No lasagna is complete without generous portions of tomato sauce. Tomato sauce and other tomato products are rich in the antioxidant lycopene. Antioxidants are special compounds in food that shield your body's cells from harm. A diet rich in tomato products reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer, reports Edward Giovannucci of Harvard University. A paper published in the January 2002 issue of the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" found that consuming at least two servings of tomato sauce per week slashed prostate cancer risk by more than 25 percent.
Calcium
The cheese that often tops vegetable lasagna is loaded with dietary calcium. Regularly consuming calcium-rich dairy products significantly reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis. However, cheese can be high in total calories and saturated fat. Choose fat-free or reduced fat cheese that contains the same amount of calcium with less fat and calories.
Veggies
The eggplant, spinach or tomatoes that you put in your vegetable lasagna are a boon to your health. Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables significantly reduces your risk of contracting chronic diseases like cancer, stroke and diabetes, the Harvard School of Public Health reports.
Whole Grains
Choosing whole wheat pasta to use as your vegetable lasagna base will make the dish much healthier than if you decided to use refined grains. Unlike refined grains, whole grains are loaded with dietary fiber. The dietary fiber in whole grains shields your heart from heart disease, MayoClinic.com reports. Check the ingredients list on the package to make sure that your whole grain pasta choice is really whole wheat. The first ingredient listed should be "whole wheat" or "100 percent whole wheat."
References
- "Journal of the National Cancer Institute": A Prospective Study of Tomato Products, Lycopene, and Prostate Cancer Risk
- http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/healthandwellness/Pages/HealthandWellnessHome.aspx
- Harvard School of Public Health: Vegetables and Fruits: Get Plenty Every Day
- MayoClinic.com: Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet
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