Endives, or Cichorium endivia, are tasty fresh greens that may be worth adding to your diet. Whether you serve them whole, as an appetizer or side dish, or in a chopped salad, they add a stronger flavor and more nutrients than iceberg lettuce. Endives are healthy additions to an overall balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods.
Calories
A cup of chopped endives has only 8 calories. To lose weight or prevent weight gain, you need to prevent yourself from eating more calories than you expend, or burn. It is easier to limit your calorie intake when your diet emphasizes low-calorie foods, such as endives, because you can eat larger portions of them to suppress hunger without going over your calorie limit. If you eat your endives with salad dressing or high-calorie salad toppings, such as cheese or bacon, the calorie content will be higher.
Macronutrients
In a cup of chopped endives, there is less than 1 g of protein and almost no fat. The endives have 1.8 g of total carbohydrates, including 1.4 g dietary fiber. Dietary fiber lowers your cholesterol levels and may lower your risk for heart disease, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fiber helps prevent constipation, and the recommendation is to get at least 14 g fiber for each 1,000 calories that you eat.
Potassium and Sodium
Endives have 157 mg potassium and 11 mg sodium per cup. To maintain a healthy blood pressure, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest getting at least 4,700 mg potassium and limiting your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. If you already have high blood pressure, the recommendation is a low-sodium diet of no more than 1,500 mg sodium per day. High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Other Nutrients
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for proper blood clotting after you cut yourself, and a cup of endives provides 116 mcg of vitamin K. Other leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are also good sources, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Endives have 1,084 IU of vitamin A, or 22 percent of the daily value. Vitamin A is necessary for healthy vision and a strong immune system. A cup of endives provides 71 mcg of folate, or 18 percent of the daily value.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Vegetables and Vegetable Products
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Vitamin K; Jane Higdon, Ph.D., et al.; May 2004
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Vitamin A; Jane Higdon, Ph.D., et al.; December 2003
Member Comments