Kristen Cook
Red cabbage is not only a part of a Christmas meal with dumplings and roasts – the head cabbage with the beautiful color also has a number of advantages raw. But is red cabbage really healthy? And is it safe to eat in bulk?
Red cabbage is not only a delicious side dish for hearty dishes. Red cabbage is also supposed to be healthy, but is that true? All information about the vegetable with the various names.
Red cabbage – blue cabbage – red cabbage – red cabbage
The round head of cabbage can be used in a variety of ways, and its designation is just as varied. The naming varies depending on which part of Germany you live in. According to the “Word Atlas of German Colloquial Languages”, the different terms also have a different origin. The term “red cabbage” is preferred by the “seed and canning industry”, while “red cabbage” is a common term in gastronomy. But no matter whether red cabbage, blue cabbage, red cabbage or red cabbage – all terms revolve around the characteristic color of the cabbage.
Nutritional values of red cabbage
If you want to limit your calorie intake, you can confidently use red cabbage. The local vegetables are extremely low in calories (27 kilocalories per 100 grams of raw red cabbage) and also consist of more than 90 percent water. The vegetables also have a high vitamin C content. “Red cabbage contains around 83 milligrams of vitamin C per 150 g portion. Vitamin C is important for the proper functioning of the immune system. An insufficient supply can, for example, manifest itself in an increased susceptibility to infections,” says Astrid Donalies, a certified nutritionist from the German Society for Nutrition. (DGE). “The recommended intake of vitamin C per day for adults is between 95 and 110 mg. A portion of red cabbage can contribute to this, but it does not replace reaching for other types of vegetables and fruit.”
Red cabbage is healthy and counts as a reliable supplier of nutrients. While it only has 0.44 milligrams of iron per 100 grams when raw, the same amount of cabbage also contains 37 milligrams of calcium and 16 milligrams of magnesium. It also contains 241 milligrams of potassium, which according to Astrid Donalies “takes on an important function in the transmission of stimuli to nerve fibers (e.g. pain, cold and muscle contraction)” and “has a role in the regulation of water balance”.
Further nutritional values (per 100 grams of raw red cabbage) at a glance:
- 1.5 grams of protein
- 0.18 grams of fat
- 2.0 milligrams of biotin
- 11 grams of sodium
- 0.19 milligrams of zinc
- 1.28 grams of fructose
- 1.68 grams of glucose
The nutritional values of cooked red cabbage
Like most other foods, red cabbage loses some of its nutrients during the cooking process. Nevertheless, the cooked variant can certainly be described as healthy. The nutritional values of raw and cooked red cabbage differ only slightly.
For example, 100 grams of cooked vegetables have a similar amount in the following areas:
- Water (91.84 grams)
- Iron (0.38 milligrams)
- Calcium (36 milligrams)
- Magnesium (13 milligrams)
- Protein (1.43 grams)
- Fat (0.17 grams)
- Biotin (1.6 milligrams)
- Sodium (10 grams)
- Zinc (0.17 milligrams)
- Fructose (1.22 grams)
- Glucose (1.6 grams)
Significant changes only occur in vitamin C and potassium. Red cabbage loses almost 50 percent of its vitamin C content during the cooking process and only contains 29.68 milligrams of this vitamin instead of 57.14 milligrams. The vital mineral potassium is reduced during the cooking process by almost 50 milligrams to 190 milligrams.
Red cabbage in bulk or in moderation?
Many people love it when the scent of red cabbage spreads in the kitchen or when a summer coleslaw spices up the plate. Every German ate an average of more than five kilograms of red and white cabbage in 2017/18. But are large amounts healthy? Dipl.etc.trophy. Uwe Knop sees no reason to restrict enjoyment: “Eat red cabbage if you like it and – most importantly – if you can tolerate it. For some people, even a small portion of red cabbage in a doner kebab is too much, while others eat a whole plate Red cabbage salad with great pleasure.”
However, you should always pay attention to your body’s signals: “Especially in people with a sensitive intestine, it can quickly lead to a ‘fiber overload’ and the resulting unpleasant digestive problems.” Such complaints are not uncommon, especially when eating raw cabbage, explains Uwe Knop: “All types of cabbage, whether red, white or Brussels sprouts contain a lot of indigestible fiber, which is metabolized by the microbiome (bacteria) in the intestine – This creates gases that escape as flatulence.”
Prepare red cabbage healthy
Preparing red cabbage is not rocket science. For summer salads, the raw cabbage is simply sliced into strips and mixed with a little apple cider vinegar, oil, pepper and salt. If you like, you can also add apples cut into strips and thus ensure a special freshness kick.
If you prefer to eat red cabbage warm, you can also prepare it yourself in no time at all. To do this, the cabbage, apples and onions are cut into small pieces and heated in a saucepan with clarified butter. Add vinegar, bay leaves, water, salt and pepper and cook.
However, if you are not interested in making your own and prefer to use ready-made products, you should choose frozen products. According to the Stiftung Warentest, frozen red cabbage “provides almost three times as much vitamin C with an average of 23 milligrams per 100 grams as most red cabbage in jars and bags”. Frozen red cabbage is therefore just as healthy as the homemade version.
