Why you must eat eggplant

Why eggplants are good for you

Reduced risk of cancer

When used properly, eggplant can provide many health benefits, including being important in the treatment and prevention of cancer. Eggplant has been found to be especially useful in the treatment of colon cancer due to the high amount of fiber found within eggplant.

Fiber is important in the treatment of colon cancer because it is a relatively porous nutrient, and because of this, as it moves through the digestive tract, it has the tendency to absorb toxins and chemicals that can lead to the development of colon cancer.

For best results, individuals who are interested in reducing their risk for the development of color cancer should be sure to include the skin of the eggplant during consumption. Research has found that the skin of eggplant may contain more fiber that the actual eggplant itself.

Eggplants help weight loss

As stated above, eggplant contains high amounts of fiber, making it a great food in the fight against cancer. But, the fiber found in eggplant has other uses-namely, its ability to be a useful tool for people who are trying to lose weight.

Fiber is a relatively "bulky" food, meaning that is takes up a lot of room in the stomach. Therefore, by eating eggplant in a salad or appetizer before a meal, dieters are likely to have a greater feeling of satiety, and generally eat fewer calories (thereby achieving a substantial weight loss with time).

In addition, fiber is slow digesting, and takes a long time to move from the stomach to the digestive tract. Because of this, the eggplant keeps dieters feeling full for a longer period of time-and therefore, they won't be as tempted to snack between meals, which will again aid in weight loss.

Eggplants for better skin tone

Finally, eggplant contains a high amount of water-and similarly, aside from fat and bone, our bodies are composed of almost primarily water. Water has important roles in a variety of pathways through the body, but has been found to be especially important in the maintenance of healthy skin and hair.

Individuals who are dehydrated are more likely to exhibit hair that is thin, dry and has split ends, along with skin that appears to be flaky, dry, with a greater number of lines and wrinkles.

Consuming adequate amount of water through either water itself or through food items such as eggplant can not only improve the quality of your hair and skin, but also the general performance of your body. For best results, eat the eggplant raw-research has found that cooking it removes some of the water that is so beneficial.

How to eat eggplants: Eggplant is a very versatile vegetable. It can be baked or roasted for an entree or mixed into a dip or side dish.

Heirloom Tomato and Eggplant Stacks

 
Ingredients

Prep: 12min

Cook: 8min

Total: 35min

1 log (4 ounces) soft goat cheese, softened

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 large eggplant, about 1 lb

3/4 tsp salt

3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 medium heirloom tomatoes in assorted colors, cored and thinly sliced crosswise into 4 rounds

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

Prep: 20min

Cook: 2hr 1min

Total: 2hr 21min

Tomato sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Eggplant

 
2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2"-thick slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Italian dried herb seasoning

Salt

Ground black pepper

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Alternate

To peel tomatoes, plunge them one at a time into a saucepan of boiling water, and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. When cool, the skins will slip off easily.

Beef and Eggplant Tagine

  This tasty Moroccan dish would be just as delicious made with ground chicken or turkey breast or crumbled soy sausage in place of the beef. For a one-dish meal, omit the couscous and increase the chickpeas to 2 cups.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Prep time :20 min

Cook: 25 min

12 ounces 95% lean ground beef

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cubes

2 small yellow squash, cut into quarter rounds

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon slivered fresh ginger

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

1/2 cup small pitted black olives, halved

1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons mild hot sauce

2 cups cooked whole wheat couscous

2 tablespoons chopped pistachios