Cauliflower Vs Broccoli: Which Is Healthier?
Broccoli and cauliflower are very similar vegetables. They do not just belong to the same plant family, they are both cruciferous plants as well – belonging to the same specie (brassica oleracea), albeit different cultivars — cauliflower being in the botrytis cultivar, while broccoli belongs to the italica cultivar.
In this article I am going to try and compare Cauliflower vs Broccoli – the two “relatives” by comparing their Nutritional Values as well as some other aspects such as appearance, eye health, color taste etc.
I’ve prepared two handy tables which will allow you to compare them with ease. Finally, we are going to draw our conclusion on which one is better. Cauliflower or Broccoli.
Cauliflower Vs Broccoli: Quick Facts
To start up with this cauliflower vs broccoli comparison guide, here are some quick facts and differences between the two “relatives”.
| Cauliflower | Broccoli | |
| Physical | Cauliflower is characterized by thick leaves and a tightly wrapped head. | Broccoli has relatively smaller leaves and a thicker head. It’s treelike, and has fluffy green heads. |
| Color | Cauliflower comes in different color variations ranging from purple, green, and orange. Usually it is white. | Broccoli’s color is light green, |
| Bodybuilding | Cauliflower has 1.9 g of protein per 100 grams. Cauliflower has less calories though although not much to make an important difference. | Broccoli has 2.8 g of protein per 100 grams. It has 10 Kcal more than cauliflower which is not something to really consider when bodybuilding. |
| Taste | Fairly nutty and almost sweet | Slightly sweet and slightly bitter flavor |
| Cooking Time | 5 – 10 minutes | 2 – 5 minutes |
| Eye Health | Cauliflower has a measly 1 μg of Lutein and zeaxanthin that have proven to help with eye health. | Broccoli on the other hand has an astonishing of 1400 μg of Lutein and Zeaxanthin. |
| Vitamins | Cauliflower doesn’t have a lot of Vitamins. The one vitamin that has a considerable amount is Vitamin C with 48.2 mg. | Broccoli doesn’t have a lot of vitamins either. It has almost double vitamin c than cauliflower (89.2 mg). |
| Minerals | Cauliflower has some minerals but not as much (in terms of quantity as Brocolli) | All minerals in Broccoli are found in larger quantities than in Cauliflower. |
| Keto | Cauliflower is good for keto diet due to its low carbohydrates. | Broccoli is also good for keto due to its low carbs. It has slightly less carbs than cauliflower. |
| Glycemic Index | Cauliflower has a low Glycemic Index | Broccoli has a low glycemic index as well. |
Cauliflower Vs Broccoli Nutrition Facts (100g)
| NUTRIENT | CAULIFLOWER | BROCCOLI | |
| Calories | 25 Kcal | 35 Kcal | |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 2.8 g | |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.4 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | |
| Sodium | 30 mg | 33 mg | |
| Potassium | 299 mg | 316 mg | |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g | 7 g | |
| – Sugars | 1.9 g | 1.7 g | |
| – Dietary Fiber | 2 g | 2.6 g | |
| Vitamin C | 48.2 mg | 89.2 mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.184 mg | 0.175 mg | |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0 mg | 0 mg | |
| Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) | 0 μg | 0 μg | |
| Vitamin A | 0 μg | 0 μg | |
| Folate | 57 µg | 63 µg | |
| Choline | 44.3 mg | 18.7 mg | |
| Iron | 0.42 mg | 0.73 mg | |
| Magnesium | 15 mg | 21 mg | |
| Calcium | 22 mg | 47 mg | |
| Phosphorus, P | 44 mg | 66 mg | |
| Potassium, K | 299 mg | 316 mg | |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.27 mg | 0.41 mg | |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.155 mg | 0.21 mg | |
| Selenium, Se | 0.6 µg | 2.5 µg |
KEY TAKEAWAY
Broccoli is by far the best vegetable between the two. Broccoli has almost double Vitamin C than cauliflower, more minerals and more protein than Cauliflower. It even has a ton of Lutein + Zeaxanthin – the two most important eye anti-oxidants. Although both are healthy options Broccoli beats cauliflower in the most important points.
One mineral that Cauliflower “beats” Broccoli is Choline – which cauliflower has more than double than Broccoli. So, it is safe to say that if you need to increase your choline intake, it is better to consume Cauliflower. If not, then Broccoli is your best choice between the two.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Health Benefits
Both Broccoli and Cauliflower have magnificent health benefits and are a must in everyone’s kitchen. Below are a few, but important health benefits of consuming both broccoli and cauliflower.
1. Cancer
The antioxidants contained in these vegetables prevent the type of cell damage that can result in cancer. Especially as they contain sulforaphane, a sulfur-containing compound. [1]
Cruciferous vegetables have also been found to spur the inhibition of carcinogenic cells in the human body. This includes ovarian, gastric, lung, breast, prostate, renal, endometrial, bladder, gastric, and colorectal cancer. [2]
2. Heart health
Cruciferous vegetables are linked with the promotion and betterment of cardiovascular health. [3] [4]
Also, a study has revealed that they both have a good fiber level compared to other vegetables, which makes them great for cholesterol and blood pressure reduction.
According to WebMD, a serving of cruciferous vegetables has up to 20% of your daily fiber requirement – Thus helping to slim down the susceptibility of developing atherosclerosis, a heart disorder.
3. Weight loss
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are very effective when included in a weight loss diet.
It’s a fact that these vegetable consumption work for long-term weight gain prevention. This is because they both have good fibers and low calories as well as being perfect for a low glycemic index diet.
4. Eyes and vision
The zeaxanthin, lutein, and selenium minerals they are both composed of help promote healthy vision.
Especially broccoli for its Vitamin A. These are what shield the eyes from the destructive effects of body radicals, thus resulting in better and clearer vision. [5]
5. Acidity and antioxidants
Broccoli and cauliflower have quite similar acidity levels. However, cooking them at a high temperature increases their acidity.
They are also rich in antioxidants which are important for inflammation reduction, cell damage control, and other chronic diseases prevention.
Bottom Line
While it is true that both cauliflower and broccoli are great and contain essential nutrients far more than many average foods, comparatively, we’d also agree that broccoli is better than cauliflower. And this is because of the higher concentration of some important nutrients in broccoli. For some contents present in cauliflower, broccoli has twice as much.
The other missing nutrients present in broccoli and absent in cauliflower put broccoli on top of this comparison too, for example, vitamin A. Another edge broccoli has over cauliflower is that its nutrients are phytonutrients and are quite pivotal in the detox process.
Regardless of the composition of both vegetables, moderation and a healthy balance must be struck in their consumption, otherwise, their negative effect would arise.
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