Most people know that drinking too much of any beverage that contains caffeine isn’t good for you. Everything in moderation is a good way to approach the stuff we put into our bodies. However, there are significant health benefits of drinking coffee and they’re well-documented. For one thing, studies show that coffee can make you more alert and focused, and a nice cup of coffee can help improve your energy levels.
In addition to those well-known benefits, coffee may also help improve physical performance, help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s one of the biggest antioxidant sources in Western diets. As if all of that isn’t enough, coffee also contains tons of essential nutrients, including riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and niacin. With all of that goodness going on, some folks are wondering if there’s something they can do to make coffee work even harder.
The current era we’re living in has prompted some people to get creative with how they get their nutrients. Most of us have a little more free time on our hands these days, and some Australians have figured out a way to get more greens into their diets. Specifically, these enterprising individuals are adding some broccoli to their daily food intake. Broccoli is delicious, but not everyone wants to sit down to eat the green vegetable every day. Because of this, these health-minded Australians are adding broccoli to their coffee.
Now, to be clear, they’re not dipping broccoli spears into their morning coffee. A group of scientists at CSIRO, Australia’s chief research organization, have created a form of powdered broccoli that aims to address both food waste and poor nutrition. The powdered broccoli is made from whole broccoli, and the institute produces the powder using “a combination of selected pre-treatment and drying processes” that serve to retain the flavor, nutrient composition, and natural color of fresh broccoli.
At this time, the research team is using the broccoli powder in a variety of beverages and foods, and yes, that includes their morning coffee. The great thing is that you don’t have to use a lot of the powder. Just two tablespoons are all you need to add to your coffee to enjoy the equivalent of a full serving of nutritious vegetables.
CSIRO is developing broccoli powder as a part of a project that is working to reduce vegetable loss. The initiative aims to create healthy food products from produce deemed too “ugly” to sell at the grocery stores and markets.
If you follow a healthy diet and are conscious of your nutrition intake, you may have already supplemented your diet occasionally with powdered greens. It’s a common practice to add them to smoothies, for example, or even stirred into a glass of water. We’ve even seen a product that dissolves in water as an effervescent and dishes up a serving of greens that tastes like fruit punch. Whatever you have to do to get those essential greens into your diet is a good practice.
While many people do love broccoli, there are definitely people who don’t. If you’re a person who eats consciously, but you don’t love the taste of greens, it’s a great time to be alive because of all of the supplements that are available.
You may be wondering how you can get your hands on the broccoli powder so that you can make a “broccolatte.” Unfortunately, the product isn’t available for purchase yet, but the research team decided to give it a test run at the Commonfolks cafe in Melbourne. The results were mixed, they say, but it’s definitely an excellent way to get some greens into your body.
Of course, the best way to get your greens into your diet is through food, but on a busy day, enjoying a cup of “broccolatte” is better than nothing. And of course, you can always use the powder, once it’s available, in your smoothies, juices, and recipes.
