Cabbage

Learn how to work this healthy head into your next meal

Best to buy
Cabbage is available all year long

Cut & clean
Wash cabbage before using and cut into wedges, leaving some of the centre core attached to the sections to keep it from falling apart during cooking.

Power food
Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C.

A versatile vegetable
Cabbage has been used for centuries, cooked in stews and soups or raw in delicious cole slaws.

Also indexed as: Napa Cabbage, Pe-Tsai Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage

Preparation, uses, and tips

Wash cabbage just before using. To steam cabbage, cut it into wedges, leaving some of the centre core attached to the sections to keep it from falling apart during cooking. Stew with onions and potatoes, or thinly slice it and sauté in a little olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Cabbage may also be cut in fine shreds and used raw in salads, or in stir-fry dishes.

Buying and storing tips

Cabbage is available all year long. Choose a firm, heavy head with fresh-looking, unblemished leaves, and store it, refrigerated and tightly wrapped, for about a week.

Varieties

Cabbages range in colour from pale green to purple-red, and have dense, compact heads with smooth, tightly packed, waxy leaves. Savoy cabbage has leaves that are brighter green and crinkled, while ruby red to purple colored leaves distinguish red cabbage. Chinese cabbage, such as Pe-Tsai, grows in an elongated form with tightly wrapped, pale-green leaves. However, the Napa variety is more barrel-shaped with yellowish-green leaves. They are all flavoursome.

Nutrition Highlights

Cabbage (raw, shredded), 1 cup (100g)
Calories: 17.5
Protein: 1.0g
Carbohydrate: 3.8g
Total Fat: 0.19g
Fiber: 1.6g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (22.5mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.