Tips for getting creative with cauliflower

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Centers for Disease Control states that 71 percent of American adults are overweight or obese. While those numbers are grim, the demand for one white vegetable is growing. How you can cut calories, while still enjoying your favorite foods.

According to the New York Times, cauliflower sales have doubled over the past year, reaching 17 million. Consumers and health experts are both in support of this low-calorie vegetable that is replacing carbs like rice and potatoes.

Lori Brizee, MS, RDN, LD, CDE told Ivanhoe, “About a cup of cauliflower that’s cooked is going to be around 25 calories, where a cup of potatoes which are far more dense, is going to be around 200 calories.”

If you’re trying to lose weight or just eat a healthier diet, try adding cauliflower to other ingredients: 
“You can also mix it with something like potatoes to stretch the potatoes and dilute the calories in those potatoes,” Brizee said.

Or replace a doughy pizza crust with a cauliflower crust! You can use Cauli-power’s website to find local stores that carry these products. 

The vice president of vegetable brand Green Giant said that when their riced cauliflower was launched in 2016, they harvested five acres of cauliflower each week. In 2018, that number has increased to 30 acres a week. Also if you are a fan of chicken wings, try tossing some cauliflower in wing sauce for a different experience. 

Contributor(s) to this news report include: Hayley Hudson, Producer; Jamison Koczan, Videographer and Roque Correa, Editor.