Benefits of free foods – Rocket, Spinach, Broccoli, Kale

Throughout your last C9 programme, you will have noticed that alongside the meals and supplements, you are allowed a range of free foods. But what exactly makes these foods free? These healthy green vegetables are generally low in calories, but that’s not their only benefit. Each free food contains its own unique number of vitamins and minerals to help you stay healthy. Here, we’ll investigate four of these free foods – rocket, spinach, broccoli and kale – to see exactly what nutrients they contain and what benefits they provide.

High in vitamin K

To maintain your healthy body throughout Forever’s C9 programme, a good dose of vitamin K is an excellent idea. Not only does vitamin K contribute to normal blood clotting, it also contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. So, you’ll be pleased to hear that rocket, spinach, broccoli and kale all contain high amounts of the stuff! None more than kale, where an uncooked 100g portion contains a staggering 1021% of your recommended daily Intake. Amazingly, when you cook the kale, this percentage further increases to 1328%!

High in vitamin A

Interestingly, kale is not the only green vegetable that increases in nutrients when cooked. 100g of uncooked broccoli contains just 12% of your RDI for vitamin A, but once you’ve boiled or steamed those little green stems, that number increases to 31%. Vitamin A is an important nutrient as it contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and skin and has a role in the process of cell specialisation. This is where generic cells are given specific roles in the body to help keep you healthy. In addition, vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system, which helps to fight off infections. A lot of people only consider their immune system when they get sick, but it’s an important part of the body to look after because it fights off the bad stuff.

High in folate

Folate, found in broccoli, spinach and rocket, is also advantageous to your immune system. It also contributes to normal psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Folate also has a role in the process of cell division. Cell division is useful for many functions, one of which is replacing damaged cells. When you get a cut, the body repairs it through cell division, so it’s important to look after this process. Pregnant women will also find folate useful, as it contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.

High in vitamin C, calcium and magnesium

If your teeth are important to you, then you’ll want to get your fill of vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. Calcium, a key mineral in rocket, and magnesium, a mineral found in spinach, both contribute to the maintenance of normal teeth. In addition, vitamin C, which can be found in rocket, broccoli, spinach and kale, contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of teeth. Similarly, if you want to look after your muscles, then you’ll want to look out for foods like spinach that are high in potassium and magnesium; these contribute to normal muscle function.

Clearly, low in calories does not mean low in nutrients! Rocket, spinach, broccoli and kale can all be eaten as much as you like throughout the C9 programme, so if you’re working hard to #beresolute this January, rest assured that these healthy green vegetables can offer terrific support throughout. Dig in!

Keep an eye out for further blogs on the benefits of other free foods and don’t forget to tell us your favourite free food in the comments!