When we think of healthy foods, garden salads often come to mind. However, while we admire nutritious toppings like tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, onions, hard-boiled eggs, and leafy greens such as romaine or iceberg, salads can sometimes be loaded with unhealthy ingredients. Items like croutons, bacon bits, excessive cheese, and creamy dressings can make certain salads more caloric than a hamburger, according to one study.

To create healthier salads, people often switch creamy dressings for vinaigrettes, replace croutons with nuts, seeds, or roasted chickpeas, and opt for grilled chicken instead of ground beef or bacon. Additionally, nutrient-rich greens like kale and spinach can substitute for iceberg lettuce.

Cabbage provides another excellent alternative to traditional salad greens and is increasingly featured in various side dishes and meals.

What is cabbage?

Cabbage belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. It is recognized for its tightly packed leaves, rich flavor, and crunchy texture. Commonly used in salads, cabbage is also essential in recipes such as coleslaw, sauerkraut, stir-fries, stuffed cabbage rolls, and hearty soups like borscht, according to Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Cabbage’s flexibility in various recipes is nearly unparalleled,” comments Katherine Tallmadge, a nutrition author and registered dietitian at Personalized Nutrition. “The vegetable can be enjoyed in sweet, savory, spicy, salty, or sour forms and is a staple in virtually every culture globally,” she adds.

While there are over 400 cabbage varieties, the most commonly consumed ones include green cabbage, red (or purple) cabbage, and napa cabbage (also known as Chinese cabbage). Bok choy is another favorite, though it looks different; instead of a compact head with layered leaves, it features loose leaves with sturdy white stalks.

China stands out as the largest cabbage producer in the world, followed by India, Russia, Japan, and South Korea according to World Atlas.

Is cabbage good for you?

Regardless of its origin, cabbage offers a variety of health advantages. For instance, a single serving of raw green cabbage provides protein, calcium, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cabbage is also rich in insoluble fiber, which supports blood sugar control and promotes regular digestion, as stated by Leslie Bonci, a sports dietitian for the Kansas City Chiefs and founder of Active Eating Advice.

Moreover, Bonci mentions that cruciferous vegetables like cabbage may lower the risk of colon cancer due to compounds like glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, and sulforaphane. “Sulforaphane plays a crucial role in combating both genetic and non-genetic cancer developments in organs such as the liver, breast, lung, and colon,” Tallmadge explains.

Furthermore, cabbage is packed with beneficial phytonutrients, including anthocyanin, which can lower the risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Cabbage is low in calories—around 200 in an average small to medium head—which, together with its high fiber content that promotes fullness, makes it a fantastic choice for maintaining a healthy weight.

Can you eat cabbage every day?

Despite its numerous health benefits, some individuals might need to limit their cabbage intake. “It can lead to bloating or gas for certain people due to its fiber content and natural sulfur compounds,” Susie warns. However, she suggests that cooking cabbage can lessen these gassy effects and enhance digestibility.

Moreover, “those taking blood-thinning medications should monitor their cabbage consumption as it is high in vitamin K, which can influence blood clotting,” cautions Susie.

Nonetheless, as long as these considerations are taken into account, she believes cabbage is an exceptional addition to a healthy diet, highlighting its rich nutrition, vitamin content, antioxidants, and its role in digestive and overall health.”