I love eating purple vegetables because of the health benefits they provide. Although this little beauty I bought is actually called “red” cabbage, it’s purple in color. It provides a good amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and iron. It gets its red pigment from a flavonoid, cyanidin, that functions as an antioxidant. The cyanidin prevents some types of cancer by stopping the growth of cancer cells, inhibiting enzymes that activate carcinogens and helping cells repair damage caused by carcinogens.

While growing up in the Czech Republic, we ate red cabbage quite often. It’s a staple in Czech cuisine. Then when we moved to the states, my mom would create many various meals with red cabbage. Red cabbage may be prepared either raw, like in salads, or cooked in various ways. Today, I baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes with just a brush of olive oil and salt and pepper. Very simple, but yet so healthy and nutritious. Enjoy!