Asparagus: The Green Thing

Make the Most of This Iconic Spring Veggie With These Recipes and Preparation Ideas.

Even though it makes your pee smell funny, asparagus should headline every health-conscious woman’s grocery list. Asparagus is super high in key vitamins and minerals and low in calories (less than 30 calories per cup), earning it a top spot on the ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) scale, which measures vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content in relation to calories. Try these five ways to integrate asparagus into your daily diet and reap all the benefits it has to offer.

As a Soluble Side

Just a cup of asparagus contains 18 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin E, which is known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, removing free radicals from the body, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, you should saute your asparagus spears in a little olive oil to help transport that E into your cells, tout suite.