When you decide to switch to proper nutrition, you definitely think about whether your usual foods are suitable for your diet. For example, is sauerkraut a pp product or not? And since I started scheming specifically with the goal of losing weight, I searched all over the Internet for information about whether sauerkraut is good for a diet. In the end, I found out that the classic recipe for sauerkraut is the very best PP and healthy lifestyle ! Honestly, I was very glad, because in winter and spring my body simply requires crispy, sour cabbage, flavored with aromatic butter and green onions.
The best recipe for traditional sauerkraut
For harvesting for the winter by fermentation, only late and mid-late varieties of cabbage are suitable , which contain a sufficient amount of natural sugars necessary for lactic fermentation. Choose only well-ripened, white, dense forks, with juicy and fresh leaves, without rough veins.
Nutritional value per 100 g:
- Calories: 20
- Proteins: 2
- Fats 0,1
- Carbohydrates: 4,5
Ingredients for 2 liter jars:
- white cabbage – 2 kg;
- rock salt – 40-50 g;
- carrots – 1 large or 2 small (optional).
How to ferment:
Pour boiling water over a head of cabbage, remove the top layer of leaves with damage and dirt. Cut the forks into 4 parts, finely chop each quarter using a knife or shredder, discard the stalk pieces. It is very convenient to chop in a blender with special attachments. In general, then you can do it in 5 minutes.
Peel the carrots and grate coarsely.
Place the chopped vegetables in a deep container in which the cabbage will ferment. An enamel bucket, pan, bowl, and even a multicooker bowl with a ceramic coating are suitable for these purposes.
Add salt. When fermenting cabbage in the classic way, it is important to use regular (rock) salt without iodine, spices or anti-caking additives (such substances are usually added to the extra-finely ground product).
Mix the cabbage, carrots and salt thoroughly with your hands, being careful not to grind or mash.
Press the cabbage until it releases juice. To do this, it is recommended to use a wooden rolling pin or masher; it is better not to work with metal devices.
Cover the tightly compacted cabbage with a flat plate or round wooden cutting board that will fit into the main container in diameter.
Place a weight weighing at least 2 kg on top. The simplest version of oppression is a 2-3 liter jar filled with water. If you plan to ferment cabbage on a regular basis, you can use a specially selected heavy stone. Leave the cabbage under pressure for 48 hours at room temperature. It is important that it is not located in close proximity to heat sources or open windows, or exposed to direct sunlight.
The next day after the start of cooking, the fermentation process will begin. After 2 days, gas will accumulate in the cabbage, which must be released so that the appetizer does not turn sour. To do this, you need to remove the weight and pierce the cabbage in 5-7 places with a thick wooden skewer.
This procedure must be repeated every day until the cabbage is ready. Typically, the fermentation process takes from 3 to 5 days, depending on the volume of the vegetable and the conditions in which it is fermented.
Without rinsing the brine, place the finished cabbage in clean and dry jars of suitable volume, cover with nylon lids and store in a cool, dark place (cellar, refrigerator).
When serving, sauerkraut can be poured with aromatic unrefined oil, seasoned with caraway seeds or other spices, and sprinkled with fresh herbs.
Cole slaw salad
The traditional American coleslaw salad is made from raw white cabbage, to which is sometimes added red cabbage, carrots, beets, bell peppers, onions, celery, fennel, cucumbers, pineapples and apples. Sometimes you can find nuts, dried fruits, cheese, chicken and chili peppers in this salad. Coleslaw can be found on the menu of almost all American cafes and restaurants. In the summer, salad becomes a popular side dish, especially at picnics and barbecues. Try making classic Cole Slaw from young cabbage and carrots with yogurt dressing.
Ingredients:
- white cabbage - 0.5 heads
- carrots - 2 pcs.
- natural yogurt - 150 g
- lemon juice - 2 tsp.
- garlic - 1 clove
- salt - to taste
Cooking method:
- Wash and finely chop the cabbage. Add salt and press with your hands so that it becomes softer and gives juice.
- Wash the carrots and grate them on a medium grater.
- Combine cabbage and carrots in a bowl.
- Prepare the dressing. Press the garlic through a press and add to the yogurt. Add salt and lemon juice, then mix everything well.
- Garnish the coleslaw with fresh parsley leaves.
The salad can be dressed immediately or the sauce can be served separately. It’s better to make several sauces: with cheese, nuts, olive oil with herbs or soy sauce with sesame seeds. Coleslaw gives a lot of scope for culinary experiments!
A little about the benefits and features
So, why is cabbage, which has “survived” the fermentation process, classified as a pp product ? Just don’t forget - we are talking about real sauerkraut - not pickled, not undergone any heat treatment, but fermented. If you don’t know how to prepare this, you can use a proven recipe, below is a step-by-step photo description of the process.
Firstly, it is natural , since in the classic recipe, in addition to the cabbage itself, there are only carrots and salt, that is, no harmful substances, no sugar;
In addition, it is so useful that it can be written in a separate article :
- Vitamin C is a natural immunomodulator and antioxidant. If there is enough of it, then you will not get sick with all sorts of acute respiratory infections, and the aging process will slow down! Vitamin C is water-soluble, that is, the body cannot stock up on it, it must constantly receive it in the right quantity, and sauerkraut is an excellent source;
- B vitamins - responsible for the quality of sleep, which is very important when losing weight, maintaining beauty, and for good brain function;
- Vitamin A means beautiful skin, long youth and energy;
- vitamin K - impeccable functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and female genitourinary system;
- potassium, calcium, iron and other trace elements - improve health and support immunity;
- lactic acid bacteria normalize the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and even prevent some types of oncology!
If you constantly eat this fermentation product in moderate quantities, the body itself will normalize metabolism and the functioning of almost all internal organs, and as a result you will feel more energetic and healthier. And the extra pounds will slowly go away.
Menu for three days
- Morning: oatmeal porridge, assorted fruit two hundred and fifty grams, one glass of yogurt;
- Lunch: sauerkraut pancakes;
- Evening: dietary stewed cabbage along with pieces of lean fish and grated beets.
Or:
- Morning: a little lean meat, a sprig of herbs, a piece of bran bread and a glass of cabbage pickle;
- Lunch: ham (40 gr.), sauerkraut salad and grated apple;
- Evening: soup cooked with the main ingredient.
The weight loss results of a three-day diet are minus one or two kilograms in weight loss. The menus of the first and second options can be alternated.
Weight loss and sauerkraut
Any cabbage is a product that is associated with various “weight loss”, diets, and fat burning. There are even mono-diets based on sauerkraut. But we don’t need extreme sports that are dangerous to our health; we’ll lose weight healthy and tasty. Cabbage from a barrel or jar will not be superfluous in any pp menu!
The KBJU of this weight loss product can be called ideal! Calories - only 20, protein - 2, fat - 0.1, carbohydrates - 4.5!
Moreover, such cabbage is also a product with a negative calorie content , since the body spends more calories on its absorption than it “weighs”! Just be careful - we are talking about cabbage, not seasoned with anything. With any vegetable oil, the calorie content increases. It’s not difficult to calculate the numbers - every teaspoon of any oil increases the calorie content of a serving by 36 kcal!
Sauerkraut also promotes
tartanic acid,
which is found in abundance in the crispy snack, helps with this
Fiber, of which there is a lot in cabbage, does not disappear anywhere after fermentation, so the feeling of fullness after dinner with such cabbage is guaranteed throughout the night.
By the way, even experienced nutritionists often doubt whether they can eat vitamin-rich cabbage in the evening. This is due to the possibility of swelling, because the recipe contains salt. If there are no problems with the kidneys, then any sauerkraut will not harm. And if you prepare it yourself according to the “correct” recipe, where there is a minimum of salt, then swelling is completely eliminated!
Quitting the diet
Very often, after switching to a “pre-diet” diet, excess weight returns again. To prevent this from happening, new foods should be included in the menu gradually, first grains, vegetables and fruits, then heavier meat and fish dishes. And it is better not to consume baked goods, sweets, animal fats, smoked meats and hot seasonings at all. The longer and stricter the diet, the longer the exit from it should be; on average, this period is 7-10 days. At the same time, it is useful to control the calorie content of the daily diet, not allowing it to increase by more than 20 kcal per day.
There are also contraindications
Despite such an abundance of useful qualities, not everyone can eat sauerkraut. It is strictly not recommended for people with high acidity and hypertension.
You need to be more attentive to quantity and quality if:
- there is a tendency to bloating and flatulence;
- unstable blood pressure;
- tachycardia;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The benefits of green nutrition
- This diet works, and quickly. Reviews about losing weight on the cabbage diet are mostly joyful.
- Good old cabbage is a source of folic acid, fiber, 7 minerals, amino acids (including lysine). It contains a lot of vitamins (in particular, cabbage can compete with citrus fruits in terms of the amount of vitamin C). Therefore, cabbage nutrition can be called healthy.
- Cabbage does not lose vitamins even when stored until spring. And after fermentation it even improves its nutritional properties.
- The diet is suitable for diabetics (diabetes of any type), suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, kidney diseases, and liver diseases. Although, of course, if the case is acute or chronic, refrain and do not decide on this (or any other) weight loss without consulting a doctor - and not a nutritionist from the Internet, but a therapist from a clinic.
- The diet not only “slimes” the body, but also helps to get rid of a bulging belly and even “ears” on the hips.
Finally, “green” nutrition helps prevent cancer, because cabbage inhibits the formation of tumors.
By the way: nutritionists are sure that cabbage works best when a person is sleeping. Therefore, preparing this vegetable for dinner is the best idea.
Final tips and secrets
Slightly frozen cabbage acquires a special crunchiness, so in winter, before serving, it can be taken out to the balcony for a short time directly in the jar.
Sauerkraut goes well with any proteins or carbohydrates. For example, baked meat is better absorbed by the body if it is served with sauerkraut.
A vinaigrette with a natural multivitamin supplement will be even healthier and tastier.
Irina Polyanitsa My name is Irina, I am the owner and admin of the site, as well as the author of most of the recipes and articles. I love to cook simple and healthy delicacies. Certified gym instructor, personal trainer. She completed a course on nutrition and health at Stanford University, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, as well as a course at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy (about nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy).
Stuffed cabbage rolls with turkey
When you want familiar homemade dishes on a diet, you can make them according to classic recipes, replacing high-calorie foods with lighter ones. We recommend preparing everyone’s favorite cabbage rolls without frying or “heavy” gravy. Treat yourself to a tasty and healthy dish.
Ingredients:
- white cabbage - 1 head (14–16 cabbage leaves)
- minced turkey - 600 g
- raw rice - 200 g
- ground black pepper - to taste
- carrots - 1 pc.
- onions - 2 pcs.
- tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- vegetable oil - 1 tsp.
- boiling water - 350–500 ml
- greens - to taste
- salt - to taste
Cooking method:
- Boil a head of cabbage in plenty of water for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, separate the cabbage into leaves.
- Following the instructions on the package, cook the rice. When it has cooled, mix it with the minced meat. Add a little salt and pepper.
- Finely chop the onion and simmer it in a frying pan without oil with the addition of 1 tbsp. l. water, stirring constantly.
- Add the onion to the cabbage roll filling and mix well.
- Now prepare the sauce. Grate the carrots, cut the tomatoes into cubes, chop the second onion.
- Heat 1 tsp in a frying pan. oil, add onions, carrots, tomatoes, salt, pepper and fry, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes.
- Pour boiling water into the fry and bring to a boil.
- Prepare the cabbage leaves. Cut out the seals at the base - where the leaf was attached to the stalk. Large hard veins can be lightly beaten with a kitchen hammer.
- Place 2 tbsp on cabbage leaves. l. filling and roll into rolls.
- Place the cabbage rolls in a baking dish and top with vegetable sauce. You can add a little boiling water so that the liquid covers the cabbage rolls by two-thirds.
- Cover the pan with foil.
- Bake cabbage rolls for 30 minutes at 180°C.
- Remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes.
Before serving, decorate the cabbage rolls with herbs. This dish can be eaten with low-fat sour cream or natural yogurt. It is low in fat, so you can easily afford such cabbage rolls on a diet.
Dietary cabbage dishes are not only salads and low-calorie soups. These also include oven-baked cabbage with cheese, vegetable omelet, casserole, cabbage stewed with meat and fish, dough pies with whole grain flour. Such dishes, when prepared correctly, can be tasty and appetizing. And most importantly, you won’t get bored with them, because you can use your favorite spices, additives and sauces.
