What Is Kohlrabi?
In this week's episode of 'Uncommon Ingredients in Mamamade Meals', we're taking a closer look at kohlrabi.
If you've browsed our meals, you may have come across our Spinach & Kohlrabi Porridge and wondered, what on earth is kohlrabi? And why have Mamamade chosen to put vegetables inside their porridges...?
We're here to give you all the info on this nutrient-packed vegetable and to explain why we add veg to some of our porridge mixes!
What is Kohlrabi?
Kohlrabi is a part of the cabbage family known as Brassicas, which includes cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It looks a little like a turnip, but don't be fooled - kohlrabi is not a root vegetable.
Kohlrabi gets its name from two German-rooted words - Köhl, meaning cabbage, and Rabi which means turnip in Swiss German.
Kohlrabi has a long leafy stem and a round bulb which is usually purple, pale green or white, and is a white-yellow colour on the inside. The leaves, stems and bulbs of kohlrabi can be eaten cooked or raw, and it's an easy swap for many recipes.
It's got a cabbage-like smell and the taste of broccoli stems but slightly sweeter, peppery bite. Not only is it delicious, but it's also packed with great nutrition and boasts numerous healthy benefits.
Health Benefits of Kohlrabi
- It's a great source of fibre which promotes gut health
- Kohlrabi is high in vitamin C
- It contains vitamin B6 which supports immune health
- Kohlrabi is high in antioxidants
- It is a source of potassium
The bottom line is, kohlrabi is a fantastic ingredient with nutrients that are linked to various healthy benefits. We use Kohlrabi in our Spinach and Kohlrabi Porridge because of its amazing nutritional benefits for babies.
While adults may not choose to have a veg-based porridge for breakfast, we recommend weaning your baby with more bitter flavours as opposed to going straight to sweeter fruit-based porridges and mixes, which babies often prefer. This helps parents train their little one's palates to accept more savoury flavours.
We also know that many parents find that for weaning their babies, breakfast is the 'easiest' meal of the day which babies often take to the fastest. This means breakfast is a great opportunity to introduce babies to new veg. We include sweet potato and beetroot in some of our porridge mixes to help support this, too!
If you're getting bored of peas and carrots and are looking to experiment with new veg in the kitchen, then we recommend kohlrabi as an easy, versatile ingredients to add to your recipes.
If you're looking to introduce your little one to a wider variety of foods but perhaps don't have the time, then Mamamade are here to help. Our organic baby meals contain over 80 plant-based ingredients, ensuring your little one gets plenty of exposure to healthy, delicious, homemade-quality food without the prep!
