Bok choy is available year-round. Because it is a cold-weather vegetable, availability is good during the winter. Bok Choy also known as bak choi, paak choi, Chinese chard cabbage and Chinese mustard cabbage is a vegetable that resembles celery although it is actually a member of the cabbage family. It has thick, white stalks and dark green leaves that have a round shape.
Currently, you can buy bok choy in many ethnic grocery stores and in many larger supermarkets. When purchasing bok choy, select stalks that are pure white and firm. Look for leaves that are dark green and non-wilted. Don’t buy bok choy that has any brown spots on its leaves, as this type of bok choy is less flavorful. Baby bok choy is also an excellent choice.
Because bok choy is a member of the cabbage family, you can cook it as you would a cabbage. When cooked, it has a sweet flavor and its stalks are firm. Another reason that bok choy is becoming popular to use, besides its similarity to cabbage, is because of its nutritional value.
Bok Choy contains no fat and is a great choice for getting lots of vitamin C, calcium and vitamin A. Bok Choy also contains glucosinolates, which may prevent cancer.
The following nutrition information is for one serving of bok choy. That would be about one cup shredded bok choy, or 70 grams. This general information is for any variety of raw bok choy.
Bok Choy Nutrition Facts
| MacroNutrients | MicroNutrients | PhytoNutrients |
|---|---|---|
| Water: 66.72 g | Calcium: 74 mg | Beta Carotene: 1877 mcg |
| Calories: 9 | Iron: 0.56 mg | Beta Cryptoxanthin: 0 mcg |
| Protein: 1.05 g | Magnesium: 13 mg | Lycopene: 0 mcg |
| Carbohydrates: 1.53 g | Phosphorus: 26 mg | Lutein and Zeaxanthin: 28 mcg |
| Fiber: 0.7 g | Potassium: 176 mg | |
| Sugars: 0.83 g | Sodium: 46 mg | |
| Total Fat: 0.14 g | Zinc: 0.13 mg | |
| Saturated Fat: 0.018 g | Vitamin C: 31.5 mg | |
| Monounsaturated Fat: 0.011 g | Thiamin: 0.028 mg | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.067 g | Riboflavin: 0.049 mg | |
| Cholesterol: 0 mg | Niacin: 0.350 mg | |
| Pantothenic Acid: 0.062 mg | ||
| Vitamin B6: 0.136 mg | ||
| Vitamin B12: 0 mcg | ||
| Folate: 46 mcg | ||
| Vitamin A: 3128 IU | ||
| Vitamin E: 0.06 mg | ||
| Vitamin K: 25.1 mcg |
Source of Information:
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
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