Is There A Difference Between Green And Red Cabbage

Cabbage is a versatile vegetable with a reach that spans many different cultures including Chinese, Mediterranean, French, and German cuisine. The word "cabbage" comes from the French word caboche, meaning "head" and this plentiful head of goodness can be prepared as a side dish or the star of the show. There are as many ways to prepare this nutrient-dense vegetable as there are varieties, but the most important difference between the red and green cabbage is the nutritional content. The colors of a vegetable are a good indicator of the types of nutrients it contains. This is the reason that nutritionists encourage people to include vegetables and fruits from all different colors of the rainbow in their diets. 

Red vegetables are likely to have higher concentrations of beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A. While vitamin A can be toxic at very high levels it is a necessary nutrient for maintaining eye health because it helps regulate moisture and keep the cornea lubricated. It also produces a pigment in the retina that allows your eyes to adjust to different levels of light. Both red and green cabbage contain some vitamin A, but purple wins in this category with 993 units which is 20% of the recommended daily value compared to green cabbage which contains 87.2 units or less than 1% of the daily value.

Green cabbage beats red cabbage in the categories of Vitamin K and Folate with 67.6 units of vitamin K compared to purple's 34 units.  Red cabbage also has 38.2 units of folate compared to green cabbage's 16 units. The category with the most significant win for red cabbage is in the omega's which are a type of fatty acid that our bodies cannot produce. Since we can't produce it, we must get it from our food, and red cabbage contains about 40 times more omega-3 acids than green cabbage as well as twice the amount of omega-6. 

The flavor profile for the two types of cabbage is another category that sets them apart. The difference in vitamin and mineral content not only affects the color of the two varieties but it also affects the flavor and taste. Red cabbage is said to have a stronger more pungent flavor while green has a milder, sweeter flavor similar to butter lettuce. A slightly sweeter flavor makes green more ideal for recipes that require raw cabbage, like cabbage salad. Purple, on the other hand, can add an extra hint of color to the visual palette as a sweet, tangy side dish. Despite their differences, there's really no way to lose when choosing between purple and green cabbage. Any variety you choose will be high in nutrients while low in calories, making either an ideal choice for adding value to your recipes.