Is the viral broccoli hack on TikTok healthy? Nutrition expert warns against clever hack

Who knew broccoli could be such a dividing element? The vibrant vegetable that provides surplus nutrients has become the cause of a debate on TikTok. When TikToker Steph2302 recently shared a video detailing her unique way of chopping the green vegetable, TikTokers found themselves arguing around the process’ wastage and impact on health. Stephanie first immersed the head of the vegetable in boiling water with its stem outside until it was soft. This process made it easier to chop smaller florets from the head of the broccoli, but left the stem unused.

While some thought boiling the broccoli until it was soft drained it off its nutrients, some were worried about the uncooked and, possibly, unused stem that would go to waste. However, some praised the hack for effortlessly chopping the nutritious vegetable. But when a nutritionist pointed out the loss of nutrients the method caused, the hack came under question.

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What are the concerns around the viral broccoli hack?

TikTok has increasingly become the platform to share the best hacks, be it life hacks, fashion or styling hacks or food and food recipes. This hack also began the same way. A TikToker from the UK, Stephanie showed the world how she chopped the entire flower by first boiling it until it was completely soft, leaving the stem uncooked and then easily chopping it into small florets that are almost cooked. The process reduces the cooking time and effort of the person doing the cooking. Great, right?

Some people thought so. A user commented, “I think this is a brilliant idea, less mess! I’m going to try it next time.” Another amazed user commented, “you [Stephanie] just changed my life.”

But that was not it. Slowly, arguments against this method began popping up. The first argument was around the amount of wastage not cooking the stem would cause. One user commented, “Don’t waste the stem girl.” While another, taking a more stern tone, said, “I am actually appalled at the stem wastage woah.”

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Australian nutritionist Lyndi Cohen objects to the broccoli hack

Among the disapproving netizens, a bigger concern with this hack emerged when several people, including Australian nutritionist Lyndi Cohen, rejected the method. They argued that boiling the cabbage family member for so long, until it was so soft it could be cut using a fork, also killed the nutrients of the vegetable, like Vitamins E, K, calcium and polyphenols.

Speaking to Kidspot, Cohen said:

"When you boil broccoli you lose up to 90 per cent of the nutrients, ending up with very nutrient-rich water which most people throw away."

On the issue of not using the stem, which some claim is more nutritious than the florets, Cohen denied the claim but still suggested using the stem since it possesses ample fibers that can impact your immune system and mood for the better.

Further, Cohen also proposed that people cook it by blanching, stir frying, grilling or baking it. The addition of olive oil to the vegetable, according to Cohen, would help the body absorb nutrients from the vegetable. From the looks of it, the validity of the broccoli hack demonstrated by TikToker Stephanie has been put under question. While TikTok can be a place to get life-changing information from, this incident goes on to show that no hack should be followed blindly.