The Healthy Temple

Okra pods grow from two inches in length up to eight inches, with the smaller size offering the tenderest, most pleasing flavor. The larger pods tend to become woody and tough. Some have described the flavor of okra as something between an eggplant and asparagus. Neither seems fitting. Okra’s flavor stands above any comparison. When cooked, the texture is soft and the flavor delicate, with the seeds adding delightful character.
If you plan to grow okra in your garden, plant several seeds or seedlings in the early spring for a good summer harvest. Throughout the summer, check the plants daily, harvesting the pods while they are small, two to four inches in length. Okra is available throughout the year in many markets, especially markets that sell Middle Eastern items, but its peak season is summer.
If you would like to add more fiber to your diet, a mere 1/2 cup of cooked okra supplies 2 grams, while that same quantity raw offers 1.3 grams. It offers 1.5 grams of protein for that same quantity cooked, with raw providing 1 gram. Okra has abundant vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and folacin. Its other nutritional attributes include impressive potassium content, providing 257 mg. and calcium content supplying 50 mg. for 1/2 cup cooked.
Okra Nutrition - 100 gr
• Calories = 25
• Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
• Protein = 1.5 grams
• Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
• Vitamin A = 460 IU
• Vitamin C = 13 mg
• Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
• Calcium = 50 mg
• Iron = 0.4 mg
• Potassium = 256 mg
• Magnesium = 46 mgOkra can be served raw, marinated in salads or cooked on its own, and goes well with tomatoes, onions, corn, peppers, and eggplant. Whole, fresh okra pods also make excellent pickles.