I would never try to convince you that Southern foods are the healthiest foods in the world. I mean, take okra for instance. As a kid, I only ate okra if it was pickled and stuffed in a jar (which I loved for a quick, salty snack) or sliced and batter-fried to within a inch of its life. I couldn’t even rightly recognize fried okra as okra were it not for the tiny little pods that go “Pop!” when you bite into them.

I still enjoy a pickled okra spear now and then and will never pass up a helping of fried okra - even when the grease has made the paper plate transparent. But now I know that I can also enjoy okra in its more naturally nutritious state - raw and sliced on a salad, stirred in to thicken a vegetable stew, or sliced lengthwise and mixed with tomatoes, onions, and red chil in an Indian bhindi masala.

Considering my okra origins, I was pleasantly surprised to learn how nutritious these seed pods really are!

Why okra is awesome:

- Okra is an affordable, low-calorie way to add thickness and savory flavour to a dish without adding sodium, fat, or cholesterol.

- Okra is an immunity-boosting treat. Eat just 8 little pods, and you’ll have met a third of your daily needs for vitamin C!

- Those same 8 pods will also support your cardiovascular health and your digestion by providing you with a hearty helping of your daily fibre needs - in terms of both soluble and insoluble.

These powerful pods are packed with at least 6 other important vitamins and minerals. Click here to find out which ones …

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