I is for Italian Onions

Alphabet of Healthy Foods

I is for Italian Onions 🧅 🇮🇹

This time I am looking at the benefits of including Italian Onions into your cooking and your diet. Onions make our food tasty but also provide an array of health benefits. Italian Onions (Cipolle di Tropea) are a sweet red onion from Calabria they are known for being mild, sweet and slightly elongated. Italian onions are a low-calorie food while adding some fibre but as with all onion varieties importantly they are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Here are some of the key vitamins and minerals in Italian Onions:

🧅  Italian Onions contain Vitamin C which I hope you know by now boosts our immune system and is also good for keeping your skin looking fresh and healthy. One medium Italian onion has about 7 mg of vitamin C—roughly 10% of your daily needs.

🧅 These onions also contain B Vitamins, B6 and folate, which help with energy and brain function.

🧅  Italian onions contain Potassium approximately 146 mg per onion. Potassium may help keep your blood pressure balanced and your muscles working smoothly.

🧅 These onions also contain a small amount of Calcium, about 23 mg per onion, which is good for bones and teeth.

🧅 They also contain Magnesium which supports the nervous system, muscles, and may support our mood.

Italian onions are a powerful antioxidant containing quercetin and flavonoids. These help fight inflammation and are linked to lower risks of heart disease. The sulphur compounds which sometimes make my eyes water, may also help with cholesterol and have some natural antibacterial effects.

I always start any soup recipe I am making by frying onions in a little olive oil and a knob of butter. Italian onions have a slightly more subtle and gentler flavour than other varieties, so they are also excellent raw in salads.

Live with joy and health 💚

Elizabeth Beetham