Why eating cactus should make you love vegetables

Today, I met a young lady named Kenya at the Pomona Farmers Market. Kenya transports her produce from Arvin, California each Saturday morning in order to sell it at the market.

Uncooked cactus. Photo by me.

While looking around each produce stand, cactus continuously caught my eye. So, I decided to ask Kenya about the low calorie vegetable.

She went into detail on how cactus is a great source of both Vitamin A and C.

According to Livstrong.com, the vegetable also has the potential to lower cholesterol and lower blood sugar.

Kenya sells produce to a Pomona Farmers Market customer. Photo taken by me.

Kenya provided the cactus, prickle free and she instructed that I prepare it one of the following ways:

Cooked cactus. Photo by me.

1. Boil it on the stove. Sprinkle salt to taste after cooking.
2. Cook it in a skillet. Sprinkle salt to taste after cooking.
3. Cut the raw cactus into thin slices and add it to a salad.

I cooked it in a skillet on the stove. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Cactus is not only filling, but it is tasty. It has so much flavor that you may not need to add salt.

When you cook it, parts of the cactus start to turn brown. It begins to look slightly slimy, due to the amount of water cactus holds. That is a sign it is ready to eat!

Typically, vegetables aren’t people’s first choice of food, but somehow this one manages to offer the perfect amount of uniquely savory flavor to satisfy your taste buds!