Twelve years ago I had the opportunity to make a trip to Germany on business. One of the things I was most excited about, and made me a touch nervous, was the opportunity to sample German cuisine. After all, everyone knows German beer must be delicious, but I was none too interested in trying steak tartare! Imagine my surprise when I arrived to discover the locals singing the praises of white asparagus.

My experience with asparagus was the pencil-thin stringy stuff from childhood that I perpetually refused to eat, so I was skeptical to say the least. Imagine my surprise the first time they put stalks of white asparagus out on the table! The stuff was twice as big around as my thumb, and far better tasting. I’ve been on the lookout for this delectable vegetable ever since.

Benefits of White Asparagus

The unique coloration of white asparagus develops through a process called etiolation, which happens when the vegetable is deprived of sunlight. This prevents the development of chlorophyll, and stimulates larger growth than its green cousin, providing a milder, more delicate flavor. Providing an array of nutritional benefits, asparagus is particularly noted for being low in calories, cholesterol and sodium, while also being a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, fiber, thiamin, folic acid, and glutathione. A 5.3-ounce serving of asparagus also provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, which may be integral to the prevention of neural tube defects. White asparagus in particular, is noted for being a good food source of aspartic acid. You can incorporate this salad into a healthy eating routine as outlined in Thaya’s guide on how to lose belly fat.

Preparation

A few weeks ago, I discovered canned white asparagus at a novelty grocery shop, and snagged some off the shelf. Combining this with sweet banana peppers, jalapenos, purple peppers, and cherry tomatoes from my garden sounded like a winning combination for a salad.

Garden fresh peppers were washed in a dilute solution of lemon juice and water for safety’s sake, and sliced into thin rings, then distributed over a bed of romaine hearts. Toss in some sliced hard boiled egg whites for added protein and douse with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing, and I ended up with a salad that was delectable.

The process of canning the white asparagus definitely seems to soften this delicate vegetable, so the texture was different than I remembered. Having said that, the flavor was still well preserved, and it’s nothing at all like the green asparagus to which most of us in the U.S. are accustomed.

Recipe

• 1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced white mushrooms
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced into thin rings
• 4 banana peppers, sliced into thin rings
• 7 white asparagus spears, canned or peeled then boiled
• 3 egg whites, hard boiled
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
• Artichoke hearts, 6 pieces
• 1/4 cup diced sweet purple peppers

Nutritional Facts

• 217 Calories
• 16.3-grams protein
• 4.2-gams fiber
• 9.8-grams fat
• 24.8-grams carbohydrates

What about you? Have you ever experimented with white asparagus, and if so, what was your favorite recipe?

Low Calorie Fresh Homemade Gatorade

• 1 quart of cold water
• 1 lime (or 1 lemon or 1 orange)
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 1 tsp of salt
• few ice cubes

Squeeze the lime/lemon/orange juice out into the 1 quart of water. Throw in the sugar, honey, salt, and then mix until every dissolves. Throw some ice cubes in there to get it super chilled (perfect aid during a rigorous workout).

High Calorie Fresh Homemade Gatorade

Just increase sugar and honey to your preferred taste. I usually don’t exceed more than 2 tbsp of sugar or honey.

Other Flavors

You can always substitute the lime, lemon, orange with a fruit juice of your choice or a packet of KoolAid. I wouldn’t recommend bottled juices or KoolAid though because it’s not really “fresh”.

Post Workout Recovery

After a tough workout, pair your homemade low-calorie gatorade with some protein shakes and your body will thank you for providing adequate hydration and nutrients for recovery.