Regular Celery Vs. Heart-shaped Celery: Which One Is Better For You?
Is there anything more fun than a good ol’ fashioned “versus” post?
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It’s like a rap battle or one of those old-school tennis matches between two aging stars—it’s just a good time.
So, in that spirit, let’s get to it: celery versus celery hearts.
That’s right, we’re down to the nitty-gritty (or rather, the crunchy grit) of this ingredient with our tried and true versus format.
What’s special about celery?
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Celery is a type of vegetable that is high in fiber and low in calories, fat and sodium.
It also contains vitamins A, C, E and K as well as calcium, iron and magnesium.
In addition to its many nutritional benefits, celery can be a great way to add variety to your diet.
Celery has been shown to help protect against cancer because it contains phytochemicals (plant-based chemicals) called luteolin and apigenin that help prevent tumor formation by suppressing inflammatory pathways in the body.
Celery has also been shown to reduce blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels; this effect may be due to its high potassium content or other compounds found in celery leaves that act on receptors for angiotensin II (a hormone involved with regulating blood pressure).
What’s special about celery heart?
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Celery hearts are tender, mild, and easy to prepare.
They’re also very popular in the United States.
They were selected as one of the “10 Best Superfoods” by Health magazine in 2012, and they have been included on the menus of many fine restaurants.
Because celery hearts are so versatile, they can be used in a wide range of dishes ranging from soups and salads to stir-fries and casseroles.
You can even substitute them for whole stalks when making stocks or broths!
How many stalks are in a celery heart?
Celery hearts are the center of a celery stalk, and they’re the most tender part of each piece.
They’re also very flavorful; you can use them in soups and stews or on their own as a snack food.
Celery hearts have many health benefits, including reducing inflammation in your body.
How many stalks are in a celery heart?
You can find out by following these steps:
- Cut off the bottom of a stalk of celery until it falls apart into separate pieces (this should give you about 4-5 individual stalks).
- Separate those pieces into “hearts” (the centers).
- Each heart will have about 4-5 ribs attached to it, which are also edible!
How do you use celery hearts?
Celery hearts are best when they’re the star of the show, but they can also be a nice addition to other dishes.
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Celery hearts have a crisp texture and mild flavor that allows them to be used in both raw and cooked foods.
The following recipes will give you some ideas on how to use this versatile vegetable:
- Celery Heart & Carrot Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
- Red Quinoa, Celery Heart & Walnut Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (pictured above)
- Chilled Cucumber Soup with Celery Hearts
What’s the difference between celery stalk and celery hearts?
Celery stalks are the long, thin, fibrous part of the celery plant.
They’re often used for preparing soups and stews or as a healthy alternative to bread for dipping in a sandwich.
Celery hearts are the small, tender, greenish-white part of the celery plant that can be eaten raw or cooked.
They make an excellent addition to salads and stir-fries because of their light crunchy texture and mild flavor.
Celery hearts have less than half as much sodium as their stalk counterparts (0 milligrams vs 2 mg per serving).
Additionally, celery hearts also have fewer calories (13 vs 14 kcal per 100 g), more potassium (246 mg vs 115 mg), more vitamin C (10 mg vs 5%), more calcium (12 mg vs 1 mg) and more magnesium (20 mg vs 15 mg).
What’s the similarity between celery stalk and celery hearts?
Celery stalks and celery hearts are part of the same plant.
Celery is a type of vegetable that belongs to the Apiaceae family and is closely related to carrots and parsley.
While celery stalks are used as an ingredient in many dishes, including soups, salads, and stir-fries, they also make great snacks on their own thanks to their crunchy texture.
Celery stalks contain lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber and water—which makes them low in calories but high in nutrients!
A cup of chopped celery contains about 20 calories; one medium stalk contains about 5 grams of fiber (more than half your daily recommended intake); plus it contains vitamin K & A which helps keep your heart healthy too!
It’s also rich in potassium magnesium so it may help lower blood pressure naturally over time if consumed regularly – these minerals help regulate fluid balance throughout our bodies which helps maintain healthy bowel movements too!
Are celery hearts better than celery?
Celery stalks are often more flavorful than the hearts, but there is no reason to buy them when you can get celery hearts for the same price.
Celery hearts are also easier to peel and slice into smaller pieces than celery stalks, which makes them great for salads or stir-fries.
The main difference between the two is that celery hearts have a softer texture and a milder flavor than celery stalks do.
However, they also contain less moisture, so they don’t work as well in soups or other dishes where liquid helps cook the vegetable down into submission.
Conclusion
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So, to get back to the question—are celery hearts actually better than regular celery?
The answer is yes and no.
To some palates, they are.
If you’re used to eating regular celery, then yes, it’s time to give the hearts a try!
On the other hand, if you don’t really like celery in general (and who can blame you?), then there’s nothing special about these inner stalks—they taste just like any other part of a celery plant.
But still, give them another chance; there are so many great ways to prepare this healthy vegetable that it might be worth another shot.
Maybe next time your grocery store has them in stock, pick up a bunch and see what you think!
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