This vegetable might be a good ally for melting your belly fat !

Deserts, sand, tumbleweeds and needles – that’s what comes to mind when you hear about cactus and it’s got a pretty bad rep among food lovers for the same reasons. Surprisingly, this prickly food is one of the healthiest things you can include in your daily diet, for it is rich in vitamins and nutrients while also serving a lot of additional benefits. Nopales (the cactus leaf, scientifically called Opuntia) is a food staple in Latin America served mostly with eggs, and salads because of its health benefits.

Rich in phyto-nutrients, cactus adds plethora of fiber to the body when consumed, low in sugar and fat it could be the perfect alternative to too fatty and sugary foods and thus avoiding food craving which could lead to weight gaining. Even if you don’t live in the Wild West or don’t grow cactus at home, it’s readily available in markets and organic stores all over the country in sliced and diced or juiced and jam form to consume at your need.

How can we eat cactus?

Now that you know the benefits of eating cactus, you might be wondering how you can prepare cactus in your daily diet to stay healthy. Cactus pads and pear and cactus fruits are readily edible, however, they can be dry and woody in some cases making it bland while eating. There are several ways you can prepare cactus according to your taste and requirement, but some favorite ways are mentioned here below.

1. Grilled Cactus Pads

Required: 1 pound cactus leaves, olive oil

This can be a interesting meal to cook. All you need is a pound of cactus leaves and olive oil to prepare the grilled cactus pads. Scrub the cactus leaves and remove spines if present. Also cut the spined nodules with a potato peeler and remove all of them. Now, grill the leaves over wood fire or charcoal for 10 to 12 minutes and brush the leaves with oil occasionally on both sides while grilling