Healthy Artichoke Hearts Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat artichokes? ›

Some people choose to peel away the petals of the artichoke and only eat the center, or "heart.” However, some of the best nutrients are concentrated in the leaves. To get the full health benefits, you can pull the leaves off the artichoke and scrape off the meaty part with your teeth.

First, they're loaded with potassium, a mineral that helps maintain normal heart rhythm and controls blood pressure. Artichokes also contain powerful phytonutrients and antioxidants that may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease and boost the body's immune system.

Are marinated artichoke hearts good for you? Absolutely! They are very high in fiber and contain a multitude of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, phosphorus, and magnesium. They are also a rich source of potassium and antioxidants.

May improve liver health

It also increases the production of bile, which helps remove harmful toxins from your liver ( 8 ). In one study, artichoke leaf extract decreased inflammation and liver cell death in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( 16 ).

Add artichoke hearts to dips, salads, pizzas, soups, wraps, sandwiches, pastas, and all of your favorite dishes. Check out our Using Artichoke Hearts video for ideas. Roasted with Savory Herbs. Bake artichokes in the oven with lemon, olive oil, basil, mint and Italian parsley.

When choosing canned artichokes, you'll find that they're usually sold either whole or quartered in a saltwater solution. When you open a can of artichokes, be sure to rinse them thoroughly so that all you're left with is the sweet, slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture of the vegetable.

Before you add them to any recipe, make sure to rinse off the salt and drain them well.

The purple flowering artichoke has a floral, citrusy aroma that pairs well with other citrus-scented ingredients such as lemons, limes, bergamots and grapefruit. Fresh herbs like basil, cilantro and even chile peppers complement the artichoke's floral notes, as do meats like duck, bacon and fried gamba (shrimp).

"Unfortunately, people with irritable bowel syndrome may have trouble tolerating artichoke hearts because they are high in fructans, a FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) that is not well digested," she explains.

How many artichoke hearts should I eat a day? ›

When giving a number of recommended artichokes, we could say that there is no exact number. Still, eating about 2 or 3 servings per week is recommended to leave room for other very beneficial foods that will provide other much-needed nutrients.

Anti Inflammatory

Artichokes have long been used as a digestive aid to reduce inflammation and therefore symptoms of IBS, including bloating, abdominal pain, and cramps, as well as reducing both diarrhea and constipation through normalization of GI mobility.

Whole globe artichokes can be purchased fresh, and artichoke hearts are available frozen, canned in water, or jarred in olive oil and spices. The oil-packed ones are a little higher in healthy fat, but draining the oil will help save some calories.

The difference comes in with the flavor. In the marinated variety, the hearts are layered in a jar with spices and herbs and topped with brine and in the plain old canned artichoke hearts, they're plain and packed in water.

Canned artichokes do not necessarily need to be cooked as they are already pre-cooked during the canning process. They can be consumed straight from the can. Some people prefer to heat them before consuming for various reasons, such as enhancing the flavor or achieving a warmer temperature.

Artichokes are healthy vegetables that deliver nutrients like fiber, vitamin K and magnesium, and antioxidants like cynarin and silymarin. Canned, jarred or frozen artichoke hearts make it easy for us to enjoy them year-round.

You can boil, grill, braise, or stuff and bake artichokes. But my favorite way to cook artichokes, and the easiest way to cook them, is to steam them. I find that boiling artichokes tends to water-log them, but steaming artichokes cooks them with just the right amount of moisture.