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Dietician shares genius hack for using leftover broccoli stems: 'Probably my favorite part'

"I love broccoli stalks."

Broccoli stems food waste hack

Photo Credit: @streetsmart.rd/ Tiktok

Zucchini muffins get an extra green boost thanks to this TikToker's genius hack that uses up a common kitchen scrap leftover: broccoli stems.

The scoop

In the video shared by TikToker Cara Harbstreet (@streetsmart.rd), a registered dietician, she shows off the inventive hack. She captions the video, "Out: 'stealth health' and tricking yourself into eating more veggies. In: getting creative with veggie scraps to waste less food and save more [money]."

@streetsmart.rd OUT: Stealth health" and tricking yourself into eating more veggies IN: getting creative with veggie scraps to waste less food and save more $$$! Shred or grate leftover veggies and add to your favorite zucchini bread recipe #dietitiansoftiktok #foodwastesolution #haveaplant #zucchinibread #bakingtiktok #gentlenutrition #cookitcrew ♬ Flowers - Miley Cyrus

The hack shows her grating up a few broccoli stems and adding them to a zucchini muffin batter topped with pecans and sugar. 

"I will be shredding leftover veggies for my zucchini muffin recipe from now on," she says.

🗣️ What's your biggest motivation in trying to reduce your personal food waste?

🔘 Saving money 💰

🔘 Helping the planet 🌎

🔘 Not being a wasteful person 😇

🔘 I don't think about reducing food waste 🤷

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

How it's helping

When you buy broccoli, you're paying for those thick stems in addition to the more "edible" parts, and most people just toss them into the trash or compost. Of course, composting your veggie scraps is great and can help you to grow more vegetables, too.

But those broccoli stalks are just as edible as the florets — and like the florets, they are super healthy. In fact, broccoli stems contain more calcium, iron, and vitamin C than the more favored florets.

If muffins aren't your thing, you can use broccoli stems in a number of different ways. Try shredding broccoli stems into rice, similar to cauliflower rice. You can spiralize them like zucchini noodles, add them to your pesto or hummus, roast them like Brussels sprouts, or add them to your veggie broth.

What everyone's saying

"I love broccoli stalks," wrote one TikToker. "Probably my favorite part of broccoli."

"I love to bake," wrote another. "I also like doing savory fritters with the stems, too."

Harbstreet said she loves those, too, writing, "I haven't made those in a while, but maybe next weekend."

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