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r Eggplant
Nutritional Profile
Energy value (calories per serving): Low
Protein: Moderate
Fat: Low
Saturated fat: Low
Cholesterol: None
Carbohydrates: High
Fiber: High
Sodium: Low
Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin C (low)
Major mineral contribution: Potassium (low)About the Nutrients in This Food
Eggplant is a high-fiber food with only minimum amounts of vitamins and
minerals. One cup (100 g/3.5 ounces) boiled eggplant has 2.5 mg dietary
fiber and 1.3 mg vitamin C (2 percent of the RDA for a woman, 1 percent
of the RDA for a man).
In 1992, food scientists at the Autonomous University of Madrid
studying the chemistry of the eggplant discovered that the vegetable’s
sugar content rises through the end of the sixth week of growth and
then falls dramatically over the next 10 days. The same thing happens
with other flavor chemicals in the vegetable and with vitamin C, so the
researchers concluded that eggplants taste best and are most nutritious
after 42 days of growth. NOTE: Eggplants are members of the nightshade
family, Solanacea. Other members of this family are potatoes, tomatoes,
and red and green peppers. These plants produce natural neurotoxins
(nerve poisons) called glycoalkaloids. It is estimated that an adult would
have to eat 4.5 pounds of eggplant at one sitting to get a toxic amount of
solanine, the glycoalkaloid in eggplant.The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food
The eggplant’s two culinary virtues are its meaty texture and its ability
to assume the flavor of sauces in which it is cooked. As a result, it is often
used as a vegetarian, no-cholesterol substitute for veal or chicken in Italian