Red cabbage has seen its sales jump 50% in the past year, thanks to its status as a health food, research has shown.

Though many of us may associate red cabbage with Christmas time when it is often roasted with spices, it would seem that the benefits of red cabbage over green have led to a huge boost in all-year-round sales.

According to The Grocer, sales of the brightly coloured vegetable rose from 366 tonnes to 545 tonnes in the year up to 1^st February 2015. This is an increase of 48.9%!

The great news for producers of red cabbage was announced on 17^th February, which is National Cabbage Day. Agricultural director of Produce World Group spoke about the benefits of red cabbage, saying: “Cabbage has been a part of a staple diet of many UK households for years due to its nutritional value and versatility as a vegetable … Luckily the UK has ideal growing conditions. Produce World provides enough for nearly half a million UK consumers each year.”

Red cabbage has twice the iron content as green cabbage and also boasts ten times for Vitamin A which plays a role in immune function, vision, antioxidant activity and skin and cellular health, to name but a few. 

To get more of this wonder veg into your diet, why not grate some with carrot and onion for a colourful coleslaw or chop some into your salad?