May is National Asparagus Month, and if you haven't yet had the pleasure of enjoying this highly delicious vegetable, this is a great excuse to start! Perhaps you have bad memories of eating asparagus when you were younger, or perhaps you have never learned to cook it, but the truth is, asparagus is an extremely tasty dish that can be served in many ways, and what's more, it is quite healthy for you! If you have a interest in making your diet more healthy as well as more varied, take a look at National Asparagus Month and see what you can find.

There's a whole month devoted to this vegetable, and with a little bit of information, you'll soon see why! Asparagus tops the charts in terms of vegetables that will supply you with a healthy dose of folic acid, and 5.3 ounce of asparagus will provide you with about 60% of the your daily dose of folacin, which you need for blood cell formation. You'll also see that this is extremely beneficial to expecting women, as well as helping you resist various ailments like liver failure. Not only is this vegetable low in calories, it is also low in sodium and will provide you with an excellent source of potassium and vitamin B6.

There are lots of ways to cook asparagus, and you'll find that it is perfect when it comes to a variety of different cuisines. For instance, asparagus can bring some greenery to a stir-fry. Cut the spears into diagonally-slanted pieces that are about half an inch long and then you'll be able to stir-fry it in butter or hot oil with a medium high heat. You can cook them this way until they are tender while still remaining crisp, which takes only about three to five minutes.

For something a little more plain, take fresh asparagus and cook it boiling water, which only takes about five to eight minutes. With this recipe, simply add salt and pepper to taste and serve it side by side with a richer meat dish. Asparagus has a singularly fresh taste that is ideal when it comes to off-setting something that is rich or salty. Once you get a little bit of experience with asparagus, you'll find that there are a variety of different foods that will complement and suit it. If you like dairy, cream of asparagus soup is quite healthy and delicious, while golden asparagus soup uses asparagus, ginger and chicken stock to create a rich and tasty appetizer.

As you can see, asparagus is a great way to eat more healthily, and you'll find that with a little bit of time and experimentation, you'll have plenty of options open to you when it comes to this highly versatile vegetable.

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