Food shopping right now is a difficult experience. Shelves have been empty, people look worried and many are walking away not always getting what they need and feeling frustrated. With this in mind, I am trying to make easy low carb foods that have ingredients that are easy to get and last me a few meals. This is a versatile dish and very easy to make. You can use canned tomatoes or pasta sauce if you are able to get them or just purchase fresh tomatoes in their place. Fortunately, in this time of uncertainty people are stocking up on the canned goods and not interested in the fresh produce. By adding fresh produce you are also controlling the amount of sugar and salt that ends up in this dish. I used a mixture of red and white cabbage to add colour and variety. (Be careful cutting the red cabbage as it will temporarily stain your hands) Take advantage of all those fresh veggies out there!

Cabbage is a pretty big part of this meal and is definitely a vegetable that you can buy a few of and store for up to 4 weeks in the fridge. If you have access to a cold cellar, cabbage will keep for 3-4 months in a cold moist area.

Cabbage is a great vegetable for a low carb diet and for those with diabetes. Cabbage is full of antioxidant and antihyperglycemic  properties (counteracts the accumulation of excess sugar in the blood). Cabbage is low in calories and high in fibre and low on the glycemic index with a value of 10. GI (glycemic index) is an indicator of how fast the carbs raise blood glucose levels in your blood. Foods low on the scale tend to release glucose slowly and steadily and foods high on the index release glucose rapidly.

Cabbage is super versatile. You can eat it raw in salads, cooked in a dish like this and pickled or fermented. Pickled items such as Sauerkraut and Kimchi have live bacteria and beneficial probiotics that are produced during the fermentation process which is excellent for gut health. Sauerkraut is also an excellent form of dietary fibre and contains vitamins C and K, potassium, calcium and phosphorus.