Broccoli vs. Pork Rinds: : No Contest

The broccoli brouhaha created by President Bush’s distaste for the green stuff reveals two things about mothers: They always tell you to eat your vegetables. And they always know best.

Bush says his mother’s harping --”my mother made me eat it”--generated his intense hatred of broccoli. But now, wielding presidential power, Bush has banned broccoli from his sight.

Of course, the American Dietetic Assn. has something to say about the matter.

“Tsk. Tsk.”

Bush’s mother was right. Broccoli has 27 calories per half-cup serving compared to 151 calories per one-ounce serving of pork rinds, one of Bush’s favorite foods. Broccoli has less than half a gram of fat; pork rinds have 9.3 grams of fat. Broccoli is high in vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium.

Pork rinds are not.

The California Broccoli Shippers are secure about the value of their veggie. Production has climbed steadily since 1986. So someone is eating it. It’s just that, until now, no one really talked about it, says spokeswoman Lisa Cork.

“Let’s face it: Broccoli on its surface is not an interesting commodity,” Cork says. “It has done nothing to garner national attention prior to President Bush’s giving us this opportunity.”

The California Broccoli Shippers have taken this opportunity to ship 10 tons of broccoli to food banks in Washington along with recipes.

“I don’t think broccoli is the most hated vegetable, but I think it’s the most misunderstood,” Cork says. “Traditionally, people think broccoli is put in boiling water for 10 or 15 minutes and is served soft and mushy on the plate.”

Broccoli needs the right touch. Try lightly steamed or stir-fried. “This way it retains its crispness,” Cork says. “It enhances its green color, really bringing out its natural beauty.”

But beauty, as we know, is in the eye of the beholder.