Bacon wrapped veggies are a morning gut-health bundle

Asparagus is a luxury vegetable. It typically features on menus of hotels and lodges. In the market, it costs around Shs8,000 to Shs10,000 a kilogramme. But this not why it is not a common household vegetable. It can look unappetising and not make sense to eat "stems". (Editor thought so).

Is asparagus best eaten raw or cooked?

Use both cooked and raw asparagus in your diet to reap the greatest health benefits. Cooking improves the antioxidant activity. But it also contibutes to loss of heat-sensitive vitamins like Vitamin C.

Body wellness

1. It helps healthy gut bacteria thrive and increase.
2. It eases inflammation and promotes digestive repair
3. Its fibre and protective plant compound content may help ease hangover symptoms, combat liver damage from alcohol.
4. It's rich in folate which is essential in red blood cell production and healthy cells. This is essential especially during pregnancy for foetal development and protection from defects.
5. It is good for blood pressure because of its high potassium content.

Watch out for

It is high in purines which may make health conditions such as gout and kidney stones worse.

It might bring about smelly urine.

If you're allergic to garlic, you might be allergic to asparagus.

You might feel bloated and have stomach wind if it is your first time eating asparagus or you are simply not accustomed to it.

With bacon, asparagus becomes a mouth-watering dish that is ready within 45 minutes.

What you need

1. 1 kilogram fresh asparagus with ends trimmed
2. 12 slices of bacon
3. Half a cup of light brown sugar
4. Half a cup of butter (one stick)
5. I tablespoon soy sauce
6. Half teaspoon garlic salt
7. Quarter teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 200°C or deep-fry.
2. Make 12 separate bundles of asparagus from the bunch. 
3. Wrap a piece of bacon around each bundle towards the bottom of the asparagus tips, and secure the tie with a toothpick.
4. Put the bundles in a low-edge dish.
5. In a medium-sized saucepan, mix the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt and pepper.
6. Heat the mixture until it boils.
7. Pour the hot mixture over the asparagus bundles.
8. Put the dish containing the bundles inside the oven and roast.
9. Leave them in for about 25 minutes during which time the asparagus will begin to wilt a bit and the bacon will be fully cooked.

Serve

Remove toothpicks before serving.