Following the infamous kale veggie fad, cauliflower is the new vegetable dancing onto millennials’ plates. As if it were a fashion trend, numerous news sources have reported on the surge of cauliflower popularity. This mirrors the obsession that everyone had with the kale trend, making us wonder if cauliflower’s popularity was planted in a similarly mysterious way.

Regardless of its origins, recipe websites and veggie consumers everywhere seem to be embracing the cauliflower renaissance. Browsing #cauliflower on Instagram will fill your phone with glamour shots of the white, fluffy vegetable that you never knew you needed to see. Not only does a side of roasted cauliflower light up social media food pics, it3’s also a great substitute for rice, bread, and even steak. If you’re counting calories, cauliflower gives you significant leeway to replace carbs. It’s also easier to get full on about 200 calories by eating a large head of cauliflower as opposed to 5 ounces of pasta.

So, if cauliflower is really that nutrient dense and low calorie, why is it just now gaining so much attention? Kale demanded the spotlight from around 2012 to now, leaving little room for other foods to cut in. We also tend to assume that green veggies like kale are healthierfor us, making cauliflower’s white blooms seem like an inferior choice. However, cauliflower does the same things that most superfoods brag about -- boosting cardio health, decreasing cancer risks, and helping brain health.

While some may claim that cauliflower is the new kale, technically they both come from the same type of plant, so this statement is a little redundant. Despite its new presence on the superfood scene, cauliflower is actually a part of the Brassica oleracea species that’s brought fame to veggie stars like kale, brussel sprouts, and collard greens. Considering the health benefits that doctors and blogs raveabout, we’re pretty sure that roasting a bundle of the Brassica oleracea foods would give you superhuman abilities.

If there’s anything to gain from the ever-changing superfood hierarchy, it’s the knowledge that there’s always another too-good-to-be-true vegetable around the corner. Do some light research, and you could beat the foodies to the next trend.