It is very versatile, isn’t it! Thanks for the comment, Colette. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

Mary, thanks so much for sharing this–the split peas sound wonderful. I would think that brown lentils would also work well, although I haven’t tried that yet. What a great recipe idea! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

Thanks so much for sharing your recipe, Janet–the turmeric sounds lovely! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

This is a great tip, Michele- thank you for sharing it! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

Sounds wonderful, Patricia. Thank you for sharing that. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

It really is so versatile–sauteed in stir fries is one of my favorite cabbage uses too. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

So glad you ended up enjoying the article, Ramona! Thank you for being here. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

Hi Meg–Thank you for reaching out, and for sharing these challenges and questions.

One quick note that may actually be helpful here that you may already be aware of: a sulfa drug allergy and a sensitivity to cruciferous vegetables are chemically unrelated, even though the names sound similar. Sulfa drugs are sulfonamide medications, while the compounds in cruciferous vegetables that cause some people trouble are sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates, an entirely different chemical family. So your sulfa allergy on its own wouldn’t be expected to cause a reaction to broccoli or kale. If you’re avoiding brassicas because they genuinely upset your stomach or trigger symptoms, that’s still valid and worth honoring, but it’s likely a separate digestive sensitivity rather than a true allergy, and that distinction might be worth mentioning to your doctor or an allergist if you haven’t already discussed it, just so you have full clarity on what you can safely reintroduce down the road.

In the meantime, the good news is that many of the same protective benefits people get from cruciferous vegetables show up in other food families too, so you have plenty of options. Allium vegetables, meaning onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots, are considered nearly as powerful as crucifers for supporting healthy cell function, and pairing them with mushrooms adds even more benefit. Mushrooms themselves are a great addition on their own. Berries bring a different but complementary set of protective plant compounds, as do beans, seeds like flax and chia, and non-cruciferous leafy greens like spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, and romaine or butter lettuce. Building meals around what’s sometimes called the GBOMBS pattern, greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds, gives you a lot of protective variety even while leaving cruciferous vegetables out.

As for coconut, it really depends on what role it’s playing in your recipe. For coconut milk in soups, curries, or smoothies, unsweetened oat milk, cashew milk, or soy milk are good swaps, with cashew milk being closest in richness if you blend raw cashews with water. For coconut oil in cooking, avocado oil works well for high heat, while olive oil is great for most other uses. If a recipe calls for shredded coconut for texture, toasted slivered almonds or chopped macadamia nuts can give a similar bite, though the flavor will be a bit different.

I hope this helps! Let us know if you have more questions. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

We’re so happy to know you enjoyed the article and that it gave you some inspiration, Ruby! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

It’s wonderful that you’re using it in so many different ways! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team

I’m glad you liked it, Rosemary. –Ina, Food Revolution Network Team