If you’re already wrinkling up your nose, know this: The soggy, stinky mess you were served in your school cafeteria isn’t the whole story. It’s just the story of overcooked cabbage. When this humble veggie is properly cooked (we prefer it crisp-tender), it’s sweet and not smelly at all.

Cabbage is a nutritional giant (broccoli family ties) and a caloric pygmy (17 calories per cup). And—if you’re watching carbs—you’ll be happy to hear that it’s 50% fiber. If you’re feeling lazy, you can eat it raw (try our Cole Slaw with Peppers), but if you’re willing give it a few minutes in a skillet, you can step up to Pan-Seared Honey Dijon Cabbage.

When you’re shopping for green cabbage, choose firm, tight heads, heavy for size, with pale greenish-white leaves. Avoid heads with limp, withered, or yellowed leaves with worm holes or brown spots.

You can store it for up to 1 week wrapped in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag in refrigerator crisper. After cutting it, you can store the remainder in the same way.