Forget kale, broccoli leaves are the new superfood you should know about

The superfood properties of broccoli are no secret. It has been sneaking its way into smoothies and acting as a pizza base for some time now - the clean eating brigade love it.

But it turns out that most of us have only been eating the florets of the cabbage family plant and have been throwing its leaves in the bin.

We should be incorporating these leaves into our diet wherever possible as they're in fact packed full of nutrients and fibre. They are more flavoursome than broccoli florets and are being touted as the new kale.

By discarding them, we've been wasting 70 per cent of the nutritious veg.

They could easily replace their green colleague kale in various salads or side recipes after a gentle steaming or boiling.

Asda is the first supermarket to stock the new leaf from April 1 on a trial basis, with it hitting shelves at full pelt from June. This initiative against food waste hopes to save 4,000 tonnes per year.

Research by the supermarket giant showed that 62 per cent of people hadn’t realised they could eat the leaves and a further 76 per cent were unaware it was actually the plant’s healthiest part.

All hail the new super green.