Make a place in your heart for sweet and tender Brussels sprouts–and even better, a place in your stomach. The secret to enjoying these miniature cabbages is all in how you prepare them–well worth learning so you can get their super health-protecting compounds.

Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables—cousins to broccoli, cauliflower and Bok choy, turnips, chard and watercress. Studies link greater consumption of cruciferous vegetables with decreased incidence of several types of cancer. That’s because they are a source of isothiocyanates, a class of phytochemicals that help our bodies detoxify undesirable compounds, possibly stopping cancer before it starts.

Like their cruciferous relatives, Brussels sprouts’ taste and smell can be bitter or delicious. Here’s how to bring out their natural sweetness and chewiness and instead of overcooking them to be mushy and smelly. Read more on how to prepare the “Cute and Cancer-Fighting: Brussels Sprouts”