Broccoli coffee is a thing, because you're not eating your vegetables

Despite it being drilled into us as children, many of us aren't still eating our vegetables — but we're drinking a lot of coffee.

It's why scientists have developed a powder made from whole broccoli, which you'd ideally throw into the food and drink you consume to improve nutrition — and that includes your latte.

Developed by Australia's chief research organisation, the CSIRO, and Hort Innovation, the powder is produced by using a "combination of selected pre-treatment and drying processes" that help to keep the flavour, colour, and the nutrients from the vegetable.

The broccoli powder was tested at a Melbourne cafe, Commonfolk, with "mixed reviews" when the concoction was brewed into a latte. Sorry, a "broccolatte."

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It's fair to say drinking broccoli power is not going to be as subtle as sneaking vegetables into a frittata, but two tablespoons of the stuff is equivalent to approximately five serves of vegetables, which is a person's recommended daily intake.

"Research shows the average Australian is still not eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables a day, and options such as broccoli powder will help address this," John Lloyd, chief executive of Hort Innovation, said in a statement.

Although weird with coffee, the powder might be better off used for smoothies, dips, soups and baking, and researchers have also used it to make extruded, cheese puff-like snacks that have apparently been a hit with kids.

The powder is part of a larger development and waste research project which aims to create products from vegetables considered too "ugly" for sale, or for whatever reason, and are ordinarily disposed of. We'll drink to that.