To my mind they have one advantage over many of their kin--their small size. Since I'm cooking for one, and despise throwing food away, I want veg I can purchase in small enough quantities that I will eat it before it goes off. I often buy a variety of small vegetables, including one to three brussles sprouts, and cook them all together. Much more sensible than buying, say, a cabbage, when I only want a hint of that sort of plant in the mix.