Go Beyond Salad...Eat Root Vegetables

When you think about healthy eating, salads and green vegetables usually come to mind. But how about adding a little more variety to your plan?

Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips, are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods do, they help regulate them.

Why Eat More Root Veggies?

Long roots – carrots, parsnips, burdock, and daikon radish – are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body. Round roots – turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas – nourish the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs.
Which root vegetables do you eat most?
If you’re like most of the world, it’s carrots and potatoes. Here are a few others to explore:

·       Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants and are highly detoxifying.

·       Burdock is considered a powerful blood purifier. This long, thin veggie is a staple in Asian and health food stores.

·       Celeriac, also known as celery root, is rich in fiber and has a respectable amount of antioxidants.

·       Jicama is crunchy and refreshing and contains a generous amount of vitamin C. It’s a favorite in its native Mexico and South America.

·       Onions are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, making them prized for their ability to strengthen the immune system.

·       Parsnips, which look like giant white carrots, boast a sweet, earthy taste. They’ve also got plenty of fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium.

·       Radish is an excellent source of vitamin C. It’s also rich in calcium, molybdenum, and folic acid.

·       Sweet Potatoes contain unsurpassed levels of beta-carotene and are also rich in vitamin C, phytonutrients, and fiber.

Excited to add more roots to your diet? Here’s a fun, easy recipe:

Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

·       1 sweet potato

·       2 parsnips

·       2 carrots

·       2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga

·       1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in other favorites, like squash)

·       extra virgin olive oil

·       salt and pepper

·       herbs: rosemary, thyme, or sage (fresh if possible)

Directions:

·       Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

·       Wash and dice all vegetables into bite-sized cubes.

·       Place in a large baking dish with sides.

·       Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs.

·       Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.

Tip: any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.