When you think about healthy eating, salads and green vegetables usually come to mind. But how about adding a little more variety to your plate?
Roots 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. This means more steady energy, and more food to nourish your healthy gut bacteria which in turn will boost your immune function.
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. As the weather gets cooler, eating more cooked vegetables is a good idea for generating body heat, and roasted root veggies is a great option as it’s also good to eat what’s in season!
Which root vegetables do you eat most?
If you’re like most of the world, it’s carrots and potatoes.
However, remember that variety is key to a healthy diet. Here are a few others to explore:
- Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants and are highly detoxifying. They are also a great brain food.
- Jerusalem Artichokes (aka sunchokes), which I was first introduced to here in Kurdistan Iraq, are high in inulin and oligofructose, which are types of fiber that act as potent prebiotics, or food for probiotics, which are the good bacteria in your gut. Inulin is a soluble fiber that also helps to balance your blood sugar.
- Jicama is crunchy and refreshing and contains a generous amount of vitamin C. It’s a favorite in its native Mexico and South America. This is also an excellent source of prebiotic fiber, which promote the growth of the types of bacteria that can lower your risk of chronic diseases and aid in weight loss.
- Burdock is considered a powerful blood purifier. This long, thin veggie is a staple in Asian and health food stores. This was one of my favorite vegetables while living in Japan.
- Celeriac, also known as celery root, is rich in fiber and with a respectable amount of antioxidants. Try adding some to the pot next time you’re making mashed potatoes.
- 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
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)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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.
For a quick complete meal, serve the roasted veggies with a whole grain and protein of choice (I choose beans or tempeh) and drizzle with serve with some tahini sauce, which you can whip up quickly with 1/2 cup tahini, 2 Tbsp olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1/2 tsp of salt (if tahini is unsalted).
Check out this recipe for a roasted sunchoke and barley bowl which includes a recipe for a delicous zaatar tahini sauce. You could make this with any type of roasted veggies and whole grain.
GET EVEN HEALTHIER!
Would you like to learn how to choose and cook more nutritious foods like root vegetables? Would you like help being as healthy as you can? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary (free!) strategy session with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Message me via my Contact Me page.
