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?
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.
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 with 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.
Rutabaga are a type of oblong root vegetable similar to turnips, although rutabagas are actually the result of a cross between turnips and cabbages. I love how nutrient dense these are, and if you happen to have an air fryer, they are a fantastic lower carb substitute for potatoes!
Turnips are a white root vegetables belonging to the Brassica family, along with cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. High in fiber and Vitamin C.
The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation; they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables lend these properties to us when we eat them, making us feel physically and mentally grounded and rooted, increasing our stability, stamina and endurance. Roots are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing a steady source of necessary sugars to the body. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods, they regulate them. Since they absorb, assimilate and supply plants with vital nutrients, roots likewise increase absorption and assimilation in our digestive tracts.
Long roots, like burdock, carrots, parsnips and daikon radish, are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity.
Round roots, like turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas, are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar and moods, and alleviate cravings.
Root Vegetables are usually consumed in the Fall and Winter, as warming slower times are ahead. However incorporating some beets, carrots, burdock & radish in the Summer would still be appropriate in some salads, side dishes and even juicing!
Quick Sheet Pan Recipe!
Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Any root vegetables of your choice, here we will use:
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 or on a sheet pan
Drizzle with olive oil or avocado oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.
Sprinkle with sea 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.
GET EVEN HEALTHIER!
Are you curious about how to choose root vegetables and other nutritious foods? Would you like help being as
healthy as you can? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about!
ABOUT ME
I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and am a National Board Certified Health Coach. I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals. Learn more about my training and my unique approach to health coaching on my website or social platforms!
In Health, and Rooting to the Earth,
Amanda
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