Root Vegetables For Health

Oh, the humble root vegetable. As the weather begins to cool these hardy veggies become more and more appealing. Warm baked potatoes, stewed carrots, and onions…meals composed of these ingredients sing that fall has finally arrived. These are also well known parts of comfort meals that we often crave during the colder months of the year.

So many lovely meals use root vegetables as their base ingredient, which sometimes means they are slipped in, unnoticed, and underappreciated.

However, we’re here to give some much needed kudos to these robust little buggers! You may not have realized it, but root vegetables have some pretty amazing health benefits.

So, what is a root vegetable?

Well, they’re exactly what they sound like. They’re the root of a plant. That’s all, nothing special besides the fact that they’re gloriously delicious. Let’s break it down, focusing on the most popular varieties, of course, but also introducing you to some of the less well-known in the root family.   

Household Names

The more familiar vegetables in the root family are some that we most likely eat every day:

·      Onion

·      Carrot

·      Sweet potato

·      Ginger

·      Garlic

·      Radish

So, you’re eating these things on a regular basis (we hope), but if not, perhaps knowing that these items are having a positive effect on your health will get you to incorporate them more often. For instance, garlic – also known as “the stinking rose,” has a set of sulfur-containing compounds, which help to protect against oxidative stress. These compounds aid in eliminating inflammation which is a welcomed side effect for anyone suffering from arthritis.

Sticking with the more aromatic foods, onions are commonly used to flavour our meals. Not only do they add a wonderful sweet yet biting element, they’re also pulling double duty in the health department. Onions, especially the outermost, edible layers, have antibacterial properties. They’ve also been credited with increasing bone density and lowering risk of cancers of the mouth and throat.

Other items on the list such as carrots, fennel, and ginger can be thanked for improving eyesight (eat your carrots, children!), soothing sour tummies, improving overall digestion and due to their high fiber content, naturally relieving constipation.

The Great Unknowns

Ok, we’re exaggerating a bit here. You’ve probably heard of several of the items on this “exotic” root vegetable list, but, humor us a bit!

·            Kohlrabi

·            Earth pea

·            Yuca

·            Jerusalem artichoke

·            Rhubarb

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi, a German varietal, looks like cabbage, and tastes like a broccoli stalk. HellaWella explains that this exotic little gem is in the same family as kale and Brussels sprouts and consequently shares some health benefits.

High in fiber, vitamin C, and B6, potassium, copper, and magnesium, this golf ball sized root vegetable is loaded with nutrients.

What’s better? They can be eaten raw! Cooking your food depletes some of their natural goodness and many of our root-veg options require cooking (see potato). The kohlrabi is unique in this sense.

What About Yuca?

Don’t worry; it tastes better than its name sounds. Very similar to a white potato, these roots can be eaten boiled, pureed, sautéed, etc. They contain high levels of potassium and fiber but, something else similar to their potato cousin? They’re pretty high in carbohydrates, so use them sparingly.

Rhubarb

One you’re probably more familiar with is rhubarb. This beautiful pink root is quite the anomaly. Typically used in desserts, it’s not often seen on your dinner plate like the other foods listed. What better way to have your cake and eat it too?

Each serving of rhubarb can provide you with 45% of the daily value of vitamin K, supporting healthy bone growth and connected to preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

Onions

Another one of nature’s super foods, onions offer various nutrients, great flavor and are just so versatile in cooking.

Onions are part of the allium family of vegetables that also includes herbs; some of its members are garlic, chives, leeks, and scallions. Allium vegetables are well known for their pungent flavors and medicinal properties.

Some of the key health benefits of eating onions include improving mood, hair and skin health and the possible prevention of certain cancers.

Onions are a nutrient-dense food, which means it has a high level of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins with very little calories.

Nutrient Absorption

Something to consider: root vegetables have an incredible ability to absorb nutrients from the ground. Keeping this in mind, you’ll want to be sure to buy organic whenever possible. Unfortunately, sometimes we let the good in with the bad and toxins easily make their way into these foods.

When out shopping, do your best to buy root vegetables that are blemish free with no soft spots and that still have their leafy tops attached. Organic Lifestyle Magazine points out that some of the greens can be consumed as well.

Waste not, want not!