A Case for Root Vegetables

“I'm just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be a doughnut." Anon.

When people tell me they're going to start eating healthy, they often start by saying how they ate a salad for lunch. Don't get me wrong, I love a good salad, but there are SO many other ways to eat healthfully.

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For example, 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 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 boast a sweet and earthy taste, 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 beets, any color
  • 2 parsnips
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga
  • 1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in other favorites, like squash)
  • 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Wash and dice all vegetables into bite-sized cubes.
  3. Place in a large baking dish with sides.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.
  5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.
  6. 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.

Pro Tip: Any combination of vegetables will work. Don't like beets, bag 'em and try something else.

Pro Tip 2: If you're doing one full tray of veggies, take an extra 5 minutes and make 

Pro Tip 3: Use your meal prepped veggies with eggs, on a salad, as a side dish, or as your main.

Anna Glennon