The Root of Eating Healthy Over the Holidays: Root Vegetables
I never understood why Thanksgiving gets a bad rap. There's lean protein! Green beans! All the potatoes! That's not that bad...
In fact, one of the best ways to increase your fiber in the months where most fruits and lettuces are out of season is root vegetables.
What are "root vegetables?"
They're veggies that grow underground. Turnips, parsnips, all of the potatoes, carrots, jicama, taro, rutabaga, yams, yuca (cassava), onions, beets, radishes.
Other benefits of eating more root veggies:
- constipation relief (especially radishes and taro)
- warming in nature (great for cold fingers and toes)
- quell sugar cravings (especially sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots)
- full of vitamins and minerals (especially when grown in healthy soil)
- cleansing for your liver (especially beets)
How can you incorporate more root vegetables into your diet?
And in a way that isn't overly complicated.
1. Toppings
Thinly slice radishes or carrots and use on top of a bowl of ramen or in a salad.
2. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew
Potatoes - you know what to do ... Rutabagas and taro cook very similarly to potatoes. Switch it up and see how it goes.
3. Turn them into a soup
If you've never had parsnips before, try this recipe.
4. Roast them
How to: set your oven to 450. Chop veggies into 1/2" - 1" pieces. Cover them with olive oil (~2 T), salt and pepper or other seasonings. Bake for 20 minutes, toss them, then bake for another 10-25 mintues until they're SOFT.
5. Turn them into a salad
One of my all-time fave salads: roasted beets (see #4) + goat cheese + walnuts + torn lettuce leaves + vinaigrette = 😋
6. Instant Pot it
If you've never had taro root before, try it. Seriously, it's AMAZING for your digestion.
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