> Common Root Vegetables

 For those of you looking to add a new dimension to your nutrition, root vegetables should not be overlooked. They are a great alternative for those avoiding bread, rice, and other empty carbs. Including them in your diet can definitely help to break the monotony as well as bring a tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive item to the dinner table. They can also be stored for relatively long periods of time.

Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, radishes, beets, sweet potatoes, and onions can provide nutrients such as beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, complex carbs, minerals, and dietary fiber. And as an added benefit, they do not contain the so-called “cereal grasses” such as wheat, corn, and rice, so they are low-allergenic. Roasting root vegetables is a great way to cook them since it brings out much flavor while minimizing nutrient loss.

                                                       List of root vegetables

 Here is a list of some of the more popular root vegetables that can be found at local grocery market

                                                    -beets

                                                 -rutabaga

                                                  -turnips

                                                 -carrots

 -daikons

-yams

 -radishes

-ginger

-turmeric

-potatoes

 -sweet potatoes

-taro

-ginseng

-garlic, onion, shallot, etc

Simple Root vegetables recipe: : Roasted Beets and Parsnips with Herbs de Provence

 How do you bake sweet potatoes?

 Sweet potatoes are one of the more popular root vegetables. Recipes for sweet potato fries can be found all over the web, but here’s a simple recipe that will provide a quick and healthy alternative to ordinary French fries or baked potatoes:

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 medium sweet potato

Directions

1.     Remove skin from the sweet potatoes and cut into medium-sized wedges (like the size of steak fries) and place in a bowl.

2.     Add the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and sea salt

3.     Toss the fries to coat evenly.

4.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

5.     Spread fries out over a baking pan and bake for 20-30 minutes until tender and brown.

Yours in Health,

Stella Metsovas B.S., CCN

Staff Writer: Clement Tran