Try Out These Vegetables
It is no longer news that vegetables are packed with essential nutrients that can benefit your health. Most people make it a daily must-eat in their homes. Research showed that at least 15% of Americans get the recommended servings of vegetables per day. There are different kinds of vegetables, ranging from green leafy ones to root vegetables. Note that vegetables do not need to be green and leafy before they supply you with amazing health benefits.
Root vegetables are common vegetables. They are part of the most consumed vegetables today. However, in some parts of the world like South America and Asia, people use it more for their delicious dishes. In addition, studies have shown that some thousand years ago, root vegetables such as sweet potatoes were used in folk medicine to treat undernourished people at that time in South America and Asia.
Today, it is consumed in almost all parts of the world. Because they grow underground, they are sometimes referred to as starchy vegetables. Since there are different types of root vegetables, they come with different nutrients.
What is Root Vegetable?
Root vegetables are vegetables that grow underground. They add good flavors to foods. They are also packed with essential nutrients. With a very high nutritional profile, they supply the body with numerous health benefits. Some of the health benefits of root vegetables include; potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and magnesium. They are also good sources of carbohydrates.
This article is packed with the healthiest root vegetables in the world. The following are 7 Underrated vegetables that you must stop ignoring;
Turnips
Turnips are delicious vegetables that have been in cultivation since time immemorial. The nutritional profile of this vegetable is high, and they supply the body with fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese. Deficiency in any of these macronutrients can lead to severe damage to your body. Not getting enough vitamin C can reduce the function of your immune system in the fight against infection. This automatically exposes you to infections like respiratory infections and flu.
In addition, some of the other properties of turnip serve as antioxidants that can help in the preservation of cells in the body, thus preventing them from damage. When the cells in the body are damaged by free radicals, it can lead to chronic health conditions like cancer. Turnips have been discovered to help in the prevention and management of colorectal, stomach, lungs, and breast cancers.
Radishes
Radishes have a hard texture, and this helps them withstand the underground pressure. They are packed with essential nutrients that may help in the prevention of chronic health conditions. Taking meals prepared with radishes daily can keep your doctor away. They are packed with many vitamins, especially vitamin C. According to research, 160 g of radishes provides the body with 29% of the required daily intake value of vitamin C.
Other nutrients that are packed within radishes include; folate, calcium, sodium, selenium, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, zinc, and manganese. Although these other nutrients are present in tiny quantities, they perform their own designated functions. With these nutrients present in radishes, some health conditions like gastric ulcers can be prevented and even managed properly. Consuming diets that contain radishes can help prevent cancers and digestive disorders. Experts believe that eating radishes raw will help you unlock the maximum health benefits of this root vegetable.
Beets
They are root vegetables that have a purplish-red hue. One of the nutrients for which they are known is a nitrate, a nutrient that helps in the improvement of your general health and the regulation of your blood pressure. Studies have shown that 100 g of beets roots contains 43 g of calories, 6.8 g of sugar, 2.8 g of fiber, 9.6 g of carbohydrates, 1.6 g of protein, and 0.2 g of fat.
In addition, this same amount of beets roots contains 20% of the required daily intake value of potassium, 77% of the required intake value of folate, 15% of the required daily intake value of vitamin C, 40% of the required daily intake value of magnesium and 16% of the required daily intake value of manganese. Beets are great sources of folate. In other words, beets should never be lacking in a pregnant woman’s home, as it is a natural pregnancy vegetable.
Parsnips
Most people do not know what parsnips are. They are carrot-like vegetables, but rather than having the bright yellow color of carrots, they are whitish instead. They are packed with calcium, fiber, and vitamin C. It also contains about 12*% of the required daily intake value of dietary fiber and 11% of the required daily intake value of folate. Folate is an essential nutrient that helps boost metabolism, gives energy, protects the nervous system, promotes the building of red blood cells and the synthesis of DNA.
Apart from supplying you with these nutrients and health benefits, they are also delicious and give off an earthy flavor. To enjoy parsnips, you can roast them with chickpeas and carrots, or you can make soups with them. It helps in the management of diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes. This is courtesy of its soluble nature.
Rutabaga
Rutabaga is a product of the crossing of turnips and cabbage. Thus, many of the health benefits that turnips and cabbage supply the body with are the same as rutabaga supplies the body with. They are packed with high amounts of fiber and are great sources of vitamin C. Research has shown that rutabaga contains up to 47% of the required daily intake value of vitamin C.
It also has a wealth of other nutrients like zinc, which is notable for its effectiveness in boosting the immune system, boosting mood, boosting metabolism, improving brain function, preventing you from being zinc deficient, and protecting you against psychological stress. Because they are from turnips, they are delicious when boiled or roasted.
Fennel
Fennel is in the same family of vegetables as carrots but gives off the flavor of licorice. It is a root vegetable that has few calories and is rich in vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and fiber. Its anethole content is one of its most active antioxidants that protects the health and supplies the body with numerous health benefits.
One of the health benefits for which fennel is known is the regulation of blood sugar. This same active antioxidant is responsible for fennel’s flavor. It also carries microbial properties that can eliminate bacteria from gaining access into your body. You can enjoy it roasted or boiled.
Celery
Celery vegetables are not as starchy as their sister root vegetables. This does not mean it has a poor nutritional profile. Celery root is packed with vitamins, especially vitamin K, and one cup of celery root can supply the body with
Up to 80% of the required daily intake value of vitamin K, an essential vitamin that is known to help in the protection of bone health and the proper clotting of blood. Other nutrients present in celery include; vitamins B and C, phosphorus, fiber, antioxidants, and potassium. It can be enjoyed raw when peeled. You can also enjoy it boiled, roasted, baked, mashed, or in salads.
Yucca
Yucca is an underground vegetable and is on the list of the top healthiest underground vegetables in the world. This is because it is packed with numerous health-benefiting nutrients. Some of the nutrients contained in yucca include; potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Due to the nutrients that they are packed with.
They are effective in the prevention and treatment of chronic health conditions like cancers, diabetes, heart diseases, liver and lung diseases. Research has shown that consuming yucca daily can help in the regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure. What is more? Yucca is a delicious underground vegetable that tastes like white potato. It can be enjoyed baked and boiled.
Conclusion
There are different types of vegetables, and all have a varying but unique degree of nutrients supply to the human body. When people talk about vegetables, what comes to mind first is green leafy vegetables.
However, there is another group of vegetables that have been ignored and underrated, and less spoken about. These vegetables are quite as nutritious as green leafy vegetables and are not meant to be ignored, as they have their own contributions to make in the development of a healthy body.