Get to the Root

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One thing I've learned about a power pantry wellness lifestyle is that there is always something else to learn. Around every corner is a new adventure in information, if we're open to looking for it. And with the Internet at our fingertips we have every reason for our lives to be rich with good information.

I've been intrigued by root vegetables lately, likely because it is fall. I never paid a lot of attention to beets, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. These are great vegetables and valuable sources of vitamins and nutrients. Fall is a wonderful time to roast some root vegetables and enjoy the tastes, textures and nutrition of the season.

Here are some thoughts on great root vegetables:

• Rutabagas,or yellow turnips, are thought to be a cross between a turnip and cabbage, and have been cultivated since the 1600's in Europe. They are a great source of vitamin C.
• Beets, or beetroot, are the taproot of the beet plant. High in folate and manganese, they are great cooked, raw or pickled. Some varieties have a high sugar content, like the sugar beet, and are cultivated for refined sugar production
• Parsnips are a root very much like a carrot, but actually sweeter. They are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins, and are an especially good source of potassium. Be careful with the shoot and greens of parsnips, as the sap is toxic and causes a rash a lot like poison ivy.
• Turnips are part of the Brassica family, like rutabagas, but common turnips are the white variety. They are high in vitamin C, and the greens are commonly eaten as well, and are a good source of vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium; greens are also high in lutein.

So give root vegetables a try with dinner one night soon. A simple roasting pan with coarsely cut up root vegetables and some diced turkey or chicken breast would make a great meal; a little salt and pepper, maybe a chopped onion or two and roast until the meat is cooked, and you can enjoy the tastes of the harvest season, and healthy, nutritional root vegetable as well.

By the Way

Carrots are a staple root vegetable which are common, nutritious and tasty, and are a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene. Did you know that carrot come in a variety of colors? While orange carrots are found in the produce section the world over, there are also red, purple, pink and more.