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Root Vegetables-Health Benefits
Root vegetables are delicious and full of essential nutrients

Root vegetables are delicious and packed full of precious vitamins and minerals. Check out the health benefits and best methods of cooking to retain the goodness.

Get To The Root Of Better Health

Not only are they low in calories and high in fibre, root vegetables are bursting with essential nutrients that we should be consuming on a daily basis.

Check out the specific advantages of including these delicious vegetables in your diet.
CARROTS

Good for – combating disease causing free radicals. Reasons – they are one of the richest sources of betacarotene, a powerful antioxidant which fights those damaging free radicals. Best Served – freely! One large carrot per day increases levels of betacarotene in the body. Eaten roasted with a little olive oil allows the betacarotene to be more easily digested.
SWEET POTATOES

Good for – boosting energy, promoting a healthy heart and skin and helping to lower blood pressure. Reasons – they are a good slow release carbohydrate. Rich in antioxidants. They contain more vitamin E than any other low fat food. A good source of potassium and iron. Best served – delicious baked or steamed to retain those precious nutrients.
PARSNIPS

Good for – healthy bowel movements. Reasons – a large parsnip contains 25% of a woman’s daily fibre requirement. Also contains natural sugars for an energy boost. Best served – roasted or steamed.

BEETROOT

Good for – the healthy development of a baby during pregnancy. Reasons – a rich source of folic acid / folates (particularly when eaten raw) which protects against neural tube defects in a developing baby. Also contains iron. Best served – raw, baked or boiled.
SWEDE

Good for – helping to protect against developing cancer. Reasons – from the cruciferous vegetable family containing the same cancer protecting phytochemicals as cabbage and broccoli. Also contains betacarotene and vitamin C. Best served – as lightly cooked as possible.
ONIONS

Good for – reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer and strokes. Natural antibiotic action. Reasons – they contain allium compounds and flavonoids which may help reduce the risk of cancer. People who regularly eat raw onion have been shown to have healthier levels of blood fats. The onion family is a traditional remedy to combat infections. Best served – try cooking without them ! To retain all the benefits cut onions as close as possible to serving / cooking time.
SQUASH & PUMPKINS

Good for – lowering the risk of cancer, heart disease and cataracts. Reasons – they contain high levels of antioxidant vitamins C & E and carotenes. Pumpkin seeds contain zinc and omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids. Best served – baked, steamed or in soups. Pumpkin seeds can be eaten raw, roasted or dried.

Read more at Suite101: Root Vegetables-Health Benefits: Root vegetables are delicious and full of essential nutrients