My top 3 winter vegetables

It’s expected for our vegetable consumption to decrease during the winter. Not only do we crave them less during the cold weather but they can also become quite expensive. However if you want to stay healthy, lose or maintain your weight during winter, you must find a strategy to incorporate vegetables into your diet. Here are my top 3 affordable winter vegetables that have great properties and ways to incorporate them in your meals.

 Celery root
Also known as celeriac, its exterior appearance might seem unappealing but the taste of this vegetable is a wonderful blend of parsley and celery. Celery root is a great alternative to potatoes. At only 70 calories per cup, it is also lower in carbohydrates and is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium and iron. It is very popular in salads; try julienned celery root and apples with lemon mustard vinaigrette. It can be cooked and added in soups, casseroles, and mashed potatoes. It also makes great French fries!

Rutabaga
While it is often confused with a turnip, it is really a cross between the latter and cabbage. It’s in fact larger, has bigger leafs and is darker inside when compared to the turnip that is white. Rutabaga is a good source of fibre, vitamin C and potassium. It is also very versatile as it can be boiled, baked, puréed, or eaten raw. My favourite recipe is roasted rutabaga; simply peel and dice the rutabaga, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 4-minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary and a pinch of salt, and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. The leaves of the rutabaga can be added to salads, soups and stir-fries!

 Parsnip
This sweet vegetable looks like a white version of a carrot. Parsnip is a great source of fibre, vitamins (B, C, E), and antioxidants. It’s great in soups, as purée, in a stir-fry or even raw as a snack. Try a creamy parsnip, celery and apple soup!

*For information on preparation and nutritional values, I recommend reading my colleague’s article long live the fruit and vegetables in season

What’s your favourite winter vegetable?

By: Alyssa Fontaine, P.Dt. Nutritionist

 References

 “Archives Des Aliments Du Mois.” Archives: Réussir En Santé. Université De Sherbrooke, n.d. Web. 08 Sept. 2014.

 “Connaissez-vous Vos Légumes Racines?” Extenso. Université De Montréal, 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 08 Sept. 2014.

 “What’s in Season?” SOS Cuisine. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Sept. 2014.

My top 3 winter vegetables is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
Copyright © Nautilus Plus 2015