When it comes to eating healthy, it’s easy to get stuck in a carrot and spinach rut. But both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and dietitians alike recommend diversifying your vegetables since each contains a different nutritional profile.
So it’s good news that even though the outdoor temps might be getting cooler, a trip to the market will show that your vegetable choices are heating up. After juicy local peaches and heirloom tomatoes have gone into hibernation, the arrival of base layer running weather brings with it a fresh crop of fall vegetables that are at their nutrition and flavor peaks.
And, because these vegetables store so well, you can buy extras without worry they’ll go limp in your crisper. Start by harvesting these five under-appreciated seasonal gems that will deliciously and nutritiously tie you over until asparagus season.
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1. Parsnips
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This ghost-pale cousin of carrot has a nutty flavor and a nutritional resume that would impress even Bugs Bunny. For starters, the subterranean wonder supplies hefty amounts of dietary fiber—about 7 grams in a cup serving. According to a recent analysis of studies conducted over the past 40 years that was published in the journal Lancet, high-fiber eaters—at least 25 grams each day—have a 15 to 30 percent lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
“Eating enough fiber is crucial in helping manage blood sugar levels and satiety,” says Marisa Michael, M.Sc., R.D.N., C.S.S.D., owner of Real Nutrition, LLC. Parsnips are a also good source of vitamin K, which Michael says plays an important role in bone health and blood clotting.
In the kitchen: Parsnips can be eaten raw, but most people prefer them cooked—their woody texture softens, and some of the earthy flavor is replaced with a nutty-sweetness. Stews, soups, and chili are natural fits for this root vegetable. You can also roast them like you would other root vegetables for a seasonal side dish. Try tossing peeled parsnip chunks with oil, maple syrup, thyme, and salt, then cooking in a 425-degree oven.
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2. Brussels Sprouts
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Brussels sprouts are a nutritional treasure trove. For starters, a mere cup supplies enough vitamin C to cover your daily needs. By helping fortify the immune system, higher intakes of vitamin C among active people may help stamp out or lessen the severity of the common cold. Other nutrition highlights include vitamin K, folate, and potassium.
“Runners should know that potassium is vital for the contraction of muscles involved in running, as well as nerve transmission and proper kidney and heart functioning,” says Michael. “And you need dietary sources to replace what is lost in sweat.”
And as a member of the Brassica family of vegetables, Brussels sprouts are awash in potent disease-thwarting antioxidants. “Since exercise introduces both inflammation and cellular damage, eating Brussels sprouts, which are high in antioxidants, can help with recovery,” says Michael.
In the kitchen: Nippy weather makes the sprouts extra sweet—just don’t boil them to an inch of their life. Brussels sprouts contain sulfur compounds that cause the notorious pungent flavor and smell when boiled. However, slower cooking methods, like roasting, avoids this unappetizing problem. Shred raw sprouts for use in slaws, hashes, and fall-inspired salads, roast in the oven with your favorite seasonings, steam and add to pasta dishes, or sauté and include in frittatas.
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3. Beets
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Perhaps no vegetable is more directly beneficial to PR pursuits than the humble beet. According to Michael, that’s because the flushed root veggie is a leading source of dietary nitrates, which may lead to improvements in performance (via an increase in nitric oxide levels in the body, which can promote improved muscular blood flow by opening your blood vessels).
This allows working muscles to operate more efficiently during workouts and also produce more power. Interestingly, Michael says untrained or moderately trained people may witness the most benefits with exposure to nitrates, with elite athletes experiencing less improvement in performance. You’ll need a regular influx of nitrates to experience a boost to your runs, so put beets on your shopping list each time. These same nitrates have been shown to assist in reducing blood pressure numbers by improving the dilation of blood vessels.
As a bonus, the deep crimson that temporarily stains your cutting board and hands comes courtesy of a group of phytonutrients called betalains that can help lessen oxidative damage (a harmful chemical process in your body), thereby reducing the risk for certain cancers. And after a hard run, the naturally occurring sugars in beets will work toward replenishing your spent glycogen stores.
In the kitchen: You can boil or steam beets, but it’s roasting them in the oven that really brings their natural sweetness to the forefront. Add sliced roasted beets to salads, grain bowls, pizza, and even a bowl of yogurt. You can blend beets into smoothies, veggie burgers, and waffle batter.
4. Acorn Squash
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This cold-hardy winter squash delivers a surfeit of beta-carotene, which helps your body make vitamin A and contributes to the health of your skin, eyes, and immune system. On its own, the antioxidant power of beta-carotene appears to assist in preventing cognitive decline as we age.
Other nutritional highlights include fiber, vitamin C ,and magnesium.“The mineral magnesium is involved with numerous body functions, including muscle contraction, nerve conduction, energy metabolism, and heart rhythm,” Michael says. “It’s important for runners to get magnesium in their diet if they want to perform well.”
In the kitchen: Cut squash in half, remove the seeds with a spoon, brush the flesh with oil, and place on a baking sheet cut side down. You can also slice the squash into smaller pieces for quicker cooking, but this takes more knife work. Bake at 400 degrees until the flesh is fork-tender. Now, you can eat as-is for a side dish or stuff the cooked halves with a grain-based salad. You can also scoop out the flesh and mix into oatmeal, blend into dips, soups, and smoothies, or stir into a muffin recipe calling for pumpkin. Also consider adding the mashed flesh to pancake batter for a touch of natural sweetness and a seasonal appropriate stack of Sunday flapjacks.
5. Celery Root
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Lumpy and gnarled, celery root (a.k.a. celeriac) makes up for its lack of aesthetics with a refreshing flavor that’s a mix between parsley and celery. Its nutritional value includes notable amounts of vitamin K, potassium, vitamin C, phosphorus (for bone strength), and vitamin B6 (vital for proper metabolism and brain functioning).
It’s also one of the lower-in-natural-sugar root vegetables, meaning that its carbs hail mostly from slower digesting complex carbohydrates. This could be beneficial for anyone dealing with or is at risk for diabetes, where carbohydrate intake, including naturally occurring sugars, needs to be more closely controlled.
In the kitchen: Celery root needs to be peeled generously before eating. To peel, simply lop off the top and bottom so that the root sits flat, and work a sharp chef’s knife down the sides to remove the knobs. You can steam or boil chopped celery root until very tender and then mash for a riff on mashed potatoes. Cubes are a good addition to chunky vegetable soups or roasted root vegetable medleys. You can also purée celery root into soup or grate the pale-yellow raw flesh and use it in salads, sandwiches, slaws, and fritters.
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