Root Vegetables

As Thanksgiving approaches, I begin the think about all the seasonal food we will soon enjoy. At my family’s Thanksgiving meal, we have an eclectic table to satisfy a multitude of dietary needs. Beside the traditional turkey and stuffing, we also have sweet potatoes and beets. This year, I am responsible for bringing the salad so I have been considering what I want the theme of this salad to be. As the days are now colder and shorter, a roasted vegetable salad including a variety of root vegetables tops the list.

Root vegetables are the foundation of the plant. Take for instance, celeriac. Celeriac is the root of celery; it holds the celery in the ground and it draws nutrients and water from the ground to feed the plant. Beets, potatoes, garlic, onion, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and rutabagas all also feed the greens above the ground.

According to Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, it is important to consider the energetics of the food as well as its nutrients. For example, chickens are full of energy, quick and always on the move. When you are sick, what do you eat? Chicken soup! Why? Sure it is for its warming properties and the high protein content, but it is also to impart some of the chicken’s high energy so you heal quicker and get back to being full of life and energy.

Conversely, root vegetables are very grounding, will help to stabilize blood sugar, regulate mood, moderate sugar cravings, and warm the body. In addition, root vegetables are high in Vitamin C which boosts the immune system, and a plethora of other nutrients such as Vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus, and Vitamin B. When life gets out of control and you just want to slow down and get back in touch with yourself, reach for some root vegetables. A baked sweet potato is delicious and satisfying, and it provides beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, niacin, manganese, copper, phosphorus, pantothenic acid, and dietary fiber!