Getting Grounded: 12 Root Vegetables to Help Ground You This Fall Season
As the seasons change from summer to fall, take some time to embrace the new season and slow down after the busy summer months with some fall health and wellness practices. Shop the community farmers market and support local farmers and growers. You'll see some appealing produce when you show up there, especially the root vegetables. Root veggies can help you align with the fall season and get grounded as you return to the routine and slower pace of fall. Root vegetables like beets, carrots, and radishes all have roots that reach down deep within the Earth. These roots anchor the plant to the ground, which is its foundation for life. Here are twelve grounding foods and root vegetables to help prepare your body for fall.
Beets
Beets may taste like a mouthful of dirt, but they are naturally high in antioxidants and vitamins such as Vitamin C and E, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They are also high in carotenoids including beta-carotene and lycopene. Not a fan of beets on their own? Add them as a topper to your fresh salad, mix a small amount of beet juice to your smoothie, or add them to burgers for a more unique patty.
Carrots
Carrots are loaded with antioxidants like alpha and beta carotene, and vitamins A, C, and K. Whether you add them to a slow cooker soup recipe, dip them raw in homemade hummus, or roast them with a splash of maple syrup for a sweet dinnertime side dish, find a way to enjoy this fall food to get grounded this season. You can even repurpose those green leafy carrot tops to make your very own pesto sauce. Yum!
Celery Root
Celery root, also known as celeriac, is an incredibly versatile fall root veggie and can be used in a number of recipes. An easy and popular way to use celery root is to transform it into celery root mash instead of classic mashed potatoes.
Fennel
Fennel has a fresh, aromatic anise flavor somewhat similar to licorice. Fennel be eaten raw, roasted, or sautéed. It can even be added to fall sauces, soups, and slow cooker meals.
Garlic
Are you limiting your salt intake? Ditch the table salt and add some freshly chopped garlic to your meal. Naturally sodium-free, garlic gives any dish an added touch of savory flavor.
Ginger
Ginger is another root veggie to help get you grounded this fall season. Ginger can be enjoyed as a refreshing side and is often used in Asian cooking. If you are not a fan of fresh ginger, try enjoying it in another form like in a cozy mug of hot ginger tea.
Onions
Onions are a popular root vegetable that enhances almost any meal. Enjoy them chopped up raw in a zesty salsa, sauté them with mushrooms or peppers for a savory side dish for grilled steaks, or use them as a delicious topping for homemade flatbread or pizza.
Parsnips
Parsnips are an underrated root vegetable that are super tasty. For a simple but delicious way to prepare them, coat the parsnips in avocado oil with a light sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt then roast them until they are soft and tender to the touch. Be careful not to overcook them as the natural sugars in the parsnips will cause them to burn quickly if cooked at too high of a temperature.
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are both two fall foods that happen to be root vegetables. The best part about potatoes (besides being delicious) is they can be enjoyed in a number of ways. From baked potatoes to mashed potatoes to pan-fried potatoes to roasted potatoes to smashed potatoes, there is literally almost nothing you cannot do with these tasty tubers.
Radishes
Radishes have a mild-to-hot peppery flavor with such a satisfying crunch to boot. Try adding them to your favorite fall salad with some sweet apple slices from the local farmers market or include them as a layer of crunchy flavor to that afternoon sandwich.
Turnips
Turnips come in all colors and shapes, but are most commonly round in shape with white and purple colors. This fall root veggie can be enjoyed braised, roasted, or steamed.
Yams
Not to be confused with sweet potatoes, yams have dark brown skin that is rough and often compared to tree bark, but their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. The most popular way to enjoy them is around Thanksgiving with a plate of candied yams, but this dense fall root vegetable helps your body adjust to the cooler temperatures and should be enjoyed through the whole season.
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