Turnips are quite high in nutritional value. Check out health and nutrition benefits of eating turnips.

Benefits Of Turnip

Turnip is essentially a root vegetable that is a member of the Cruciferae family. This vegetable is usually grown in regions that experience temperate climates. It roughly resembles the size of an apple. The small and tender varieties are for human consumption while the bigger ones are kept for feeding livestock. The turnips are usually white in color from the bottom till halfway and become light purple, red or green according to the sunlight that has fallen on them, till the top. The leaves of the turnip are also edible and are eaten as turnip greens. Turnips can be steamed, roasted or boiled and can be consumed raw if they are small and young. Mashed turnip, turnip gratin, turnip soup and so on are some of the many delectable turnip dishes to enjoy.  This highly nutritional root vegetable is not only delicious, but has several health benefits too. Check out the nutritional value and health and nutrition benefits of eating turnips.
 
 
Nutritional Value of Turnip

Nutrient
Content/100g
Energy
28 Kcal
Carbohydrates
6.43 g
Protein
0.90 g
Total Fat
0.10 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Dietary Fiber
1.8 g
Vitamins
Folates
15 µg
Niacin
0.400 mg
Pantothenic acid
0.200 mg
Pyridoxine
0.090 mg
Riboflavin
0.030 mg
Thiamin
0.040 mg
Vitamin A
0 IU
Vitamin C
21 mg
Vitamin E
0.03 mg
Vitamin K
0.1 µg
Electrolytes
Sodium
39 mg
Potassium
233 mg
Minerals
Calcium
30 mg
Copper
0.085 mg
Iron
0.30 mg
Magnesium
11 mg
Manganese
0.134 mg
Zinc
0.27 mg
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-ß
0 µg

 
 Nutrition and Health Benefits Of Eating Turnips
Turnips are cooked differently in different parts of the world. Some people prefer taking it in as a juice due to its high fiber content and immense nutrients. Some people peel and cut it into small pieces and cook it in low heat with some oil and exotic spices. Eating turnips will give you immense health benefits such as:
 
  • High quantity of Vitamin C and anti-oxidants help curb free radicals and destructive oxidation reactions.
  • Lowers the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancers of the stomach, pancreas, bladder, and lung diseases.
  • Prevents and heals up a wide range of health problems because of high nutrient content.
  • Very rich source of calcium, phosphorus, folic acid and magnesium, essential for all-round development of human body.
  • Helps prevent cataracts and cardiovascular disease due to large amount of lutein.
  • Excellent for bone heath, turnips have essential nutrients that can prevent bone diseases including osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Turnips have high fibre content, which promotes in maintaining a strong metabolism and is effective in weight loss.
 
Buying & Storing Tips
  • Choose turnips that are firm and heavy for their size. Avoid choosing turnips that are soft or shriveled, as these are not fresh.
  • Remove the greens attached to the turnips before storing them in a dark cool and dry place.
  • If you are keeping them in the fridge, wrap them loosely in a plastic bag. Turnips can last for at least 1 week in the refrigerator.
  • Turnips placed in the freezer can last up to 10 months. You can chop them into small pieces, boil them in water for 2 minutes and then place them in cold water. After draining the water, seal the pieces in an air-tight container and then keep them in the freezer.
  • The smaller and younger turnips are about 3 inches in size and are much sweeter and tender than the larger ones. Large turnips also taste bitter.
 
 
Tips For Preparing Turnip
Some turnips have their greens intact. These greens can be cooked along with the turnip or used for salads. When combined with potatoes, carrots, parsnip, butter, cream or cheese, turnips taste even more delicious. Before cooking turnips, wash them carefully, remove the hairy roots, peel and then chop to the size required. Young turnips need not be peeled.Make sure to cook these root vegetables in a stainless steel vessel as these tend to become dark in color when cooked in an aluminum or iron vessel.To lessen the strong turnip taste, you can keep the cooking vessel open when the turnips are boiling. This way, the gasses released from the turnip will escape and only a mild turnip flavor will remain. Young turnips can be chopped and eaten raw unlike older turnips.
 
How To Enjoy
  • Enjoy a hot bowl of soup prepared from turnips, potato, chicken stock, sauteed onions and fried chorizo.
  • Stuff turnips with mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, crispy bacon, pepper jack cheese for a delectable meal.
  • In a platter served raw turnip sticks with sour cream dip.

How to Cite

More from iloveindia.com