Pile them high! The five healthiest root vegetables to eat this winter, from beetroots to parsnips

For something that spends the majority of its existence underground, root vegetables are surprisingly colourful, flavoursome—and good for you.

Experts have long encouraged us to eat seasonally when possible, but unlike during the warmer months when it’s relatively quick and easy to put together a vibrant and refreshing salad, root veg require a bit more thought.  

Wander though any supermarket or glance into a greengrocers and you won’t be able to miss displays piled high with turnips, sweet potatoes, beetroots, carrots and parsnips—but finding the inspiration for what to do with them can be tricky.

Registered dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton told the Daily Mail that not only are these winter vegetables some of the healthiest ones in the soil, packed full of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, they’re actually a lot more versatile than you may think. 

She said: ‘Two thirds of people in the UK don’t eat the recommended amount of fibre and think its just about bran flakes and wholemeal bread, but vegetables are packed full of it too.’

However, how vegetables are prepared has a huge impact on their nutritional value—and peeling them is a no-no. 

Dr Ruxton explained that most of the nutrients, and fibre, is in the skin, so simply give them a good scrub before cooking. 

When it comes to cooking Dr Ruxton prefers something that is quick and easy, like a tray bake, full of carrots, parsnips and potatoes—all with the skins on, of course—nestled around some boneless chicken thighs for added protein. 

And contrary to popular belief, Dr Ruxton said: ‘There’s very little evidence that organic vegetables have more nutrients than regular produce. 

‘I try to buy local and in season where possible to reduce food miles and support UK farmers. But I’m happy if people just eat more vegetables of any type—tinned, frozen, fresh, juiced—as intakes in the UK are so low.

‘Add a little salt, black pepper and herbs like tarragon or rosemary for added flavour, especially if using frozen produce.

‘I use olive oil for lower, longer roasting and rapeseed oil for frying, as the taste doesn’t change when you heat it at high temperatures. 

‘Olive oil is also rich in polyphenols, which are beneficial anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory plant compounds.’  

The dietician warns against boiling or roasting the vegetables for too long, as this can kill of some of the nutrients they contain.

‘Other than potatoes, you can eat most root vegetables raw, which will help them retain their vitamin C, which is reduced after cooking or prolonged storage,’ she said. 

Read on to why we should be eating more root vegetables this winter—and how they could be the key to protecting you from seasonal nasties. 

Good for gut health: Parsnips

‘Parsnips have the highest fibre of the root vegetables,’ says Dr Ruxton. 

Just one cup of the winter vegetable offers 6.5g of the 30g we should be aiming for each day. 

Fibre helps as been shown to slow digestion and increase the diversity of microbes living in our gut. 

Getting enough in our diet has also been shown to lower risk of heart disease, stroke and bowel cancer. Yet most of us, an alarming 60 per cent, don’t consume enough of it. 

Parsnips are also packed full of soluble fibre which acts like a sponge in the gut, binding with cholesterol-rich bile in the digestive system and helping the body eliminate it before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

This can help support blood sugar control, reduce cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, making parsnips the perfect addition to your Sunday roast. 

Because they are low in calories yet rich in fibre, parsnips are a great choice for anyone looking to lose weight whilst eating a healthy, balanced diet. 

Fibre slows down how quickly food is processed in the digestive tract, helping you feel fuller for longer, which could be beneficial in reducing weight or maintaining it, she said. 

Parsnips that have been cooked and then cooled also contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that can’t be digested well by the small intestine so instead ferments in the large intestine, acting as a prebiotic. 

This process produces short-chain fatty acids that contribute to various health benefits including reduced inflammation and lower blood sugar.  

Parsnips are also rich in vitamin C, another water-soluble nutrient that plays a central role in immune function, providing up to 25 per cent of your daily needs in just one serving. 

According to one study, getting enough vitamin C could even shorten the duration of a winter cold and help fight off other common winter illness like pneumonia.  

Protects the heart: Beetroot

Inflammation in the body can cause plaque to build up in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

But upping your nitrate consumption can help expand some of the smaller vessels, reducing blood pressure and inflammation. 

And this is particularly important for older people, who are at higher risk of hypertension and heart related events.  

As Professor Anni Vanhatalo, an expert in human physiology at the University of Exeter, explained: ‘We know that a nitrate rich die has health benefits and older people produce less of their own nitric oxide as they age. 

‘Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroots could have significant long-term health benefits.’  

Dr Ruxton added: ‘Studies have shown that beetroot juice can help lower systolic blood pressure—the big number. 

‘This is because beetroots are high in nitrates which the body uses to relax blood vessels.’ 

It is thought that these vibrant powerhouses may help boost levels of beneficial bacteria in the mouth and gut, which help to clear harmful cholesterol from the blood and lower blood pressure. 

Drinking the juice has also been shown to reduce dementia risk, by boosting blood supply to the brain. 

In the most recent study, scientists analysed saliva samples of 115 adults, all aged over 50.

Of these, 52 per cent were found to have ‘healthy brain function’, with the other 48 per cent showing ‘early signs of decline in memory and other brain functions’.

They also found those who had large numbers of two groups of bacteria called Neisseria and Haemophilus, which help to produce nitrites, performed better in brain health tests.

In particular, people with these bacteria had better memory, and better ability to pay attention and perform complex tasks.

Best for immunity: Sweet potatoes 

When cold and flu season comes around, incorporating root vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkins and butternut squash is one of the easiest ways to give your immune system an added boost. 

This is because these vegetables are high in vitamin A, one of the many nutrients the body needs to protect itself against infection, explains Dr Ruxton. 

And in order to make vitamin A, we need beta-carotene. This pigment is abundant in vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, giving them their rich orange colour. 

An excellent source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, sweet potatoes are a top choice when it comes to nutrient density, and they are particularly rich in beta carotene which can help support various vital functions including vision, immune function and skin health.    

The root vegetable is also rich in flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, all of which can help ward off cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

‘Purple or orange-fleshed potatoes are higher in antioxidants because their colour indicates a higher level of polyphenols,’ registered nutritionist and author of Unprocess your Family Life, Rob Hobson said. 

In addition, a medium sweet potato contains around 20 per cent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that can neutralise free radicals—unstable molecules that can damage cells and DNA, increasing the risk of disease. 

And the body needs vitamin C to absorb iron—which is essential for energy. 

Vitamin A is also an essential building block for proteins inside the retina that detect light—hence why people say carrots, another root vegetable rich in beta-carotene, can help you see in the dark.  

To retain the nutrients in sweet potatoes, Dr Ruxton says it’s best to keep the skin on, and either roast, bake or steam them for a nutrient rich alternative to the classic mash or roast potatoes. 

‘Peeling root vegetables is a waste of nutrients as the skin is where you find most of the fibre and vitamin C,’ she said 

Best for boosting brain health: Swedes, turnips and artichokes 

Green leafy vegetables may be the first that come to mind when it comes to supporting brain health, but swedes may provide many of the same benefits. 

The MIND diet, created over a decade ago, was devised to support cognitive health. Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and kale, are a key part of the diet and thought to protect against cognitive decline associated with dementia.

As swedes and turnips are also part of the brassica family, it is logical to assume they may provide the same benefits as these leafy greens, though the research is limited. 

And recent research has found artichokes to have a similar beneficial effect on inflammation in the brain. 

Artichokes are high in chlorogenic acid (CLA) and isochlorogenic acid B which have been linked with cell survival and the elevation of proteins in the brain that can protect against memory impairments, anxiety and depression, respectively. 

Keeps blood sugar levels under control: Carrots 

According to a study published last year, eating carrots just three times a week significantly increases carotenoids in the skin, which have been linked with a lower risk of chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer. 

People with higher levels of these carotenoids also enjoy better skin and stronger immune function—by simply eating more phytonutrients, found in the cheap root vegetable. 

‘Carrots have one of the lowest glycemic indexes when it comes to root vegetables—which means the natural sugars are absorbed more slowly,’ Dr Ruxton added. 

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels, ranked on a scale of 1-100. 

Foods with a low GI intake including vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and some fruits taking longer to digest, resulting in a more controlled sugar release and fewer spikes. 

Food pairing is also really important when it comes to keeping blood sugar levels under control, so if you have a healthy portion of carrots with your evening meal, you’ll et a less intense sugar rush when you inevitably reach for a sweet treat after.  

Fibre aside, research is starting to uncover the potential power of winter vegetables —and carrots in particular—when it comes to warding off life-threatening diseases. 

Dr Kristen Brant, senior lecturer in food and human nutrition at Newcastle University, has been studying the role of polyacetylenes—a compound found in parsnips and carrots—and cancer. 

‘Different studies with different participants and different types of cancer have found similar risk reductions of developing cancer—of approximately 17 per cent—in participants who are four carrots per week,’ she told the BBC.