Do you cook with rutabagas?
Do you even know what one is?
Most people have heard of them, but don’t know what they are.
They're often a “forgotten” vegetable but I'm going to give you some good reasons to remember them!
A rutabaga is a root vegetable. It is a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. They look so much like turnips that they are often mistaken for them.
You can tell rutabagas from turnips because they are bigger and are part white and part purple.
Rutabagas are in the same vegetable family as cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy and kale.
Cruciferous vegetables are high on the list of foods that the American Cancer Society says people should eat.
Rutabagas are high in antioxidants and in vitamin C. In fact, one cup of rutabagas contains more than half of the RDA of vitamin C! They're also rich in beta carotenes, potassium and manganese.
6 Reasons Your Body Loves Rutabagas
1. Rutabagas can make a big improvement in your digestive health because they're very high in fiber.
2. Their high levels of vitamin C boost your immune system.
3. Their potassium lowers blood pressure.
4. Their combination of fiber and potassium help to lower your cholesterol.
5. They also have calcium, zinc, magnesium and phosphorous which all help build strong bones.
And last but certainly not least:
6. One of the most important things that rutabagas do is provide complete protein and amino acids.
TweetPotatoes offer 3 grams of protein per cup while Rutabegas offer only 1.5 grams per cup. This can be a source of confusion because potatoes do have all nine amino acids, but they don't have an adequate amount of all of them to be considered a complete protein.
That makes rutabagas an especially good choice for vegetarians.
They’re also a natural treatment for cancer because they contain a number of sulfur-containing compounds.
Rutabagas are a great food source for people who have diabetes. This is because they’re lower in carbohydrates than other starchy foods.
Want to compare the nutrients in potatoes and rutabagas?
Potato (1 cup boiled) Rutabaga (1 cup boiled)
136 calories 51 calories
31.4 grams carbs 11.6 grams carbs
2.6 grams fiber 3.1 grams fiber
17% RDA potassium 10% RDA potassium
34% RDA vitamin C 53% RDA vitamin C
11% RDA thiamine traces of thiamine
11% RDA niacin traces of niacin
23% RDA vitamin B-6 traces of vitamin B-6
The two are prepared in very similar ways. They can be roasted, mashed, or fried, and both are great in soups or stews.
There is a real difference in taste. A rutabaga is sweeter than a potato and is also less starchy.
Rutabagas keep for a long time as long as they are kept cool. You can put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, or even in a cool cellar. Before cooking them, they should be washed and peeled.
You can make them using just about any recipe you already have for potatoes. Here’s one of our favorites:
There's certainly nothing wrong with eating potatoes but rutabagas are a great way to change things up a bit. Next time you're in the produce aisle grab some rutabagas to treat your taste buds to something different.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please help me spread the word about rutabagas and I want to hear from you in the comments below. Do you cook with rutabagas?
