7 Amazing Benefits of Winter Vegetables

Vitamin A helps to promote healthy vision and a strong immune system. Earthy and sweet, carrots of all colors contain 73 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin A, according to WebMD. The root vegetable also has beta-carotene, a compound that your body turns into vitamin A, which could help keep your eyes healthy. Add carrots to soups or stews, or enjoy them glazed and baked with brown sugar.

According to WebMD, inflammation occurs when your body sends white blood cells to fight off infection from outside invaders like viruses or bacteria. But sometimes inflammation happens even when there are no outside invaders, which can cause swelling or joint pain. To help soothe inflammation, include lots of dark leafy greens in your winter diet. Penn Medicine recommends eating winter vegetables like kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, and spinach to help reduce chronic inflammation. Enjoy these wintry greens sauteed with olive oil and garlic.

More and more research points out the importance of maintaining good gut health. In that case, put parsnips into your winter wellness plan. An analysis from Science Direct explains that winter root vegetables like parsnips, beets, and carrots contain lots of fiber, which promotes healthy digestion. Create a winter vegetable medley with all three baked together!

During peak cold and flu season, make sure to cook up some rutabaga. Just a single cup serving of the winter vegetable contains half your recommended dose of vitamin C, according to VeryWellFit. Vitamin C may help boost your immunity and fight off illness. Switch your mashed potatoes for mashed rutabaga and enjoy all the healthy benefits of this winter vegetable.

Help reduce your blood pressure with beets. According to Harvard Health, these ruby-red root vegetables contain nitrates that are converted into nitric oxide, a compound that widens blood vessels and could lower blood pressure. Beets taste great in a salad of arugula and goat cheese topped with balsamic vinaigrette.

A cousin of broccoli, turnips are a tasty root vegetable packed with nutritional benefits. According to Medical News Today, turnips provide a source of vitamin K that promotes strong bones. Plus, you’ll get other essential nutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, copper, and manganese, from the turnip greens and roots. Roasted turnips are an excellent side dish to a hearty winter meal.

You could call pumpkins the unofficial vegetable of the harvest season. This brightly colored winter squash may also help stabilize your mood. According to Medicare in the US, pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid that could help prevent insomnia and anxiety. Cook up a healthy snack with a kick, by roasting pumpkin seeds spiced with a few dashes of cayenne pepper.

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