Health Benefits of Parsnips

The cooler months just scream root vegetables to me. Maybe it’s because I’m a dietitian, but I look forward to it every year.

One root veggie that I get particularly excited for is the parsnip.

These paler carrot lookalikes are packed with nutrition and health benefits.

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Let’s take a look at what they have to offer:

The parsnip, Pastinaca sativa, is a vegetable closely related to carrots and parsley, all members of the Umbellifer family.

Like beets, as well as turnips and other Brassicas, they actually get sweeter after the arrival of a winter frost.

This biennial root is typically grown as an annual crop, and it flowers and goes to seed after emerging from dormancy in the second year if roots are left in the ground.

Parsnips can be overwintered in the soil for a sweet and tender harvest in the late winter or early spring – and the reward is worth the wait, I promise!

This vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked, bringing a lot of flavor to the table either way. Raw parsnips may be tougher and less palatable (they have a bit of a woody texture in comparison to carrots), so you may prefer to cook them, depending on your preferences.

Just be sure to wear gloves when you are harvesting your homegrown roots! The leaves of the plant are not edible, and they can cause skin irritation. I suggest removing them carefully shortly after harvest.

Whichever way you decide to prepare your parsnips, you can benefit from some notable nutrients.

A half-cup of raw slices provides 50 calories, 3.5 grams of fiber, 250 milligrams of potassium, 18 percent of the daily value of