When the weather turns cold, you may find yourself craving roasted root vegetables instead of fresh green salads. Root vegetables have traditionally been winter staples because they store well and they're high in carbohydrates your body needs to stay warm. Happily, though, they're just as full of fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals as any fair-weather vegetable. So go ahead and think of them as comfort food, but definitely count them toward your five daily servings of fruits and vegetables all winter long.
Beets
Two beets contain 20% of the USDA recommended daily intake, or RDI, for folate and 18% of the RDI for manganese for an adult woman. According to CNN Food, folate is essential to DNA, RNA and hemoglobin formation. Folate deficiency is associated with neural tube birth defects. According to the USDA, manganese is involved in bone and enzyme formation and also cholesterol and carbohydrate metabolism.
Carrots
Two carrots contain 122% of the RDI for vitamin A, 15% of the RDI for vitamin K and 12% of the RDI for vitamin B6. Vitamin A promotes good eyesight and maintains the health of all your body's cells and tissues. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting. Vitamin B6 is involved in the production of proteins and body cells, as well as niacin, serotonin, insulin, hemoglobin and infection-fighting antibodies.
Parsnips
A humble, hearty parsnip has 10% or more of the RDI for thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate, phosphorus, copper and manganese. Thiamin, or vitamin B1, and pantothenic acid help cells convert macronutrients into energy. Phosphorus also helps cells produce energy and and is a major component of bones, teeth, DNA and RNA. Copper is a component of hemoglobin and many enzymes, and is also involved in energy production.
Potatoes
A baked potato with its skin has 10% or more of the RDI for vitamin C, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron and is involved in the formation of red blood cells, blood vessels, connective tissues and bone. It also helps heal cuts and bruises and supports the immune system. Niacin helps the body process sugars and fatty acids and has been shown to increase HDL, or "good" blood cholesterol. Potassium regulates fluid and electrolytes in and out of the body's cells, maintains blood pressure, transmits nerve signals and delivers electrical charges that enable muscle function.
Sweet Potatoes
A baked sweet potato with its skin contains 137% of the RDI for vitamin A. It also contains more than 20% of the RDI for vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese and more than 10% of the RDI for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin pantothenic acid, potassium and copper. Like the other B vitamins, riboflavin is involved in energy production and also converts tryptophan into niacin.
Turnips
A turnip contains small amounts of most of the vitamins and minerals in the other root vegetables, but notably contains 15% of the RDI for vitamin C.
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