15 Healthy Root Vegetables and Their Key Nutrients

Root vegetables are edible plants that grow underground.

Some famous examples of roots include carrots, radishes, and turnips.

Although root vegetables are not as nutrient-dense as leafy greens, they can still offer some compelling benefits.

This article provides a list of healthy root vegetables alongside their picture, key nutrients, and nutritional benefits.

Which are the best options?

1) Beets

Beets are a distinctive reddish-purple color and one of the healthiest roots.

For one thing, beets contain significant concentrations of nitrate, which can help to reduce blood pressure and improve performance.

To see more information on this, here is a guide to the benefits of beets.

Per 100 grams, beets contain the following key nutrients (1);

As shown in the table, beets are relatively low in calories and contain a small to moderate amount of carbohydrates.

Beets are also a good source of folate.

2) Carrots

Carrots are an orange root vegetable and they are exceptionally high in vitamin A carotenoids.

These carotenoids include the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. Notably, human clinical trials show these compounds may help to protect against age-related ocular diseases (2).

Here are the key nutrients that carrots offer per 100 grams (3);

While the idea of carrots giving us perfect night vision is slightly exaggerated, the significant carotenoid content is a good reason to eat them.

3) Daikon Radish

Daikon radish is a favorite type of root vegetable in East Asia, and it is a staple food in Japanese cuisine.

Despite this, the origins of daikon radish lie in the Mediterranean region, and it is available in the West too (4).

The table below shows a summary of the primary nutrients in daikon radish per 100 grams (5);

As you can see, daikon radish is low in calories, carbohydrates, and most other nutrients.

However, it provides a reasonably good amount of vitamin C.

Many recipes involve fermented daikon radish, and it is a common ingredient in kimchi.

Lotus root is another popular root vegetable that is popular in East Asia.

4) Garlic

Garlic is a delicious bulb vegetable that belongs to the allium family, which also includes onions and chives.

This small and flavorful vegetable helps to make almost anything taste better too.

Garlic also plays a large part in world cuisine, from garlic bread to kimchi and even garlic snails.

Per 100 grams, here is garlic’s key nutritional information (6);

Garlic is a bulb, which is an underground nutrient storage food for above ground plants.

Garlic also appears to have numerous health benefits.

For example, a recent meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that garlic can significantly lower blood pressure (7).

5) Red Onion

While not as popular as their yellow cousin, red onions are a tasty underground bulb.

Red onions work well when sauteed as a side for a meat dish, and they are a common ingredient in raw salads too.

Here is a look at their primary nutrients per 100 grams (8);

As shown in the nutrient profile, red onions are not a significant source of vitamins and minerals aside from a moderate amount of vitamin C.

However, onions also provide a large concentration of flavonols including quercetin, which is one of the most proven polyphenols. (9, 10).

6) Yellow Onion

Yellow onions (or just ‘onions’) are similar to the red version, but we mainly eat them in their cooked state.

Nutritionally, onions offer the following nutrients per 100 grams (11);

In the same manner as red onion, yellow onions are not particularly high in micronutrients.

However, they are also a significant source of quercetin.

On that note, a recent randomized controlled trial suggests that quercetin-rich onions may potentially help to protect against cognitive decline in older adults (12).

7) Jicama

Sometimes known as the ‘Mexican yam bean’ or ‘Mexican turnip,’ jicama is an edible root that enjoys the most popularity in Mexico.

However, anyone living in the United States should be able to find this root vegetable without issue.

Per 100-gram serving, jicama provides the following nutrients (13);

Aside from vitamin C, jicama is not a significant source of vitamins and minerals.

Notably, jicama is very adaptable and people eat it in a variety of ways.

Similar to potatoes, jicama can be roasted, fried, boiled, mashed, or made into chips.

8) Parsnip

Parsnips are reasonably nutritious root vegetables, and they are arguably the tastiest.

Sometimes mistaken for white carrots, parsnips are entirely different.

This off-white, long root vegetable has a firm texture and a sweet and mellow flavor.

Below you can see the major nutrients that parsnips contain on a per-100-gram basis (14);

Parsnips are also quite adaptable, and we can cook them in so many ways.

I would say the tastiest way to eat them is roasting them alongside a joint of meat.

9) Turnip

Turnips are small and round root vegetables with a creamy color.

A variety of slightly different varieties of the species grow throughout the world. Per 100 grams, the typical nutrient profile looks like this (15);

The major nutrient in turnips is vitamin C, and they are fairly low in other micronutrients.

Interestingly, the taste of turnips can vary significantly between bitter and very mildly sweet, and this depends on the cooking method.

In total, a boiling time of close to 30 minutes removes most of the bitter taste.

10) Burdock Root

Burdock root is a lesser-known type of root, and it grows throughout North Asia and Europe.

In addition to its use as a vegetable, it is also possible to buy burdock root tea.

Burdock root provides the following primary nutrients per 100 grams (16);

Burdock root tastes slightly sweet, and it has a firm, crunchy texture.

Additionally, this root contains a substantial amount of hydroxycinnamic acid, a type of polyphenol also found in cinnamon and coffee (17).

11) Radish

In contrast to the East-Asian daikon radish, the common radish comes in colorful shades of red, pink and purple.

Radishes have a spicy and peppery taste, and this comes from the chemical compounds they contain such as glucosinolate and isothiocyanate (18).

Regarding their nutrition profile, radishes provide minimal calories, macronutrients or micronutrients.

Here are the key nutrients per 100 grams (19);

Containing a moderate amount of vitamin C, radishes area very low-energy root vegetable and they make a spicy and flavorful addition to salads.

12) Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are an underground tuber, they have a mildly sweet taste, and they are one of the most versatile vegetables.

Whether it is boiling, frying, mashing, roasting or steaming, there are many ways to prepare sweet potatoes.

Here are the key nutrients per 100 grams of cooked sweet potatoes (20);

Similar to carrots, sweet potatoes are a significant source of carotenoids.

Since these compounds are fat-soluble vitamin A precursors, it is a good idea to eat them with a source of fat to increase nutrient absorption (21).

For more information, see this guide to the nutrition benefits of sweet potatoes.

Additionally, purple sweet potatoes have a unique nutritional profile.

13) Shallot

Like their allium family members onions and garlic, shallots are an underground edible bulb.

However, they are much more flavorful, and chefs around the world prize them for their rich and mildly sweet taste.

Per 100 grams, shallots provide (22);

Just as shallots are richer in flavor, they are also more nutritious.

Compared to regular onions, shallots provide a greater range of vitamins and minerals.

See this complete guide to shallots for more information.

14) Rutabaga

Rutabaga is a turnip-like root vegetable, and it also goes by the common name of swede.

Similar to turnips, rutabaga can have a slightly bitter taste, but less so.

Rutabaga also offers slightly more nutritionally. Here is the profile per 100 grams (23);

Rutabaga is a rich source of vitamin C, and it provides a small additional range of vitamins and minerals.

There are several ways to cook a rutabaga, but here are two of the tastiest;

• Chop the rutabaga into cubes, and evenly coat them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then roast in the oven until they’re ready.
• Boil the rutabaga until it goes soft, and then mash and mix with some butter and salt.

15) Cassava Root

Cassava is a root vegetable that grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world.

The root is otherwise known as Brazilian arrowroot and—more famously—it is the ingredient used to make tapioca.

Nutritionally, it is relatively high in calories and carbohydrates in comparison to other root vegetables.

Per 100 grams, cassava root provides (24);

Many plant foods contain chemical “poisons” to protect the plant from attack, but cassava goes one step further.

In its raw state, cassava contains enzymes that break down into cyanide (25).

Unfortunately, there have been numerous fatalities from people eating this root vegetable raw. Many of these deaths have come from people unknowingly eating raw cassava meal (26, 27).

Cassava always needs cooking thoroughly.

Final Thoughts

Root vegetables may not be as nutritious as leafy greens, but they can still provide a fairly good nutrient profile.

Lastly, most root vegetables taste great and add a variety of flavor to our meals.

For more vegetable guides, see this guide to the nutritional values of potatoes.