Raw Turnips are not his favorite – The amazing health benefits of Turnips

This year, my son’s preschool class went on a field trip to a local children’s garden. It ended up being a beautiful day! The sun was out, the weather was warm and we were ready for some fresh fruits and vegetables. We walked around the organic garden searching for produce and eating them straight off the plants.

My son was lucky enough to find a radish that he pulled out of the ground himself. We washed it and I was shocked when he took a big bite out of it! It was too spicy and he didn’t like it, but at least he tried it without hesitation. I had to know more about these vegetables!

It turn out that turnips are a great source of vitamin C, which is a natural antioxidant. Antioxidants are helpful in trapping and removing free radicals from the body. Free radicals are believed to cause damage to healthy cells. Because our family is exposed to toxins on a daily basis, I like to try to incorporate Vitamin C into their diet. I especially focus on this after they take an X-ray or after flying, both of which expose the body to low amounts of radiation. I do not obsess over this, however I do believe even a small amount of antioxidants are beneficial.

Turnips are also believed to help maintain blood pressure, boosting immunity and preventing cancer. This s reason enough to give them a try. We went to the store that afternoon and brought home a bunch of turnips. I chopped them up and put them on a salad for dinner. my husband was the only one who liked them! They have a strong, spicy flavor that takes some getting used to. I was only able to eat it with a lot of salad dressing.

I am going to work on some kid friendly ideas for serving these little vegetables that are packed with good things! My first thoughts would be to shred them and mix them in to chicken salad or other foods that would overpower the flavor. I’ll try a couple of ideas and let you know how it goes!

Do you enjoy turnips? How do you prepare them?