Parsnip nutrition facts

Information on Parsnip

Parsnips are closely related to carrots but they stand outas a healthier option with much more nutrients. Parsnip is a root vegetable,just like the carrot. It comes from the family of Apiaceae which is alsosometimes referred to by its obsolete name of Umbelliferae. The family is verybig as it includes approximately 3000 different species and more than 300 differenttypes of genera. Some other members of the family include carrot, caraway,coriander, fennel, dill and celery.

Parsnips have been used since the times ofthe ancient Rome. The wild variety of parsnips is much smaller in size than itscultivated counterpart and its taste is not that sweet. Parsnips can bedescribed as carrots with a pale color of yellow or white. They can be eatenraw or they can be cooked. Parsnips are popular because of their delicate,sweet flavor which has a mild intensity and it blends so well with numerousother ingredients and enhances the overall flavor of many different dishes.

Parsnips blends wonderfully with certain types of ingredients such as cinnamon,tarragon, nutmeg, thyme, basil, parsley and dill weed. Parsnips can be roasted,boiled and steamed and they are an integral part of numerous different types ofstew and soup recipes.

Parsnip Nutritional Value

Parsnips are jam packed with different types of vitamins andessential minerals such as potassium, vitamin K, manganese, vitamin C, folate, vitaminB complex, zinc and calcium. Parsnips contain significantly low amounts ofcalories, saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium. A serving of 100 grams of cooked parsnipscontains 70 calories, 1.7 micrograms of selenium, 17 grams of carbohydrates,0.3 micrograms of zinc, 5 grams of sugar, 0.6 milligrams of iron, 4 grams ofdietary fiber, 246 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of protein, 29 milligrams of magnesium, 13 milligrams ofvitamin C, 69 milligrams of phosphorus, 1 milligram of vitamin E, 37 milligramsof calcium, 0.1 milligrams of vitamin B1, 367 milligrams of potassium, 0.1milligrams of vitamin B2, 58 micrograms of folate, 0.7 milligrams of vitamin B3and 0.1 milligrams of vitamin B6.

Health Benefits of Parsnip

Parsnip is very good for the maintenance of proper kidneyand liver health. It is also very efficient in improving the bowel movementsand treating anemia, kidney diseases and obesity. Parsnip has very potentdiuretic and antioxidant properties and it comes very handy when it comes toboosting the immune system.