Unique Vegetables Loaded With Health Benefits
Mashua Mashua is a flowering plant native to South America that produces an edible tuber with a pungent, peppery flavor. The tubers come in various colors — including yellow, red, and purple — and have been shown to provide antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in animal and test-tube studies.
Taro root Taro is a root vegetable that’s a popular carb source in Africa and Asia. When cooked, it has a subtly sweet taste and soft texture, making it an excellent stand-in for potatoes, sweet potatoes, and starchy vegetables. It’s also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin E, B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese.
Delicata squash Delicata squash is a type of summer squash — though harvested during winter — with an oblong shape and creamy color marked by vertical stripes. Unlike other squashes, such as butternut or pumpkin, delicatas have thin, tender skin and can be eaten without peeling the outer rind. Delicata has a sweet, pumpkin-like flavor that pairs well with many foods.
Sunchokes The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)is a type of sunflower grown for its edible tubers, which are commonly known as sunchokes. This starchy vegetable looks like ginger root. When cooked, it’s tender and tastes slightly nutty.
Chayote squash Chayote belongs to the same family as pumpkins and zucchini. This bright green, wrinkled squash has tender, edible skin and white, mild flesh that’s typically cooked but can also be eaten raw.
Dandelion greens All parts of the dandelion plant (Taraxacum officinale)are edible, including the leaves, which are known as dandelion greens. Though not as popular as other leafy greens, they’re loaded with an array of vitamins, minerals, and potent plant compounds, including vitamin K, iron, and polyphenol antioxidants.
Fiddleheads Fiddleheads are the flavorful leaves of young ferns that have not yet unfolded. Popular among foragers, they’re harvested from immature ferns and have a tightly wound, curled shape. Fiddleheads are rich in nutrients and plant compounds, such as provitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese.
Jicama Jicama is the edible root of the Pachyrhizus erosus vine. Turnip-like in shape, it has white, mildly sweet flesh. This tuberous vegetable is loaded with vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin that’s important for immune health and acts as an antioxidant.
Romanesco Romanesco is an eye-catching vegetable with an intricate, spiral-like shape and bright green color. What’s more, it offers several powerful plant compounds. Research shows that brassica vegetables — which include romanesco, broccoli, and cabbage — are rich in polyphenol antioxidants and other plant compounds that have potential anticancer and immune-boosting effects.
Purslane Purslane is an edible weed that grows naturally in fields and lawns. Technically a succulent, it has glossy leaves and a lemony flavor. Purslane is very low in calories, delivering just 9 per 1-cup (43-gram) serving. At the same time, it boasts an impressive amount of potassium, magnesium, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 fat.