Part 2: Corn, Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, and Sweet Potatoes
Based on the book "Eating on the Wild Side" by Jo Robinson
Moving on to our next set of veggies, their recommended varieties and a few produce tips, we will discuss corn, potatoes, carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes.
Recommended types of Corn:
Anything deeply colored and preferably from a farmers market or grown yourself, but grocery stores just plain yellow with the deepest yellow color
Tips:
Choose colorful corn…it has more nutrients in it!
Choose old fashioned or moderately sweet corn to help maintain optimum blood sugar levels
Steam, grill, or microwave corn, do not boil it…the nutrients that are water soluble will leach into the water you discard
Frozen corn is just as nutritious are fresh
If you use cornmeal for anything, make sure it is whole grain cornmeal
Buy organic corn to reduce your exposure to pesticides or even better grow your own!
On average, each of us eats 130bs of potatoes per year and about 32% of all the veggies we eat are potatoes, here are the recommended types:
All varieties of new potatoes (anything that isn't a baking potato, they are waxy)
Russet burbank
Colorful potatoes (think blue, purple, red)
Tips:
Choose the most colorful potatoes, you want the darkest skins
Eat the skins, they contain 50% of the antioxidants and some fiber to slow the digestion rate and blood sugar spike of potatoes
Shop beyond the grocery store, go to specialty stores or farmers markets for more varieties
Buy organic to reduce the exposure to pesticides
Store potatoes in a cool, dark location with adequate ventilation..new potatoes can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks
Stop the blood sugar rush….eat the skins, eat them with some fat, chill them after cooking for 24hrs, or flavor them with vinegar
Carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and their recommended varieties:
Deep orange carrots
Blue, purple, yellow, red carrots
Deep red or purple beets
Dark and deep colored sweet potatoes
Tips:
Get the most out of your orange carrots by choosing whole fresh carrots over baby carrots, if they still have their tops attached you will get a fresher flavor, cooked are more nutritious than raw, but make sure you include some fat with it, cook them whole then chop them for more flavor and nutrients
Any carrot that is a color other than orange is more nutritious
Eat more beets and beet greens..they have amazing nutrients that help with inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer
Sweet potatoes are better for you than regular potatoes due to their antioxidant profile and lower blood sugar spike
