turnips & turnip greens with cashew cream sauce - Healthy Seasonal Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat turnip greens every day? ›

If you have certain conditions, too many turnip greens -- which are high in vitamin K -- can cause your blood to clot faster than normal. You have a kidney condition. Your kidneys remove extra potassium from your body. If they don't work well, you may have too much potassium in your system.

Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

It's best to soak and rinse the leaves four to five times. Wash greens thoroughly, rinse under cold, running water, scrubbing them gently with your fingers and drain well. The result is perfectly clean greens. You can chop the greens before or after you cook them if they are large.

One 55-gram cup of raw turnip greens provides 138 mcg of vitamin K, well above the daily need. Turnip greens also provide one of the highest calcium contents per gram of any fruit or vegetable. Vitamin A, phosphorus, and magnesium also promote bone health, and these too are present in turnip greens.

Vitamin K Helps Blood Clot (Thickens Blood)

This means that eating foods rich in vitamin K (primarily found in leafy green vegetables) can interact with blood thinning drugs, making them less effective.

According to a 2013 study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, foods containing dietary nitrates — such as turnips and collard greens — may provide multiple benefits for the health of the blood vessels. These include reducing blood pressure and inhibiting the sticking together of platelets in the blood.

Add baking soda.

Salt is one of my favorite ways to cut the bitterness in turnip greens. I then add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the broth and simmer for the last 20 minutes.

A variety of herbs and spices can be added to the mashed turnips. Try a tablespoon of finely chopped sage or rosemary, a clove or two of roasted or sautéed garlic, or a pinch of paprika or ground ginger. If your turnips came with the greens, don't throw them away.

Cooked turnip greens can be served on their own as a side dish or be folded into omelets, sandwiches or casseroles. The leaves can also be added to soups and stews. Turnip greens are also enjoyed raw in salads, but the leaves can have a very strong, bitter flavor.

Oh, cook the stems too. They'll. soften up and taste great.

How to tell if turnip greens are bad? ›

If you're using both the greens and the root, make sure to get turnips with healthy greens. Try to avoid mushy or yellowed greens when you can. Also, check for major soft spots on the root and if there are any, cut those out before storing at home.

I suggest filling a sink with cool water and swishing the greens around for several minutes. After that, transfer the greens to a large bowl, clean the sink, and repeating the process until there's no longer any sediment that can be felt on the surface of the sink.

Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they're lower in calories and have fewer carbs. Smaller, sweeter turnips can be sliced into wedges and eaten raw like an apple. Raw baby turnips can be sliced or diced and used in salads. Raw turnips can also be grated and used as a garnish.

Conclusion. So, can you eat too many leafy greens? Yes! It is scientifically possible to eat too many leafy greens and upset the balance of vitamin K or other fat-soluble vitamins in your body, leading to several health issues.

Turnip may reduce bad cholesterol levels due to its antioxidant activity. The natural antioxidants like quercetin, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and beta-carotene present in turnip may help breakdown the LDL (low-density lipoproteins). This may lead to lower LDL levels in the body.

Add to that the fact that most leafy green vegetables contain high levels of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, folate, and calcium, are rich in v​​itamins A, C, E and K, and have very little sodium, cholesterol, and carbohydrates, you can see why green vegetables should be a part of your daily diet.

Turnip contains several organic compounds like glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, flavonoids, phenols, indoles, volatiles and sulfur compounds that may possess antioxidant activity. The compounds present in turnip may reduce the risk of liver damage and might help maintain its structure and function.

Turnip greens tend to be higher in certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C and calcium, while collard greens are higher in other nutrients like vitamin K and folate.

These gluten free greens are low in cholesterol and saturated fat, making them a vitamin rich choice for Southern style meals. Canned greens are also packed with nutrients like calcium and vitamin E.