I LOVE Jerusalem artichokes (also known as sunchokes). They are a healthy alternative to feeling like you’re eating a potato, but with A LOT less starch and carbs, and a lot more nutrients, like protein and iron. Here are some healthy benefits of Jerusalem artichokes.
1. Sunchokes can help to lower blood pressure.
High levels of inulin (natural Prebiotic fiber that comes typically from root vegetables) bypass digestion and reach the lower gut to feed the good bacteria that resides there. Studies show that feeding the indigenous micro flora and warding off bad bacteria is an important part of the treatment and prevention of hypertension.
2. Sunchokes are high in potassium.
A one cup serving of sunchokes contains 643 mg of potassium, which is essential for overall health and can help to reduce heart disease. Increasing your dietary potassium, in addition to reducing excess sodium, is especially beneficial for people at risk for high blood pressure.
3. Eating sunchokes can decrease blood cholesterol.
Along with normalizing blood triglyceride levels, these small vegetables affect the way that the body metabolizes fats, thanks to their high levels of probiotics.
4. One cup of sunchokes provides you with a quarter of your daily iron!
You would have to eat three ounces of red meat to get the same amount of iron. The sunchoke is a great way to increase your iron intake, especially since it has no fat and only 109 calories per cup. Iron is an essential component of the proteins involved in the delivery of oxygen to each and every cell in your body. A deficiency of iron limits the delivery of oxygen to the cells resulting in fatigue and decreased immunity.
5. Sunchokes are high in protein.
Not only does this wonderful root contain more protein than most other root vegetables, it’s particularly high in the sulfur-containing essential amino acids taurine, methionine, homocysteine and cysteine. These sulfur-containing amino acids are essential for maintaining the flexibility of connective tissue as well as allowing the liver to carry out detoxification. Try this homemade veggie bowl to add the healthy benefits of sunchokes to your life:
Simple And Delicious Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Bowl With Loads of Veggies
Ingredients
- 5 organic sun-chokes - cut 1 in thick
- 5 Brussel Sprouts - chopped thin
- 4 collard green leafs - core removed so it’s just leaves chopped
- Big hand full of spinach leaves - chopped
- 3 inches of ginger - grated or minced
- 1 sweet onion - diced small
- 3 garlic cloves – minced
- Pinch of Celtic salt
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa -optional
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 tablespoons organic olive oil
- Toasted flax & sesame seeds
- Micro greens like basil or oregano for topping
- For dressing;
- 2-3 tablespoons organic tahini
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- pinch of cayenne
- 2-3 tablespoons water depending on the consistency you want.Instructions:
Instructions
- Turn oven to 375F. Toss sunchokes in olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for 25 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes at the end for golden brown crunch. Remove and set aside. While they are in the oven start the other stuff.
- Cook quinoa according to package. I recommend using vegetable broth for more flavor instead of water.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a non stick pan. Add onion and cook on medium low heat until golden brown. Add Brussel Sprouts and collard greens, mix and cover for a few minutes to let cook.
- Add in ginger and chopped spinach. Mix and let cook a few more minutes. Add a pinch of salt, cayenne, & nutritional yeast. Mix and set aside.
- For dressing; mix all ingredients together. Add more salt or cayenne to taste.
- To assemble bowl, first put in quinoa (drizzle some dressing), then add the veggies (drizzle some dressing). Top with the roasted sunchokes, micro greens and roasted flax & sesame seeds for a crunch.
- Enjoy!
What do you think?