Parsnips Recipe & Nutrition - Precision Nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food (2024)

At a Glance

Parsnips belong to the same family as the carrot and parsley plant. Parsnips look like carrots, with green, leafy tops and a long fleshy root. Parsnips are an excellent source of potassium. You can eat parsnips raw or cooked.

Overview

A parsnip is a vegetable that belongs to the same family as the carrot and parsley plant. Its long, tuberous, cream-colored root becomes sweeter tasting if left in the ground until the frost. Parsnips can be stored for months in a cool place, but they are at their best in the late autumn and early winter. They can be eaten cooked or raw.

Identification

Parsnips look a lot like carrots, with green, leafy tops and a long, or sometimes bulbous, fleshy root. The root is the edible part of the plant.

Nutrition Info

An average sized parsnip provides about 75 calories, 1.2g of protein, about 5.0g of fiber, 5.0g of sugar, and 18.0g of carbohydrates.

Parsnips are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. In particular, they’re a great source of potassium, offering 375 mg per 100g. They’re also rich in antioxidants and are noted for their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties.

Selection

In buying parsnips, look for smooth, firm, medium-sized roots. Avoid overly large, woody-looking, or soft and shrivelled parsnips. They won’t taste as flavorful. And stay away from those that are too long, straggly, and skinny, because they’re difficult to peel and prepare.

If you grow parsnips, handle their shoots and leaves with care. The sap contains a photosensitive chemical that can be toxic to sensitive people, causing a rash and itchy skin.

Storage

Store parsnips in a cool place, either in the crisper of your refrigerator or in a cold cellar. Do not freeze uncooked parsnips. Parsnips are rarely sold with their tops on, but if you happen to buy some at the market with tops, remove those before storing.

Preparation

To eat parsnips raw, simply wash, peel, and cut them up. They are sweet and delicious and make a great salad paired with sliced apples, walnuts, and a sharp-tasting green such as arugula.

Parsnips can also be boiled, steamed, sautéed, roasted, or fried.

Option 1. Roasting

Wash and peel parsnips and cut into “sticks” about 1 ½” thick. Toss the parsnips with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, a bit of salt, and some pepper, and a sprig of thyme or a few cloves of garlic, if desired. Place on a greased baking sheet or into a Pyrex casserole and roast at 450°F for about 20 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelized at the edges.

Note: You can also roast carrots or potatoes along with your parsnips. Parsnips will cook a little bit fasterthan the other root vegetables.

Option 2. Boiling

Wash and peel parsnips and cut into pieces. Bring a pot of water to boil, add salt, and place parsnips in the water. Allow to boil lightly until the parsnips feel soft to a cake tester. Drain and season to eat immediately, or use in further preparations such as purées.

Recipe: Roasted Parsnips with Dates and Carrots

Parsnips Recipe & Nutrition - Precision Nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food (1)

This is a perfect autumn side dish for your favourite protein, like grilled steak or roasted chicken. Use up any leftovers in a frittata or salad.

Ingredients

parsnips, washed, and peeled
1 pound
baby carrots, washed, and peeled
1 pound
dates, pitted, torn in half
1/3 cup
olive oil
1 tbsp
kosher salt
1/2 tsp
parsley leaves
1/4 cup
dried oregano
1/2 tsp
yogurt (optional)
2 tbsp

Directions

Prep Time:10 minutes Cook Time:25 minutes Yield:4-6 side servings

Preheat oven to 350°F. Begin by cutting the parsnips into quarters lengthwise, so that they are roughly the same size as the carrots.

Note: 1 pound of parsnips and carrots is equivalentto approximately 1 large bunch of each.

Toss the parsnips and carrots into a large bowl and add the dates, oregano, salt, and olive oil.

Toss well and transfer to a 8″ x 11″ baking dish. Bake until veggies are fork tender, about 25 minutes.

Garnish with the parsley leaves and drizzle the yogurt on top if desired.

Store leftovers in fridge.

Enjoy!

Free Recipe Book

Precision Nutrition’s Encyclopedia of Food expands every single month as we highlight new foods and showcase beautiful food photography. If you’d like to stay up to date, simply click this link. From there, we’ll send you a FREE copy of our recipe book. We’ll also let you know when new and delicious foods are added to the site.

Click here for the free Encyclopedia of Food recipebook.

Related Foods

  • Spinach

  • Green Onions

  • Turnip

  • Spaghetti Squash

Parsnips Recipe & Nutrition - Precision Nutrition's Encyclopedia of Food (2024)

FAQs

Do parsnips raise blood sugar? ›

One serving of parsnips provides about 20 percent of the DRI for women and about 13 percent for men. Fiber also helps to slow down sugar absorption to avoid spikes in your blood sugar. Although parsnips have a higher glycemic index of 52, they have so much fiber that the sugars don't absorb all at once.

Which is healthier, potato or parsnip? ›

In fact, if you opt for parsnips over potatoes you'll get nearly four times the amount fibre per serve. Along with this, they are also a good source of folate, potassium, and Vitamin C. Parsnips have a sweet flavour and can be cooked in a variety of ways.

Are parsnips anti-inflammatory? ›

Parsnips are a source of active plant compounds, such as furanocoumarins, flavonoids and polyacetylenes, including one called falcarinol. These compounds have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer properties, and also act as vasodilators, which helps modulate blood pressure.

What's healthier, carrot or parsnip? ›

Why is Carrot better than Parsnips? Explicitly more vitamin A (IU) per 100g. Significantly more vitamin A (RAE) per 100g. Explicitly more luteolin per 100g.

Which is better for diabetics, potatoes or parsnips? ›

Good replacements for potatoes

Look for high fiber, lower carb, and low GI and GL foods like the following (33): Carrots and parsnips. Both are low GI and GL and have less than 10 grams of carbs per 2.8-ounce (80-gram) serving.

What are the side effects of parsnip? ›

In some cases, people consuming parsnip for the first time may also experience allergic conditions like dermatitis, bloating, gas, stomach cramps, and food allergy symptoms like burning, itching, and swelling of lips and tongue, redness in the eyes, and breathing difficulty.

Can I eat parsnips everyday? ›

Root vegetables are still fresh whole foods that contain many vitamins and minerals. Eating a variety of them is good for your health. Fung says that, if you're healthy, you can probably eat one serving of root vegetables every day.

What is the healthiest vegetable in the world to eat? ›

The CDC assigns nutrition density scores to produce based on their concentration of essential vitamins and minerals. Usual suspects like spinach, chard, and beet greens all have scores ranging in the 80s. But the only vegetable to earn a perfect score of 100 is watercress. “What's watercress?” you may ask.

Do you peel parsnips before cooking? ›

How to prepare parsnips. Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

When should you not eat a parsnip? ›

If a raw parsnip becomes soft and squishy, this is a sign of rot and it should no longer be eaten.

Are parsnips a laxative? ›

As a vegetable, in particular as a root vegetable, parsnips provide a significant amount of fiber. This makes them an excellent choice for people with digestive issues, since fiber has a great ability to help regulate bowel movements, reduce chances of indigestion, constipation, and other related digestive problems.

What toxins are in parsnips? ›

Parsnips commonly contain a group of natural toxins known as furocoumarins. These are probably produced as a way of protecting the plant when it has been stressed. The concentration of the toxin is usually highest in the peel or surface layer of the plant or around any damaged areas.

Why are parsnips so much more expensive than carrots? ›

Though they may seem pricey at $2.99 a pound, Tomizza says the seeds are much more expensive than carrots, they're more expensive to grow, harvest and pack and workers have to cut off the leafy tops by hand.

Can you freeze parsnips? ›

To freeze: Cooked or uncooked parsnips can be frozen. You can blanch in boiling water for a few minutes and cool in ice water or roast in the oven before freezing. To defrost: When you take food or drink out of the freezer, it's important to defrost it safely. Don't defrost at room temperature.

Why am I craving parsnips? ›

Put simply, we need to eat more calories to help us generate heat from within. Relatively high in sugars, as most of them are, root vegetables including parsnips are an excellent source of the extra energy our bodies crave.

What is the one vegetable that spikes blood sugar? ›

Starchy potatoes

“Potatoes are a vegetable, but the health value of all vegetables are not interchangeable. White potatoes in particular have a very high glycemic load. As a result, a baked white potato can also raise blood sugar even more than a glazed doughnut.”

What vegetables don't raise blood sugar? ›

Anyone with diabetes might be surprised to learn certain foods minimally impact sugar levels, including: Carrots. These are considered non-starchy (as are string beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower) and good in a diabetes diet.

Should diabetics avoid root vegetables? ›

Root vegetables are one of the most beneficial food items that you can add to your diet. Many people don't know that root vegetables can also help in maintaining a normal blood sugar level.

Are too many parsnips bad for you? ›

While it's fun to use old standbys in more interesting ways (like roasted parsnips with pistachio and lemon), it's important to eat root vegetables judiciously. "They are so high in carbohydrates that they are more like grains than greens.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Last Updated:

Views: 6264

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Birthday: 1999-09-15

Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

Phone: +6838967160603

Job: Mining Executive

Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.