Food & recipes

Healthy Eating: the best season veg

These mouth-watering vegetables are not just for Christmas, say our experts…

These mouth-watering vegetables are not just for Christmas, say our experts…
The Christmas dinner is the king of roasts,and not as fattening for you as might think. If you make sensible choices and don’t drench everything with butter,cream or copious amounts of gravy, you can actually keep off the dreaded holiday bulge. By tucking into the veg on your plate you will be filling your body with plenty of essential nutrients to keep you full of energy and ready to celebrate. Here our foodies explain why you should enjoy your festive grub guilt-free…

Chestnuts

These Christmas superstars are more like a potato than a nut, says Ian Marber

Despite what their name might suggest, chestnuts aren’t like most other nuts as they consist largely of starchy carbohydrates,rather than protein and fat. In fact these little gems are actually more akin to sweet potatoes in their make-up. This composition makes them rich in folic acid, which is considered unusual for a nut, although like other nuts they are a good source of fibre as well. They are also a notable source of potassium and offer vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. Chestnuts are rich in two polyphenols, ellagic and gallic acid, both of which have been the focus of many research studies. The acids are more potent when cooked and both seem to have exciting potential in combating cancer cells. According to researchers in Seoul,they are especially effective in cases of gastric cancer. At this time of year chestnuts are more available in the shops, so get them while you can!

Try this delicious recipe

Take a pack of vacuum packed chestnuts,steam in order to soften them and then blend with plain yoghurt, a dash of vanilla essence and a pinch of cinnamon. Freeze in ramekins and enjoy as a low-fat dessert that contains protein but no sugar.

How to cook it…

Parsnips

Versatile and delicious, this is the ultimate comfort veg, says Antony Worral Thompson

The hardy parsnip is a wonderful root vegetable. Growing them takes some perseverance as they take a long time to germinate,and six months later having wintered underground, they are best harvested at Christmas when their starches will have turned to sugars, making them caramelise deliciously.

ROAST VEGETABLE BUBBLE BURGERS

Place 175g of peeled parsnips, 175g of peeled and diced carrots and 175g of peeled and diced celeriac in a roasting tin and sprinkle with two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to combine andp lace on the hob over a high heat until the oil is sizzling. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, tossing from time to time.Add one finely chopped onion and one tablespoon of soft thyme leaves to the root vegetables and cook for a further 10 minutes.Sprinkle with one tablespoon of sherry vinegar and season with salt and ground black pepper to taste; allow to cool. Stir the vegetables into 500g of mashed potatoes,season and mix well to disperse. This mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Shape the mix into four burgers. Brush lightly with oil and fry for about four minutes on each side until golden and heated through.

GLAZED PARSNIPS, SHALLOTS AND CARROTS

Pre-heat oven to 190ºC. Peel and cut 450g each of parsnips and carrots into batons. Place these together with six peeled shallots and one teaspoon of chopped thyme in a bowl and toss with a little olive oil. Place in a tray and pop in the oven, cook for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. 15 minutes before the end of cooking, toss the vegetables with two tablespoons of liquid honey and one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, season with salt and ground black pepper and return to the oven to finish cooking.Just before serving, toss with two tablespoons of chopped parsley.

Did you know?

According to research by supermarket Morrisons, it takes 295 days for a Christmas dinnert o reach your plate. It takes 10 months to sow and grow the veg before it’s ready for the festivities to begin!

Carina’s FACT FILE

Brussel sprouts

Carina Norris can’t get enough of this nutritious festive veg!

I love Brussels sprouts, though some people hate them. But it is worth learning to love them,and not just saving them for Christmas, as they’re packed with nutrients.

An 80g serving of steamed or boiled sprouts contains 48mg of vitamin C, which is 80 per cent of your daily recommendation, and weight for weight,more than oranges. Vitamin C is soluble in water, so don’t boil your Brussels to death – you’ll lose the vitamin as it leaches out into the cooking water. In addition, they’re rich in folic acid, which is particularly important for women of child-bearing age, as it reduces the risk of birth defects. Folic acid could also reduce heart disease risk in both men and women, and a serving of sprouts contains 88mg, or nearly half of the daily requirements. Brussels also contain 2.5g of fibre,which is more than raw celery.

But Brussels sprouts’ biggest nutritional selling point would probably be that they’re a rich source of sulphur compounds called glucosinolates. These are broken down by the body to for misothiocyanates. Studies suggest these reduce your risk of a wide variety of cancers (including breast, lung, colon and prostate cancer) by eliminating carcinogens before they can damage DNA, and they stop healthy cells from being transformed into cancerous ones.