Turnips are root vegetables. Younger "baby turnips" are smaller and sweeter than larger, older ones, which tend to be more bitter and peppery. In general, turnips taste like a potato-radish hybrid. As they grow older, their flavor becomes more intense. There are many different types of turnips. The most common turnip looks like a heart-shaped bulb that is white on the bottom and purple on top. Giant white turnips resemble rutabaga and are often covered with wax after harvest to create a vapor barrier that retains moisture and extends shelf life.
This article discusses the health benefits of turnips, offers some creative preparation methods for raw or cooked turnips, and explains why eating this edible taproot can be problematic for some people.
Turnips: Benefits of an Often Overlooked Vegetable
Just like other vegetables in the Brassicaceae or Kruisferen family - such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage - turnips are a rich source of sulforaphane And glucosinolates. These plant-based compounds have many health benefits and may help prevent chronic diseases related to oxidative stress.
Turnips contain antioxidants, substances that promote overall health and well-being. Eating turnips may help manage type 2 diabetes and may protect against some types of cancer, while lowering the risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
Like other powerful vegetables and superfoods, turnips can help people stay healthy. The Centers for Disease Control classifies turnips as a fruit and vegetable powerhouse (PFV) because they contain 10% or more of the 17 qualifying nutrients in a 100-calorie serving.
1 cup raw, cubed (130 g)
Raw versus cooked turnips
Can you eat raw turnips? Yes, turnips can be eaten raw. However, they generally taste better raw when they are younger and smaller. Cooked turnips of any age or size can be used in a variety of dishes and prepared in many ways. Cooking turnips can also give them more flavor.
Nutritional differences
From a nutritional perspective, there are pros and cons to eating raw or cooked turnips. For example, raw turnips retain more vitamin C: 27.3 mg per cup raw versus 18.1 mg cooked.While consuming uncooked vegetables can promote gut health and bowel movements in some people, eating raw vegetables can cause stomach pain or worsen irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in others due to their fiber content.
Taste differences
Smaller turnips are sweeter; larger turnips are more bitter. Larger, mature turnips have a more peppery, radish-like flavor than younger, smaller turnips, which have a more neutral flavor.
Creative Ways to Eat More Turnips
Turnips can be eaten raw, pickled, boiled, roasted, mashed, stewed, pureed, added to soups, or prepared in almost any way you would make potatoes. Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they are lower in calories and carbohydrates.
When preparing turnips, start by peeling the skin, cutting off the base root and removing the celery-like stems and broad leaves, if they are still attached. Not all grocers sell turnips with the greens intact. If your turnips have green tops, don't throw them away. Turnip greens are very nutritious and can be baked or steamed, just like other green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
Smaller, sweeter turnips can be cut into wedges and eaten raw like an apple. Raw baby turnips can be sliced or cubed and used in salads. Raw turnips can also be grated and used as a garnish.
Shouldn't someone eat turnips?
People taking blood thinners (anticoagulants) such as warfarin should be careful about suddenly eating large amounts of turnips because they are relatively high in vitamin K, which can interfere with the action of these medications.
Turnips also contain goitrogens, which can disrupt thyroid function. Cooking turnips lowers goitrogen levels, but people with thyroid problems should talk to a health care provider before introducing turnips or other remedies. goitrogen food in their diet.
Turnips are root vegetables that taste like a combination of radish and potato. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Smaller turnips taste sweeter and less bitter than larger ones. Larger turnips taste better cooked. Boiling or roasting turnips in the oven are simple preparation methods. This root vegetable is often blended into mashed potatoes or used in soups. Because turnips are a cruciferous vegetable and a "powerhouse," they have many health benefits and can help prevent chronic diseases.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. To learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, trustworthy and reliable, read our editorial process.
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By Christopher Bergland
Christopher Bergland is a retired ultra-endurance athlete turned medical writer and science reporter.
