Green Options

Winter veggies usually get short shrift, but there are many reasons to savor them. They add loads of vitamins and nutrients to our diets, do wonders for our immunity, and are wonderfully versatile. Plus, eating seasonally is eating green: as it takes us back to the old days of eating only the freshest available products, it’s a more sustainable eating model and it’s better for reducing our carbon footprints.

Here’s my guide to making the most of these five fabulous winter veggies:

1. Play Squash

I actually look forward to winter just for its squash varieties. Acorn, banana, butternut, spaghetti, delicata, hubbard, sweet dumpling, buttercup, and turban squashes—not to mention pumpkin—add a colorful and sweet accent to your plate. Plus, they are among the healthiest types of complex carbohydrates (the best kind of carbs), with high fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C content. Roast ‘em, mash ‘em, or slow cook ‘em into a heaping bowl of soupy goodness for the perfect warm winter meal.

I’ve scored some fantastic organic sweet potatoes from the market lately. Here are some ideas for cooking with them:

1. Sweet Potato Coconut Mash: This is another option for making mashed potatoes, try mashing and blending soy, regular or vanilla almond milk into a bit of long baked sweet potatoes. Smart cafes like Lettus, are known for mixing healthy organic virgin coconut oil into it, and pairing it with pumpkin seed encrusted tempeh, with a magical homemade green sauce, mmm…
2. Moroccan Roasted Organic Spiced Sweets: Bake or boil a couple sweet potatoes moist. Chop and mix a pinch of cumin, ginger, salt, cinnamon, allspice (optional) and a sprinkle of coriander and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix in skillet with a teaspoon of organic olive oil or pop in the oven until browned.

Sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving dinner, and with this fall harvest recipe, you can eat your vegetables for dessert!

When the weather gets chilly and the leaves start to fall, a home-baked pie really hits the spot. Served with some spiced cider or a cup of dark roast coffee, a piece of sweet potato pie hot out of the oven is a little slice of heaven.

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene (vitamin A), fiber, and complex carbohydrates, with plenty of vitamin C, manganese, and potassium. They are said to be beneficial for diabetics in stabilizing blood sugar levels and lowering insulin resistance, and have a low to medium glycemic index.

Plus, sweet potatoes taste simply phenomenal!

According to the US Department of Agriculture,  recent experiments show that sweet potatoes and tropical cassava yield two to three times as much carbohydrate for ethanol production as field corn. Sweet potatoes and cassava also require significantly less fertilizer and pesticide than corn.

The experiments are unique in that all three crops were grown at the same time in two different areas of the country.

But sweet potatoes and cassava are not without disadvantages.