I know January is almost over, but I found this really cool list of seasonal foods and wanted to share one of our favorite recipes using a few vegetables you may not have ever heard of: rutabaga, parsnips, & turnips.

First off, I want to talk about a few of the benefits of eating seasonally:

1. You are eating the food in its prime state:

This means it is ripe and loaded with vitamins and minerals. It hasn't been stored in a gas filled vacuum for months- like a lot of non-seasonal food. This also means... it tastes better!

2. Seasonal produce is generally cheaper:

When it is abundant, prices are low. Simple supply and demand concepts.

3. Seasonal produce can match the needs of the season:

You will notice the winter fruits contain a lot of citrus- which is beneficial in boosting your immune system and helps to fight off colds and flus. Winter vegetables are generally more starchy which works well in warm soups and stews and some of our favorite comfort foods.

So, here is January's list: (you can eat these in February too!)

Most of January's vegetables grow in the ground so they can withstand the harsh climate of winter. They are generally more starchy, so can take that role on when you are building meals with them.

One of our favorite easy recipes is roasted rutabaga, turnips, parsnips and carrots. These are probably vegetables you have 1. never heard of before or 2. have horrifying childhood memories of your parents threatening to make you eat them. The second reaction probably only happened because their names are weird, because they are actually all very sweet and delicious! Here is what they look like:

Here are the details:

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Ingredients:

3 rutabaga, cut into bite sized chunks
3 turnips, cut into bite sized chunks
4 parsnips, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary

How to:

Preheat oven to 425F.
Place vegetables in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary
Place vegetables on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Serve with a protein and vegetable!

YUM! Enjoy!!