Why Should You Add Radishes to Your Shopping List?

By Colleen McTiernan
radishes

Radishes aren’t a terribly popular vegetable — they’re not often featured in main dish recipes, and their spicy flavor makes some people prefer to skip them as a side. Common in salads and not much else, these veggies are often pushed to the wayside in favor of greens like broccoli, asparagus and green beans. On top of lending a much-needed pop of color to your dinner plate, radishes have a lot to offer in terms of health benefits. So, why should you add radishes to your shopping list? Let’s find out!

Radishes are chockfull of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, B vitamins, folate, potassium and calcium, among many others. They are also very high in vitamin C. According to Livestrong.com, just half a cup of radishes amounts to 14 percent of our daily recommended vitamin C intake. As both an immune system booster and an antioxidant, it’s important to make sure you’re eating a good amount of vitamin C-dense foods.

If you’re looking to increase your fiber intake, radishes are a great option to add to your diet. According to Livestrong.com, that same half cup of radishes also contains 1 gram of fiber, which is 4 percent of our daily recommended intake. Fiber can help maintain healthy bowel movements, lower cholesterol levels and lower your risk of diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic, so feel free to pile your plate high with radishes!

Although the typical image that comes to mind when you talk about radishes is a small, red root vegetable, they actually come in a range of colors (red, purple, pink, white, green and black) and sizes. However, they all contain roughly the same nutrient content. Aside from spicing up salads, try incorporating radishes into soups and other side dishes for a new way to incorporate these under-appreciated veggies into you diet.

Photo by Delia Albert

 

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