Roasted Root Vegetables

By Kay MacInnis

Remember, you don’t have to keep doing vegetables the way you always have. The roasting process enhances the sweet taste of vegetables while minimizing the slightly strong taste that some of them have.

You can change the vegetables in this recipe to suit your tastes and easily add your favorite seasoning. Try adding butternut squash or using Yukon Gold potatoes.

As we get closer to the holidays, you may be looking for something fresh and surprising to add to the same old menu, and this is a great choice. You might want to experiment with it before the holidays, and see if you think your family will like it.

It meets all the nutritional requirements: low in fat, low in sodium, low in sugar, lots of color, fresh and local. As we approach the season in which many of us gain somewhere between 5 and 10 pounds, it is important to have a few healthy choices!

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
• ½ lb. carrots, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
• ½ lb. parsnips, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
• ½ lb. beets, turnips, potatoes (if you can find golden beets, they are awesome)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste, optional (tastes great with Mrs. Dash as well)
• Balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and spread out in a single layer.
• Drizzle with olive oil.
• Roast for 30 minutes.
• Before serving, sprinkle with vinegar.

Serves: 6

Nutritional information: 108.5 Calories, 2.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.7 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate.

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This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Hospitals in Columbia.

Kay works in Health and Wellness at Providence, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She’s not a chef herself, but in consultation with the actual chefs at Providence, she’s learned a lot over the years as she has worked to help patients help themselves after they leave the hospital.

She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes.

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