While leafy greens are the superstars of nutrition, they are followed closely by vegetables that come from other parts of a plant, most notably the roots. Botanically, some of these foods are technically tubers, rhizomes, corms, bulbs, or underground stems, but from a culinary standpoint, they’re all known as “root vegetables.” The underground parts of some plants act as storage organs for nutrients.

For most of recorded history in temperate climates, leafy green vegetables weren’t available in every season. People stocked up on root vegetables to last them through the winter. They even had special storage places: root cellars. Root vegetables were the hidden treasure of medieval peasant families. Marauding armies might trample your grain or steal your apples, but it was too time-consuming for them to dig up all your turnips.

Here are some ANDI scores for root vegetables:

1. Radishes 502
2. Turnips 473
3. Carrots, cooked 458
4. Carrot Juice 446
5. Carrots, raw 384
6. Horseradish Root 352
7. Rutabaga, 296
8. Sweet Potato 181
9. Scallions 173
10. Leeks, 135
11. Garlic 118
12. Onions, cooked 109
13. Onions, raw 107
14. Shallots, raw 94
15. Beets, raw 80
16. Celeriac, 78
17. Jicama 75
18. Beets, cooked 57
19. Ginger 56
20. Lotus Root 39
21. Sunchoke Root 36
22. Burdock Root; Yams 29
23. Taro Root 24
24. Cassava 13

This blog uses the latest nutritional data available from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), and the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration), as well as nutritional data provided by food growers and manufacturers about their products. We believe the information on this website to be accurate. However, we are not responsible for typographical or other errors. Nutrition information for recipes is calculated by Living Cookbook based on the ingredients in each recipe based on statistical averages. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

This blog is not a substitute for the services of a trained health professional. Although we provide nutritional information, the information on this blog is for informational purposes only. No information offered by or through this blog shall be construed as or understood to be medical advice or care. None of the information on this blog should be used to diagnose or treat any health problem or disease. Consult with a health care provider before taking any product or using any information on this blog. Please discuss any concerns with your health care provider.