Alice RD
Today’s Health-e-Recipe pairs crunchy and sweet jicama with a fruity salsa. Jicama is a root vegetable, also know as a Mexican turnip. You can find it in the produce section usually near other root veggies like turnips and beets. It packs 6 grams of cancer-fighting fiber for less than 50 calories. Jicama makes a great addition to your vegetable platter raw, but can also be cooked.
Here’s more information about jicama from our nutrition advisor, Karen Collins, MS, RDN, CDN, FAND.
Q: How do you prepare jicama?
A: Jicama (hee-kah-mah) is a root vegetable that looks like a cross between a turnip and a potato. You can peel it, slice it into strips and serve it raw in salads or with a low fat dip. You can also cook it by steaming, stir-frying, or oven roasting. Jicamas have a mild flavor and crunchy texture.
You should choose smaller ones because they’re less woody. They should be free of bruises. A whole cup of raw jicama contains only about 50 calories. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of dietary fiber.
Would you say jicama is considered a high-starch or low-starch vegetable? Thank you!
Hi Lucie,
Great question! Jicama is considered a low-starch vegetable – the American Diabetes Association lists jicama as a non-starchy vegetable, along with greens, peppers and broccoli.
This is excellent news! A gracious thank you from me! I will be sure to recommend this food for family members stricken with cancer & diabetes.
Jicama fulfills the iron requirement, as it consists of about 0.57 milligrams of iron, which makes it 7.13 percent of the suggested value. Besides treating anemia, jicama also treats several other symptoms of anemia such as body weakness. More Info: https://goo.gl/QiF36i