Rutabaga Nutrition Facts: Add This Healthy Vegetable to Your Diet

Rutabaga Nutrition Facts: Add This Healthy Vegetable to Your Diet
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The rutabaga is a member of the Cruciferae family. Cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and turnips, contain phytonutrients that have been shown to help the liver remove carcinogens, as well as other toxic chemicals. Including several servings of these vegetables in your weekly diet may help reduce your risk of cancer.

Nutrition

Calories

One cup of cooked rutabaga has 66.3 calories, 3 percent of the daily value (DV). Roughly 57 calories are from carbohydrates, 6.1 from protein and 3.1 from fat.

Carbohydrates

There are 14.9 grams of carbohydrates in a one cup serving - 10.2 grams are sugars and 3.1 grams (12 percent DV) are fiber. Fiber has many health benefits, including maintaining regular bowels, regulating blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss.

Protein

A one-cup serving has 2.2 grams of protein, 4 percent DV, and contains every essential amino acid.

Fat

Rutabagas have very little fat, only 0.4 grams (1 percent DV). Most is polyunsaturated fat, the healthy fat.

Cholesterol

This cruciferous vegetable is cholesterol free.

Vitamins

One cup of rutabaga has 32 milligrams (53 percent DV) of vitamin C, the same amount as a large tangerine. Vitamin C is important for skin, hair and nails. Rutabagas are a good source of B vitamins, including:

  • B1 (thiamin) 9%
  • B2 (riboflavin) 4%
  • B3 (niacin) 6%
  • B5 (pantothenic acid) 3%
  • B6 (pyridoxine) 9%
  • B9 (folate) 6%

B vitamins work together to help release energy from the energy nutrients, carbohydrate, fat and protein. B vitamins are water-soluble so it is important to include them in your daily diet. Rutabagas also contain 3 percent of the daily value of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, and 1 percent of vitamin K, a nutrient essential for blood clot formation.

Minerals

Rutabaga is packed with minerals. All minerals are important for proper functioning of the body and most are involved in body metabolism, bone health and water balance. Eating one cup of rutabaga has:

  • potassium 16%
  • manganese 15%
  • magnesium 10%
  • phosphorus 10%
  • calcium 8%
  • iron 5%
  • zinc 4%
  • copper 3%
  • selenium 2%
  • sodium 1%

Note: Daily values may be higher or lower based on individual needs.

Buying, Storing & Preparing

Now that you know about rutabaga nutrition, start adding them to your diet.

Buy rutabagas that are 4 to 6 inches in diameter. They should be free of bruises and blemishes. Store at room temperature for up to one week or in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to one month. Prepare as you would with a potato.

References

Rutabaga - https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/rutabaga.html

Self Nutrition Data: Rutabagas, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2611/2

Rutabagas - https://www.greenearthinstitute.org/rutabagas.htm (includes recipes)

Photo Credit

Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rutabaga,_variety_nadmorska.JPG