Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: Moderate Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: Moderate Sodium: Moderate Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin C Major mineral contribution: Potassium, phosphorus
About the Nutrients in This Food Celeriac is the starchy root of a variety of celery with moderate amounts of dietary fiber and vitamin C. One-half cup cooked celeriac has one gram dietary fiber and 4 mg vitamin C (5 percent of the R DA for a woman, 4 percent of the R DA for a man), and 134 mg potassium—about 40 percent as much potassium as one medium orange.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food Fresh sliced in salads to protect the vitamin C.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Low-fiber diet Low-sodium diet
Buying This Food Look for: firm, small-to-medium, sprout-free celeriac roots Avoid: large roots. Larger celeriac roots contain more cellulose and lignin, which gives them a “woody” texture.
Storing This Food Do remove green tops from celeriac before storing the root. Do refrigerate celeriac in plastic bags or in the vegetable crisper; it will keep fresh for about a week.
Preparing This Food Scrub celeriac under cold running water. Cut off leaves, and extra root buds. Peel the root, slice it and either use it raw in salads or boil it to serve as a vegetable side dish. When you cut into the celeriac, you tear its cell walls, releasing polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that will turn the vegetable brown. You can slow the reaction (but not stop it completely) by dipping peeled, sliced raw celeriac in an acid such as lemon juice or a solution of vinegar and water.
What Happens When You Cook This Food When celeriac is heated, the soluble fibers in its cell walls dissolves; the cooked vegetable is softer.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits Lower risk of stroke. Potassium lowers blood pressure. According to new data from the Harvard University Health Professionals Study, a long-running survey of male doctors, a diet rich in high-potassium foods such as bananas may also reduce the risk of stroke. The men who ate the most potassium-rich foods (an average nine servings a day) had 38 percent fewer strokes than men who ate the least (less than four servings a day).
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