I love the change of seasons. With each transition comes a whole new mecca of different fruits and vegetables that can easily become staples in your kitchen. Making our diets more seasonal and in tune with nature is very important from an ecological standpoint, as well as for our own health and well being. If we're eating a natural diet of whole raw foods, the body is quick to adapt to the seasons and will guide you to what is freshest and most nutrient dense. The cold weather creates the need for warming, grounding foods that help us stay balanced and nourished all winter long. Dark greens, sea vegetables, winter squashes, sprouted grains such as Quinoa or millet, and soaked nuts and seeds become really important during the winter on a raw diet. There is also a slew of different root vegetables that are super delicious this time of year and they are at the peek of their season.

Many people have only really experience root vegetables in a cooked form such as in soups and stews, grilled, steamed, or baked. This is because they tend to be quite starchy and hard to digest unless appropriately prepared. Some work well spiralized as a base for a raw pasta dish (such as parsnips and yams) but others such as burdock root, celeriac, rutabaga and turnip need a bit of sprucing up to be the highlight of a meal. These vegetables are full of nutrients our bodies need during the winter such a folic acid, b vitamins and vitamin c. They are also full of fiber for a healthy digestive system. Also, they are an economical source of high quality carbohydrates.

Marinating vegetables during the winter is a wonderful way of breaking down tougher veggies, nearly giving them a “cooked” texture and infusing them with a wonderful flavor. My favorite marinades consist of a combination of high quality raw oil (Sesame, sunflower, hemp, olive, even coconut can all all work well) high quality unpasteurized vinegar such as Coconut Secrets coconut vinegar or Bragg's apple cider vinegar, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a dash of maple syrup or clear agave, fresh or dried herbs such as dill, chives, or thyme, garlic, and a little bit of salt. Simply whisk the ingredients of your sauce together, pour over prepared veggies making sure they are evenly coated, and allow to marinate for several hours, or place in the fridge overnight in a sealed container. Make sure you use enough marinade for the root veggies to soak in it evenly. For excess marinade leftover, save in a jar and use as a dressing for other salads. A food processor works great for quickly shredding root vegetables to make a marinated slaw, however you can also simply use a knife and slice your veggies thinly. One of my favorite combinations is a marinated root slaw made from parsnip, carrot and burdock. This combination is chock full of minerals and beta carotene. Burdock also has medicinal value and helps cleanse the skin and blood. If you're already a raw carrot and beet fan, you will more than likely love the subtle sweetness and earthy, hearty flavors of some of the other lesser known root vegetables.

Get saucy with your salads this year and break out those root vegetables. Salads don't have to be boring, and they certainly don't always have to be lettuce- based. Keep your eye out at the farmers markets too, as you'll surely find a wide variety of root veggies there with the most flavor and abundance of nutrients.

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