Tag Archives: B complex

Eating Turnips

Embrace the Ick
by Michelle W.


One vegetable I used to dislike was Turnip. Every time I laid my eyes on it, I felt like vomiting. I would think to myself, “how does one can bear to eat it?”.
It felt so repulsive.

Not anymore. We were posted to Bannu. My (late) husband R was out on military exercises, the cook with them made a veggie dish of turnips. When R was back home, he was full of praises. He asked me to call the cook, and learn from him. I did learn the recipe, and would often make it for R.

It’s strange, but my son-in-law FJ loves them too. When Nola (my daughter), and FJ were in Canton, Michigan FJ would often bring turnips home for me to cook. One thing I dreaded was peeling them. The turnips were like stones, and I had to wrestle with them to cut them into small size.

Turnips are so versatile. You can eat them raw in the form of salads, make a pickle, or eat them cooked as a veggie dish. You can cook the turnip leafs too. Finally the sprouts can be cooked too, and they have a unique flavor, all its own.


Turnips provide untold health benefits. They are full of Calcium, Vitamins A, K, and B Complex, anti oxidants, minerals, and dietary fibre. Turnips contains indoles, which reduces risks for lung, and colorectal cancer.

Turnip sprouts have high levels of glucosinolates (sulphur containing compounds) which are anti fungal, anti bacterial, and antiparisitic. Benefits from turnips are, that they decrease risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Yesterday, when I was talking to Nola, FJ let me know that he had bought turnips, and then the added missive, that when I will be visiting them he will buy them often, so that I can cook them. I could hear his chuckles. He knew it, that I may be gagging at the thought of it. I told Nola, “if I hear talks of turnips, that means no visit”.