It's really fascinating how the things we eat change over time. Back in the 1600s, people thought tomatoes were poisonous. Now we eat them all the time. Parsnips used to be a staple in many diets - but in modern times, many people don't even know what a parsnip is! It's time to expand your culinary horizons.

Parsnips are root vegetables, much like carrots. In fact, parsnips look very much like white carrots. They are great for stews and carrot style recipes.

Parsnips are very healthy for you. They contain Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folates, potassium, magnesium and lots of fiber too. They've got 6-10g of carbs per half cup. The range is based on the type and how they're cooked. This is much better than many other veggies, and the nutritional benefit is well worth it!

If you're looking for a super-easy, quick way to "try" out parsnips, get a single parsnip and peel it. Shred it, and sprinkle those shreds over one of your favorite salads. Now you'll get the nutrition and a hint of the flavor without having to go through a lot of work. The taste is really mild, so that shouldn't put off anybody new to this vegetable.

If you have a favorite stew or soup recipe, peel the parsnips then slice them into small circles and toss them in. Again, they'll be relatively mild in flavor, will soak up the flavors of your creation and provide some nice nutrition to you.

BAKED PARSNIPS

10 parsnips
2 cups milk
2 eggs
salt, pepper
dash nutmeg
butter

First, boil a pot of water and cook the whole, unpeeled parsnips in it until they're tender but not mushy. This time will vary depending on the parsnip size you use. Cool them down.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Now peel the parsnips, then slice them into strips. Put them into a baking dish. Mix up the egg, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour this over the parsnips. Add squares of butter on top.

Bake for 45 minutes.

This is about 6g per serving, very tasty, and quite good for you! This is a super easy recipe to make - if you have a normally stocked pantry, really the only thing you need to get is the parsnips, and as root veggies, they keep for a while.