The Best Autumn Vegetable!

Runners need to eat a healthy, varied diet to fuel training and recovery, and to obtain all the micro-nutrients necessary to stay healthy. Which is why I am always on the look-out for tasty ways to cook vegetables – a nutritious, varied and very important part of any diet. Vegetables can be bland, but if cooked well, they can be absolutely delicious.

One of Autumn’s highlights for me is Jerusalem Artichokes. Confusingly they aren’t artichokes and have nothing to do with Jerusalem. And they definitely can’t be called handsome! But their taste makes up for this, with a nutty, earthy flavour which is surprisingly rich for a vegetable. They are also very good for us. I recently read Giulia Enders’ book “Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ” which reinforced the message that friendly gut bacteria are critical to a healthy gut and healthy body more generally. Jerusalem Artichokes are an excellent source of the fibre that these friendly bacteria thrive on. They are also a good source of B-vitamins, potassium, copper and iron, and have a very low glycaemic index.

A thick, creamy soup is my favourite way to cook these vegetables, but I’ve also made them into mash, and even crisps. If you haven’t eaten them before, give them a try!