Until recently, I’d always considered carob nothing more than a lame chocolate substitute after years of feeling cheated out of chocolate chips in healthy trail mixes that substituted carob chips instead. I know better now. Carob stands on its own as a great addition to your diet.

Fiber-rich carob is incredibly nutritious. Vegans take note: carob contains twice as much calcium as milk! It’s also high in protein, potassium, phosphorus, with some iron and magnesium, too. Not bad for a food that’s widely known as a “substitute.”

I use carob powder to add richer flavor to smoothies and deserts, especially those using cacao. Cacao has a cool, bitter taste and a spoonful of carob powder will round that out nicely. It’s also high in natural sugars, so it’ll sweeten your smoothie, too.

Images: carob tree and pods, wikipedia

It’s not quite a parsnip nor a great white carrot, but the daikon is a mild-flavored radish that wintertime locavores are probably quite familiar with. High in fiber, vitamin C, digestive enzymes and magnesium, daikon’s not a bad addition to your wintertime meals. The name daikon comes from a Japanese word simply meaning “great” or “large root,” and some varieties grow up to 3 feet long!

Although daikon is best known as a root crop, the leaves are also delicious and contain more nutrients per serving than the root. You’ll find twice as much potassium and 10 times as much calcium in the leaves, as well as folic acid and vitamin K. So shop for the freshest daikon you can find and use every part of it.

Common in Asian cuisine, daikon root makes a great addition to soups and veggie broth, and can also be grated into salads. The highly nutritious leaves also make a great soup or salad green.

You may have also come across pickled daikon in your Asian food ventures, and you’ll be delighted to know you can make your own daikon pickles with this easy, overnight recipe. If you enjoy making your own sauerkraut, daikon is a great veggie for it.

Although daikon is most heavily consumed in Japan (the majority of Japan’s cultivated land is used to grow this veggie), it actually originated in the Mediterranean and arrived in Japan by way of China a few thousand years ago. And for those of you who like to indulge in sake, take note: a cupful of grated daikon is said to be a great hangover remedy.

If daikon isn’t part of your regular diet, make it so! Low in calories and rich in nutrients, it’s such a versatile veggie and you might as well give it a try. Check back tomorrow for an original daikon recipe from EcoSalon’s very own chef writer, Vanessa Barrington.

Image: exquisitur