jicama
bok Choy
SUPER FOOd:
6 Plant-based
FOODs TO try today
TEXT Vanessa Chamberlin
pluots The glorious thing about plant-based eating is your grocery store
or farmer’s market is full of an incredible array of foods, flavors
and textures just waiting to be discovered. Even a typical grocery
store has a produce section with seasonal and ethnic foods that
often get passed-over, but are convenient, inexpensive and best of
all, yummy.

If you’re stuck in a rut and getting the same lettuce-tomato-onion-
types you always get, take a walk down the produce aisle. Check
out some of the other plant-based foods and see how you can work
them into your diet.

Not sure where to start? In the spirit of a number that signifies
longevity, here are six plant-based foods I totally love that are
healthy and tasty, but not part of the average diet.

1. Jicama
Also known as a Mexican potato, jicama is a big, heavy, brown fruit
that really does look like a weird potato. The excellent thing about
jicama is it is very crisp and crunchy, but has a mild flavor like a
cucumber. Jicama can be sliced and used with dips as an alternative
to chips, eaten in sticks like any other crunchy veggie, or added to
salads for a snappy texture without confusing the flavor profile. It’s
also a great summer side dish served with a spritz of lime juice and
a dusting of chili powder (if you like a little kick).

2. Bok Choy
In Asian cuisine, bok choy is a staple. For most of us, though,
56 November 2015 washingtonFAMILY.com