Jerusalem Artichokes, also known as Sunchokes are a curious vegetable. They look a bit like potatoes but have an artichoke-like flavor. Unlike potatoes they have a low glycemic level and won’t cause your blood sugar to spike.
The most interesting part of sunchokes is they contain an important type of fiber called inulin, which is a prebiotic. Prebiotics are carbohydrates that are not digested in the small intestines. They reach the colon intact and many strains of beneficial bacteria feed on them.
Consider a prebiotic to be compost or fertilizer for your good gut bacteria. They feed on it, digesting it and from that process create many beneficial compounds. . This process promotes balanced blood sugar and healthy gut bacteria which affects every part of your health.
These good bacteria produce short chain fatty acids (through fermentation). The most significant one is butyrate which can speed up your metabolism and reduce inflammation. When this happens the good bacteria crowd out the bad bacteria. It heals leaky gut which causes food allergies, inflammation and weight gain.
A word of caution: As the inulin in the Jerusalem artichokes change the bugs in your gut they can cause gas. This happens when the good bacteria are fighting with the bad bacteria. It is known as the die off effect. Start off slowly and once your system adjusts you will have more good bacteria that are able to handle it.
Start with ¼ cup at a time if you are new to this root vegetable. You will know if your body tolerates the prebiotic inulin well or not within 6-8 hours, the time it takes for the sunchokes to travel from your mouth to your colon. Until your body gets adjusted you may get gas.
Prebiotics are an important food in your diet to keep you healthy and lean. Give Jerusalem Artichokes a try but start out slowly.
In this recipe I roast the sunchokes with olive oil, celtic sea salt, fresh pepper and hearty herbs like sage or rosemary. The herb flavor roasts into the sunchokes. I add the more delicate herbs like oregano at the end. If you don’t have oregano parsley is also good.
Scrub the Sunchokes and chop into 1 inch bite-size chunks.
Toss in a medium sized bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and sage or rosemary until coated.
Place onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until the skin is slightly browned
I like to serve them with olives. Here is the recipe.
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Herb Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A savory oven roasted vegetable, rich in prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in your gut.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes and chop into 1 inch bite-size chunks
- Toss in a medium sized bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and sage or rosemary until coated
- Place onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until the skin is slightly browned
- Sprinkle with fresh oregano
- Serve warm
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Vegetable
- Cuisine: Healthy, Paleo, Vegan
That’s it!
Until next time, have a fantastic day and enjoy the recipe. Please leave a comment below. Have you ever had Jerusalem Artichokes? I always love hearing about your healthy journey and your feedback on making your own delicious food at home.
Much love,
Ingrid
Edgar Cayce suggested Jerusalem Artichokes for diabetics because it would enhance the body’s use of insulin.
Hi Joann,
Thanks for sharing this information. I love Edgar Cayce’s work I didn’t know he was into Jerusalem Artichokes. Yes these are good for diabetics and helps everyone keep their blood sugar in balance.