Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe for Hormone Health
Fall is coming in full swing! The beautiful change in season brings bright colors, cooler temperatures, and produces a harvest of root vegetables. With each new season, nature invites us to look within the opportunities each season has and to look within ourselves for the ways we can learn from its steadfastness. Our bodies benefit from living in tune with nature’s cycles, including eating seasonally.
The slow and steady rhythm of fall brings nourishing and hearty vegetables to the table. Vegetables like beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and sunchokes provide warm energy and support hormone health.
Keep reading to get my sheet pan roasted vegetables recipe!
Importance of Seasonal Living
In previous blog posts about seasonal living, I wrote about how each season provides unique opportunities for intention setting and produce that are in season.
Winter: The slow season of hibernation and restoration. With darker days and cold weather, nature invites us to find joy in the small moments and activities, start new hobbies, and embrace times of solitude. Winter produce includes Brussels sprouts, fennel, kale, cranberries, oranges, turnips, and leeks.
Spring: the "season of hope” emphasizes renewal after the harshness of winter. It includes detoxing foods like kiwis, grapefruit, lemons, mushrooms, and herbs like dandelion and nettle.
Summer: Warm weather + a full calendar = embracing adventure and play. Spending more time outdoors and traveling means ridding ourselves of the rigidity of schedules. It emphasizes hydrating foods like watermelon, cucumber, celery, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
And that leads us to autumn.
After the busyness of summer, autumn creates space for us to be more grounded, intentional, and to turn our focus inward. Having the sun set earlier means more time to dedicate to new hobbies such as journaling, walking, reading, adjusting health goals, AND creating new recipes.
Fall harvest brings delicious root vegetables like beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and sunchokes. Be adventurous in the kitchen this season by using these veggies for roasting, baking, and simply peeling for an easy prepped snack.
How Root Vegetables Support Your Hormones
Beets:
Naturally sweet in taste from natural sugars, beets are vibrant in color and provide vast nutrients for the brain and body. With the idea that “like nourishes like,” beetroots are believed to help with the heart, blood, and circulatory system. Alongside the shape and color coinciding with bodily benefits, beets were used during the Middle Ages to boost libido. Beets help modulate estrobolome, a digestive microbiome that plays an important role in regulating estrogen metabolism. These root vegetables also contain phytoestrogens, estrogen-mimicking compounds in order to boost levels. This is especially great for women during menopause and for other women experiencing symptoms of low estrogen due to an irregular cycle.
Carotenoids
Vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B and C, calcium, manganese, and potassium
Betalains
Betalains are linked to having high antioxidant properties that lead to reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, and improving cardiovascular and liver health.
Carrots:
Raw carrots contain a fiber called lignin that binds to endotoxins and excess estrogen and removes them from the body. Carrots are also high in fiber, meaning they also support digestion and gut health. Pectin, the main type of fiber these root vegetables contain, can help regulate blood sugar and reduce insulin spikes. Read more about blood sugar in my previous blog post, The Importance of Balanced Blood Sugar.
Other benefits include:
Beta-carotene
Due to its rich and bright orange color, carrots are loaded with beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A, another hormone-supporting benefit.
Beta-carotene is also associated with a lowered risk of Alzheimer’s, certain cancers, and bone fracture.
Other vitamins and minerals: biotin, vitamin K1, potassium, and vitamin B6
Antioxidants: lutein, lycopene, anthocyanins
Sweet Potatoes:
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and in accordance with the Five Element Theory, sweet potatoes are viewed as good for the stomach and spleen because of their color, taste, and harvest (slow-growing vegetables). They contain natural probiotics–which are crucial for gut health and therefore hormone production, vitamins, and healthy carbohydrates for energy. Both Eastern and Western cultures view sweet potatoes as one of the healthiest foods on Earth!
Beta-carotene (vitamin A)
On average, one medium-sized sweet potato contains over 400% of your daily vitamin A intake!
Vitamins C, E, B6
High in potassium
This helps regulate fluids in the body and lower blood pressure.
Supports blood sugar
Sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index
Sunchokes:
Sunchokes, or Jerusalem artichokes, have an earthy and nutty flavor and are commonly compared to chestnuts or potatoes. Sunchokes are great sources of inulin, a type of fiber that helps you feel fuller after eating, maintain a stable blood sugar, and may help lower cholesterol. It's a versatile root vegetable that can be braised, roasted, or sauteed to pack in more nutrients for any meal.
Boosts gut health by containing prebiotics (inulin being one of them)!
Improves heart health
Being high in potassium, sunchokes may help lower blood pressure
Rich in iron
May help with mental health
Since these root vegetables help stabilize blood sugar, it may help support brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, and poor focus
Oven-Roasted Root Vegetable Recipe
Add any combination of root vegetables to this recipe. The key is to cut the vegetables into the same size so they cook evenly. Perfect as a side dish or to add to bowls and salads.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35–40 minutes
Ingredients
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 small beet, peeled and cubed
1 small red onion, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
Sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tbsp fresh thyme or rosemary
Optional for a caramelized glaze: 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Optional for extra flavor: 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F
Toss all vegetables in a large bowl with oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. Add balsamic and Dijon, if using.
Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet—avoid crowding for crisp edges.
Roast for 35–40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until fork-tender and golden brown.
Serve warm with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt or fresh parsley on top.
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