Iron in the Most Unlikely Places: Jerusalem Artichokes

An iron deficiency is a common ailment amongst even the most intense health nuts. Iron is used in the body to carry oxygen in red blood cells to the muscles. Iron helps us to produce energy so if you're not getting enough iron, you can feel drained and tired.

For eco-foodies that have taken the plunge into meat-free bliss, it can be a bit tricky to make sure that you're getting your daily allowance because red meat is likely the most well known source of this critical nutrient. But iron can also be found in tons of meat-free places like oats, lentils, leafy greens, and broccoli. And iron can also pop up in some interesting places like Jerusalem artichokes, for example. Who knew that just one cup of this truly delicious vegetable drums up 30 percent of your daily allowance?

Jerusalem artichokes are actually tubers which resemble a ginger root. More recently, they've adopted the name sunchoke or sunroot, which is a little more fitting considering they are not from Jerusalem, but rather, they are native to the eastern United States. They're in season and available throughout the winter, depending on where you live.

Scrub them well because they are often covered in dirt. They are not the easiest vegetable to clean, but in the end, the flavor is well worth the trouble. The taste is somewhere between a potato and an artichoke. The lemon and butter in this recipe truly highlight the innate flavors.