Turnip
Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps
Turnips are a low-calorie root packed with vitamin C, and their leafy tops are even more nutritious than the root itself.
Stage by stage
- Chewing & Prep (Mouth): Chewing raw or cooked turnip releases its natural sugars and starts breaking down its pectin-rich fiber, which will later feed gut bacteria.
- Stomach Breakdown (Stomach): Stomach acid and enzymes begin dismantling the turnip's starches and minimal protein while soluble fiber absorbs water and softens.
- Nutrient Absorption (Small Intestine): In the small intestine, vitamin C, potassium, and folate are absorbed into the bloodstream, while insoluble fiber moves largely intact toward the colon.
- Tissue Use (Bone & Immune Tissue): Absorbed vitamin C supports collagen formation and immune cell function throughout the body, while vitamin K and calcium from the leafy greens help build and maintain bone matrix.
Timing
Vitamin C from the root absorbs well any time, but the fat-soluble vitamin K in turnip greens is better absorbed when eaten alongside a bit of dietary fat.
Time to effect
- Days to Weeks: Fiber-related fullness can be felt within hours, while measurable improvements in vitamin C status and vitamin K-dependent functions such as bone mineralisation build up over days to weeks of regular consumption.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free.
In season
September to March in the northern hemisphere, March to September in the southern.
Satiety
The satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings. At 24 kcal per 100 g that is 996 g of this, which is not a serving anyone eats — so the index has nothing to say about it.
Environmental footprint
0.4 kg CO2e and 28 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Root vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Cheap — roughly £1.4 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 24.1
- Protein: 1.4g
- Carbohydrate: 3.6g
- of which sugars: 3.4g
- Fat: 0g
- of which saturated: 0g
- Fibre: 1.8g
- Sodium: 24mg
Food vs. supplement
Whole turnip delivers vitamin C, potassium, and fiber together with water and bulk that support fullness and digestion in ways an isolated vitamin C supplement doesn't, and the greens add vitamin K and calcium in a combination no single-nutrient pill replicates.
Kitchen tip
Keep the leafy tops instead of discarding them — sautéed or steamed turnip greens deliver more vitamin K, vitamin A, and calcium than the root itself.
Common myth
"The turnip root is the nutritious part — the greens are just something to throw away." In reality: USDA data show raw turnip greens are markedly more nutrient-dense than the root: a 55g cup provides roughly 138 mcg of vitamin K (well above typical daily needs) plus substantial vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, while the root's main strengths are vitamin C (about 21 mg per 100g, 23% DV) and fiber (about 2g per 100g) at only around 28 calories per 100g. People with clotting disorders or on vitamin K-sensitive blood thinners like warfarin should be mindful of the greens' high vitamin K content.
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