Jicama

In case you were wondering what jicama looks like....




If you're wondering how the heck to pick out a good jicama, and how to store it, check out this link.

The great thing about jicama is that it's pretty low in carbohydrates, and it's loaded with fiber. After doing some research on jicama, I learned that the majority of its fiber is soluble (yeah!), but sadly for me, the specific type of soluble fiber is inulin (otherwise known as a short-chain of fructose linked together...also called fructans). Inulin is also considered a prebiotic, which means it can serve as food for good bacteria in the gut. The reason it's bad news for me is because I malabsorb things like inulin. Fructans (like inulin) are an oligosaccharide, and they are supposed to be avoided or limited on the low FODMAPs diet (the "O" stands for oligosaccharides). So, when I eat my jicama I try to stick to a small serving.

Jicama "Fries"

(Makes enough for about 5 servings)

Ingredients

1 large jicama

Canola oil spray

1/4 cup roasted red pepper hummus (Hannah's Skinny hummus is amazing!)

Directions

Peel the jicama, and slice it into fry-sized sticks.
Cook in a saute pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes before flipping to ensure even cooking. Place lid on pan and allow to sit for a few minutes to complete steaming until they are fork tender. I serve mine with roasted red pepper hummus, guacamole, or plain!

Nutrition Facts
(Serving Size: 1/5th of the jicama)

Check out all that fiber! So, the total carbohydrates is 22 grams. You can take half of the grams of fiber (which is 6) and subtract that from 22 (which makes 16) and this is your "net carbs" (if you are a carbohydrate counter). So this is a salty and crunchy snack with less than 100 calories, only 16 carbohydrates, LOTS of fiber, a good source of vitamin A (and almost iron...), and an excellent source of vitamin C.