There's a great article today on Real Age about a tuber that tames your appetite, because it's packed full of fiber:
Quote:
Want a low-cal, low-fat, and highly nutritious veggie that can also tame your appetite? Try jicama (pronounced HICK-a-ma).
Jicama takes a huge bite out of your appetite because it's crammed full of fiber -- a plant substance that helps you feel full longer. One medium-sized tuber has a whopping 32 grams of the stuff!
Wow, I can't imagine eating even half a jicama in a go, but I do like to eat a little sometimes. Nice crunch. But it's hard to use up a whole one as a single person.
Julie - FYI I've actually been able to find fairly small jicamas at my local grocery store.....around the size of your fist. If I eat some for snack and add it too my salads I can usually eat that within 10 days or so. And it seems to have a decent shelf life. It's great for a crunch!!!
Julie, I agree! It's crazy to eat a whole one when they're the size of a bowling ball. But like Heather said (BEAUTIFUL avatar, Heather!), they do have smaller ones. I'd think that the big size is at least twice the amount of the kind they're talking about in this article.
When I visited my daughter in Calgary, Alta. I was able to buy jicama in an ordinary grocery store. Found this recipe on the internet, where you peel it, cube it and roast it with a bit of olive oil, I think at 400F for about 20 minutes. It was delicious. Have looked for it here and can't find it even in the biggest asian store.
Sophie
ok you people are infecting me again. i have never had one or even noticed at the store but after reading this i bought one today. now to figure out how to cook it.
me4 - I usuallyd don't cook mine, I simply peel it (usually with a knife because my veggie peeler is a wimp), and either dice it for salads or into planks for munching on after work. You can zip it up a bit by adding lime and sprinkling a little chili powder or cayenne on it. ENJOY!
ROFL--okay, two weeks ago I went to lunch at a yummy South American restaurant--they had jicama on the salad bar--I went and emptied the entire container onto my plate and then got up and did the same thing AGAIN--the poor fella filling the bar looked like I had slapped him when I did it twice--you know though, it kept me from eating so much of the other stuff
btw--I always eat jicama raw--crunchy and kind of sweet
Last edited by beachgal; 04-22-2009 at 12:27 PM.
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I've never cooked it...I'll have to try that! It's delicious raw--I like to cut it into 1/2 inch squared sticks (about the length of the celery on a veggie tray) and dip it in things, like hummus or salsa. It's sort of sweet and very crunchy.
Definitely a good way to stay out of the off-plan food, ThighsBeGone, though I can just imagine the guy's face!
A Tuber That Tames Your Appetite!
But like Heather said (BEAUTIFUL avatar, Heather!), they do have smaller ones. I'd think that the big size is at least twice the amount of the kind they're talking about in this article. 
