I don’t always desire crunch, but when I do, I prefer jicama.

First, I need to get something off my chest. I hate the word underrated. Brace yourself for a quick and random vent session. This player is underrated, that food is underrated. Ughh. Who’s rating these items? Judging yes, rating, not really.

Instead, let’s start using the word underappreciated. When it comes to not getting enough love, jicama fits the bill. With a plethora of health benefits, a remarkably sweet, juicy snap and a snack satisfaction percentage that consistently ranks in the top 3 worldwide (I made that stat up), how is this root veggie not in refrigerators across the country?

Unlike its distant cousins, the carrot and the beet (celebrated for their bright colors), jicama has been discriminated against (not really) for decades. Jicama’s awkward whiteness doesn’t represent a lack of nutrition. Livestrong.com suggests vitamin C doesn’t have to come in the color orange.

Jicama is an excellent source of vitamin C. A 100-gram serving boasts 20 mg of this nutrient, or 34 percent of the daily recommended value. Vitamin C is a crucial component of a healthy diet. It promotes eye health and can improve the quality of your skin, and the antioxidants in vitamin C may help reduce occurrences of certain cancers. Vitamin C also acts as a natural antihistamine, and can also help boost your immune system.

I can predict your response. You already get plenty of Vitamin C in your fancy kale smoothie, right? Perhaps you’re a citrus fruit junkie, and you require a higher level of inspiration.

Some folks are motivated by positive reinforcement; some are motivated by fear. I’ll try both on you and cover my bases. You’re beautiful, but you’re going to get wrinkles. From the New York Daily News:

This slightly sweet and crunchy root vegetable may lack the marketing budgets of acai and coconut juice, but it acts as a prebiotic to promote “friendly” bacteria in the gut. Plus it may boost collagen and fight wrinkles.

In addition to wanting that smooth childlike skin, you may also desire to shed a pound or two. Who am I to call you shallow? After all, I’m the 38 year old dude who posted a shirtless selfie. I’m not sure which is more embarrassing, that notion or the fact that I typed the word selfie. Is it a real word if it’s not recognized by spell check? I digress. You know how I feel about counting calories, but I respect that you might be scientific about your approach to body fat loss. There is good news for you from nutrition-and-you.com:

Jicama is one of the very low calorie root vegetables; carrying only 35 calories per 100 g. However, its high quality phyto-nutrition profile comprises of dietary fiber, and anti-oxidants, in addition to small proportions of minerals, and vitamins.

Hopefully you’re convinced. If you’ve never sampled jicama before, don’t be intimidated. It is delicious all on its own. For a substantial snack, pair it with its friends. Slice it up with some red onion and yellow and green bell peppers. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and squeeze the juice of ½ a lime over the top. Finally, drizzle the whole thing with olive oil.

I have an idea. Let’s meet in Mexico, start an organic jicama farm and trumpet the veggie as the next super food. We’ll be stacking pesos in no time.

See you there,

Kap