Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Ras el Hanout (110 Cal)

Parsnips are the most underused root vegetable in meal prep. They have a natural sweetness that intensifies when roasted, which makes them the right counterbalance to spicy mains like harissa shrimp. Both carrots and parsnips are low oxalate, so the minerals are bioavailable. Ras el hanout — a North African spice blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom — layers complexity without adding calories. If you cannot find ras el hanout, mix equal parts cumin and coriander with half parts cinnamon and cardamom. The turmeric and black pepper go in regardless.

Ingredients

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• 4 large carrots, cut into batons (3-inch by 1/2-inch)
• 4 large parsnips, cut into batons (3-inch by 1/2-inch)
• 1 tsp ras el hanout (or 1/4 tsp each: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dulse flakes
• Coconut oil spray
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

4 large carrots, cut into batons
4 large parsnips, cut into batons
1 tsp ras el hanout
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dulse flakes
coconut oil spray
2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Instructions

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1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Peel carrots and parsnips. Cut into uniform batons — roughly 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Parsnip cores can be woody in larger specimens; if the core is visibly fibrous, quarter the parsnip lengthwise and cut the core out.
3. Toss batons with ras el hanout, turmeric, black pepper, and dulse. Spray with coconut oil and toss again.
4. Spread in a single layer on the sheet pan. No overlapping.
5. Roast for 25 minutes. The edges should be deeply caramelized — the parsnips’ sugars will brown faster than the carrots, which is fine.
6. Remove and dust with nutritional yeast while hot.
7. Divide into four portions for storage.

Walford Notes

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Ras el hanout is more than flavor. Cumin contains thymoquinone (antioxidant), coriander has linalool (anti-inflammatory), cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity, and cardamom has 1,8-cineole (gastroprotective). Spice blends are one of the most efficient ways to stack phytochemicals without adding calories.

Turmeric + black pepper — the standard Walford pairing. Piperine increases curcumin bioavailability by 2000%.

Both vegetables are low oxalate. Carrots and parsnips sit well below the threshold for concern, making this a safe daily rotation even at high volume.

Nooch after roasting adds B12 (2.0 mcg per serving from the nooch alone) without heat degradation.