Which is Healthier, Turnips or Radishes? A Nutritional Breakdown

October 4, 2025 •

4 min read

While both are low-calorie root vegetables, a 100g serving of radishes contains just 16 calories compared to 28 calories in turnips. But which is healthier, turnips or radishes, when you look at their overall nutritional profile? This article dives into a detailed head-to-head comparison to help you decide.

Quick Summary

This article explores the nutritional profiles of turnips and radishes, comparing their vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content. Both offer unique health benefits, including support for weight management and blood sugar control, though they differ in specific nutrient dominance and culinary uses.

Key Points

Low Calories: Radishes contain significantly fewer calories per serving than turnips, making them slightly better for calorie control.
Vitamin C Power: Turnips are the clear winner for Vitamin C content, providing a higher percentage of the daily value per serving.
Blood Sugar Impact: Radishes have a much lower glycemic index, making them a better choice for those closely monitoring blood sugar levels.
Mineral Content: Turnips offer a richer source of minerals like copper and calcium, while radishes provide more potassium and folate.
Antioxidant & Compound Benefits: Radishes are high in antioxidants like anthocyanins, while turnips provide glucosinolates, both of which offer anti-inflammatory and disease-preventive properties.
Culinary Versatility: Radishes are best raw for a peppery kick, while turnips excel when cooked, offering a starchy, satisfying texture.

Introduction to Two Healthy Root Vegetables

Turnips and radishes are popular root vegetables from the Brassicaceae family, often known as the mustard or cabbage family. Despite their similar family tree and low-calorie nature, they possess distinct flavors, textures, and nutritional advantages. Radishes are typically small, crisp, and peppery, commonly enjoyed raw in salads. Turnips are larger, with an earthy and slightly sweet flavor, and are often cooked in soups, stews, or roasted dishes. Beyond their culinary differences, their nutritional makeup varies in ways that could make one a more suitable choice depending on your specific health goals.

Nutritional Breakdown: A Closer Look

At a glance, both turnips and radishes are excellent additions to a healthy diet, but a closer look at their nutritional values reveals some key differences. Here's how they stack up per 100 grams, as referenced by nutritional data:

Radishes

Lower in calories: Just 16 kcal per 100g.
High water content: This contributes to their hydrating properties and lower calorie density.
Rich in Folate: A key B-vitamin, radishes are a better source of folate than turnips.
Higher in potassium and iron: Radishes contain more potassium and iron than turnips.
Lower glycemic index: With a GI of 32 (raw), radishes have a lesser impact on blood sugar levels.

Turnips

More Vitamin C: Turnips are a richer source of Vitamin C, offering up to 42% more than radishes.
Higher in B vitamins: Turnips contain higher levels of most B-complex vitamins, such as B1 and B6.
Richer in minerals: They contain more copper, calcium, and manganese compared to radishes.
Higher fiber content: Turnips and radishes have similar fiber amounts, with turnips having a slight edge.

Comparison Table: Turnips vs. Radishes (per 100g)


Nutrient	Radishes (approx. raw)	Turnips (approx. raw)
Calories	16 kcal	28 kcal
Glycemic Index	32 (Low)	30 (Raw, Low) / 85 (Cooked, High)
Carbohydrates	3.4 g	6.43 g
Fiber	1.6 g	1.8 g
Vitamin C	14.8 mg	21 mg
Folate (B9)	25 µg	15 µg
Potassium	233 mg	191 mg
Copper	0.05 mg	0.085 mg
Calcium	25 mg	30 mg

Health Benefits and Bioactive Compounds

Both vegetables are packed with compounds that offer significant health advantages beyond their basic nutrient profiles.

Radish Health Benefits

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory: The bioactive compounds, particularly anthocyanins which give red radishes their color, possess potent antioxidant properties.
Digestion and weight loss: The high water content and fiber help with digestion and promote a feeling of fullness, making them great for weight management.
Hydration: With their high water content, radishes are an excellent way to stay hydrated.

Turnip Health Benefits

Cancer prevention: Turnips contain glucosinolates, plant-based chemicals that may help prevent certain types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancer.
Bone health: With a good amount of calcium, turnips can contribute to strong bones and help prevent osteoporosis.
Heart health: Turnips provide a significant amount of potassium, which is essential for maintaining a healthy heart.
Immunity support: The high Vitamin C content helps boost the immune system and protect against infections.

Culinary Considerations

Choosing between turnips and radishes also depends on how you plan to use them. Their distinct flavors and textures make them suitable for different dishes.

Using Radishes

Raw: Their peppery crunch is perfect for adding to salads and sandwiches.
Pickled: Thinly sliced radishes can be pickled to preserve their flavor and texture.
Lightly cooked: A quick roast or sauté can mellow their spiciness while retaining some crunch.

Using Turnips

Cooked: Turnips are far more versatile when cooked. They can be roasted, boiled, or mashed like potatoes.
Soups and stews: Their earthy flavor and starchy texture make them an excellent addition to hearty soups and stews.
Keto diets: Turnips serve as a low-carb alternative to potatoes in many dishes.

The Winner? It Depends on Your Needs

Ultimately, there is no single 'healthier' vegetable. The choice depends on your dietary needs and health goals.

Choose radishes if you are:

Seeking a very low-calorie, hydrating snack.
Managing blood sugar, due to their low glycemic index.
Looking for a natural source of folate and potassium.
Adding a peppery, crunchy element to raw dishes.

Choose turnips if you are:

Aiming for a higher intake of Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins.
Interested in the potential cancer-preventative properties of glucosinolates.
Wanting a nutrient-dense, starchy but low-calorie base for cooked meals, like mashed potatoes.
Looking to improve bone or heart health with more calcium and copper.

Both vegetables bring valuable nutrients and health benefits to the table. The best strategy is to incorporate both into your diet to enjoy their distinct flavors and complete nutritional profiles.

For more information on the health benefits of cruciferous vegetables like turnips and radishes, consult sources like the WebMD article on the health benefits of turnips.

Conclusion

While radishes have a slight edge in being lower in calories and having a very low glycemic index, turnips provide a broader range of vitamins and minerals, including significantly more Vitamin C. The answer to which is healthier, turnips or radishes, lies in balancing your dietary needs. Radishes are an excellent hydrating, low-calorie option, while turnips are a more nutritionally robust choice for cooked dishes. The optimal approach for a well-rounded diet is to enjoy the unique strengths of both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both are excellent for weight loss due to their low calorie and high fiber content. Radishes are slightly lower in calories and higher in water, providing volume and hydration. Turnips are more filling due to their starchier nature, helping curb cravings for higher-calorie carbs.

Radishes have a lower glycemic index (GI of 32 for raw radishes) compared to turnips (GI of 30 for raw, but 85 when cooked) and are generally better for managing blood sugar levels without causing significant spikes.

Turnips are a better source of Vitamin C and most B-complex vitamins, while radishes contain more folate. Both contribute important vitamins to your diet, but turnips have a slightly broader vitamin profile.

Turnips are rich in glucosinolates, plant compounds that have been studied for their potential cancer-preventative properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and antioxidant activity.

Radishes are particularly known for their high content of antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, which are responsible for the red color in many varieties. These compounds provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

While they are both root vegetables, their distinct flavors and textures make them imperfect substitutes. Radishes are best for raw, peppery dishes, while turnips are better for cooked dishes where their earthy, starchy nature is preferred.

Both contain potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Radishes, however, contain more potassium and less sodium than turnips, giving them a slight advantage for those managing blood pressure.

Turnip greens are exceptionally nutrient-dense and are a great source of vitamins and minerals. While radish greens are also edible, turnip greens generally have a higher nutritional profile.