This spring, try crunching on jicama instead of potato chips.

Native to the Americas and sometimes called the Mexican potato, and a mix between a potato and a pear. You can also compare it in texture to a water chestnut, and in fact , jicama is made up of almost 90 percent water.

A cup of jicama has almost 6 grams of fiber and only 50 calories. It is also high in vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Peel the coarse, papery skin and julienne the white flesh, into carrot stick size pieces, and squeeze some lime juice on it to keep it from browning. Add a pinch of chili to the lime juice and you have an excellent treat right there.

This colorful jicama salad is appealing to guests of all ages. Kids love the crunch, and adults savor the light, tart, flavors of all of the vegetables marinated simultaneously.

• 1 large jicama (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed (easiest to work with if you cut the jicama in half first)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 a large cucumber, seeded, chopped
• 1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• Salt
• Cumin

Optional

• 1/2 avocado chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

WIN any 3 Cookbooks!