OK, enough about my childhood trials and tribulations. Let's talk about the nutritional value of the beet first. The beet is on the top 100 "World's Healthiest Foods". Beets are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties. This root vegetable can be completely consumed as you can eat the beet (also known as beetroot), the little bit of root attached to the body of the beet, and the greens. Here is a chart that shows all of the nutrients found in one cup of sliced, cooked beets.
Beets, sliced, cooked
1.00 cup 170.00 grams
Calories: 75
GI: med | ||||
| Nutrient | Amount | DRI/DV (%) | Nutrient Density | World's Healthiest Foods Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| folate | 136.00 mcg | 34.0 | 8.2 | excellent |
| manganese | 0.55 mg | 27.5 | 6.6 | very good |
| potassium | 518.50 mg | 14.8 | 3.6 | very good |
| copper | 0.13 mg | 14.4 | 3.5 | very good |
| fiber | 3.40 g | 13.6 | 3.3 | good |
| magnesium | 39.10 mg | 9.8 | 2.4 | good |
| phosphorus | 64.60 mg | 9.2 | 2.2 | good |
| vitamin C | 6.12 mg | 8.2 | 2.0 | good |
| iron | 1.34 mg | 7.4 | 1.8 | good |
| vitamin B6 | 0.11 mg | 6.5 | 1.6 | good |
As you can see, beets are an excellent source of folate, manganese, potassium, and copper. Eating beets is another great way to get iron and vitamin B6. You can click on each of the nutrients above to learn a little more about them. As with any vegetable, the longer you cook/boil/steam/roast beets, the nutritional value decreases. It is recommended to keep cooking time for steaming beets under 15 minutes and roasting time under one hour. This will help maintain the integrity of the nutrients.
Now that you know a little more about beets, let's talk about what to do with them. If you are a fan of juicing your vegetables, beets are a great addition to your favorite mixture. Try grating raw beets and adding them to your soups and salads. Here's a yummy recipe for 15-Minute Steamed Beets:
Prep and Cook Time: 5 minute prep; 15 minute cooking
Ingredients:
- 3 medium beets, about 3" in diameter
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or chopped
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- Optional:
- 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 TBS chopped dill
- 1 TBS chopped chives
- 2 TBS Feta cheese
- Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2 inches of water.
- While the water is coming to a boil, wash beets, leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of the stem on the beets. Cut beets into quarters. Do not peel.
- Steam covered for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork on the tip of a knife into the beet. Although some of their colorful phytonutrients are lost to the steaming water, there is plenty of color and nutrients left in the beets.
- Press or chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
- Peel beets using a paper towel.
- Transfer beets to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients while they are still hot.
Be forewarned...beet juice will stain so use caution when peeling and cutting beets. You can use a little lemon juice to help remove the stains from cutting boards and counter tops. Add lemon juice and course salt to your hands and scrub gently to remove the "red finger" syndrome!
If you are still looking for a few more healthy beet recipes, click HERE and you can check out some yummy ways to serve beets. In the meantime, don't pass those dirty looking red vegetables the next time you are in the produce section. Grab a bunch and give them a try. You might find that they don't smell like dirty socks when cooking and possibly have a new veggie to add to your list of "must-haves". Enjoy!!
