Love Your Beets

Did you hear about the guy who didn’t eat enough vegetables? His heart skipped a beet.

Beets. You either love ’em or you hate ’em. Listen up, beet-haters, there are plenty of good reasons to love your beets, starting with nutrition (for more on nutrition, see article in Healthline). Packed with essential nutrients, beets are a great source of fiber, folate, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Beets, and all their edible parts, have been associated with health benefits, like improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance.

Did you know that beets are 100% edible, from root to leaf? That makes them an economical choice when grocery shopping. Look for beets that have healthy, vibrant greens attached. When you get home, separate the root, stems, and greens–leave about an inch of stem attached to the root to prevent “bleeding”. Wash stems and greens and allow to dry. Wrap them separately in dry towels and store them in an airtight bag in the crisper drawer. They should last up to two weeks.

Let us tease you with a few recipes:

Rainbow Tartare

Roasted Dijon-Ginger Beets

Scarlet Black Bean Burgers

Winter Watercress Salad

Scarlet Ginger Soup

Roots

The big round thing at the end is the beetroot. The bigger the bulb, the longer it will take to cook. It’s dark, fuschia color is the biggest hint that there are powerful and important plant chemicals at work here.

To eat them cooked:

• Wrap them in foil packets and roast until soft then easily peel the skin off. Now they’re recipe-ready. Keeping the skin intact helps them to retain their vibrant color.
• Peel them first, then cut into cubes or wedges then drizzle with a little oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and roast until tender.
• Thinly slice and bake to make beet chips.
• Make brownies or chocolate cake. What? Yes, plenty of recipes that incorporate beets into sweet treats.
• Peel and grate raw for salads or with cooked lentils.
• Add to smoothies for an extra boost of energy and nutrition.
• Cut them and dip them in hummus.

Stems

These are the pink stalks or “arteries” between the beetroot and its leaves. High in fiber and minerals, beet stems also contain powerful antioxidants that aid in reducing inflammation and preventing heart disease.

• Chop and add them to stir-fry recipes. Add them to soups.
• Sauté with garlic, lemon, and olive oil, include the greens here, too.
• Add to salads for something new and crispy.
• Pickle them.

Greens

Beet greens have all the nutrients and hearty flavor that greens like kale, chard, and collards have. Treat them the same way!

And by the way, it’s common to experience what’s called “beeturia”, where your pee and poop take on a pink hue, so don’t be alarmed!