You may think it’s un-BEET-lievable but beets have been around since Ancient Greece! Only the best things in life stick around for that many centuries. 😉
Most people eat the red bulb part of the beet but did you know that the leaves and stalks are edible too? Next time you have some beets don’t throw the leaves away, find a tasty recipe to use them in!
Another fact that is hard to beet-lieve is that about 20% of sugar in the world comes from sugar beets. Sugar beets are a different variety than the usual red beet you see at the grocery store or in a salad. Sugar from sugar beets is used and digested the same way as cane sugar. The fact that it comes from a vegetable doesn’t make it any more nutritious.
Another crazy fact about beets is that, not only has beet juice been used to dye fabric, people have used beet juice to dye their hair!
Your body will feel unbeetable after eating some beets because beets contain a lot of great nutrients! Below are just a few of the nutrients found in beets.
Folate: helps make new cells.
Potassium: helps nerves and muscles work correctly.
Fiber: improves digestion and helps you feel full.
Antioxidants: protects cells from damage and can reduce risk of certain diseases.
To beet or not to beet; that is the question. The answer…..eat beets?! Here are some ideas on how to add more beets into your diet:
- Eat beets raw with a little hummus
- Steam, bake, boil, or microwave!
- Roast beets with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Add cooked beets to a salad
- Puree beets then use in baked goods like cupcakes, brownies, etc.
- Thinly slice the beets then bake to make chips
- Add to a smoothie with some berries
- Shred beets, then add to coleslaw
Red beets are the most common and can be a red or purple color.
Golden beets are yellowish-gold color and have a sweeter taste than red beets.
Chioggia beets have white and red stripes on the inside.
White beets are not as sweet as other varieties of beets.
Information for this post came from pbs.org, medline.gov, foodhero.org
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