Beets! Such beautiful color and full of nutrition. Beets are not a food that most people just add to their diet on a regular basis. However they are full of nutrition and have a lot of benefits. I’ll add some of the benefits of beet to this post as well as add a couple recipes that will help you start adding them to your diet on a more regular basis.
What are beets?
Beets are a root vegetable. You can eat the greens as well as the root. However, they are more than just a simple root vegetable. They are a beautiful deep purple color, and full of antioxidants and vitamins. They are very nutritious and are beneficial to our health.
Beets are helpful in detoxifying the body. They can help with healing inflammation and removing toxins from the body. Their high fiber content helps to remove accumulations of toxins and fluid retention, while improving digestion and preventing constipation. This all helps to improve liver function.
Beets are good for fighting/healing inflammation.
Beets are good for brain health. (the nitric oxide in beets relaxes and dilates the blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the brain)
Beets help fight disease.
Beets are nutrient dense.
Beets improve nitric oxide in the body which improves circulation.
Beets can be helpful in lowering blood pressure/maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Beets can also increase iron, which can help prevent anemia.
Beets are really good for your liver. This is a good thing, because your liver works hard to detox the body from the toxins that are taxing it daily.
These little root veggies are full of antioxidants and vitamins and should be added to your diet. Check out a few recipes below to help incorporate them into your meal plan. (cooking them does reduce their antioxidant levels some, but they are still beneficial in any form)
You can add eat them hot or cold, in smoothies, salads, etc. You can boil or roast them. You can eat them raw on salads and in smoothies.
MAPLE ROASTED BEETS AND CARROTS (saltandlavender.com)
5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 medium beets, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Preheat oven to 425F and move the rack to middle position, cut the beets and carrots into pieces that are roughly the same size, and place the pieces on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil onto the beets and carrots and add salt and pepper. Toss until they’re coated. Spread them out in an even layer. Roast for about 15 min, or until the veggies are tender-crisp. Take out of oven and add the butter and maple syrup directly to the baking sheet. Let butter melt and then toss everything again until coated. Return to over for 5 min. Serve.
Simple and Delicious Beet Greens
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/215506/simple-and-delicious-beet-greens/
Ruby Red Beet and Apple Salad