Many people love to eat beets, while others are hesitant to try them. Beets rhyme with “treats,” and I think they’re a healthy, low-calorie, and nutritious treat too!
You can enjoy them pickled or plain. Whole, sliced, or diced. On top of a salad, in pasta, or as a side dish. The taste of beets can be an acquired one—but however you choose to eat them, they can be delicious.
Beets and Nutrition
Beets are part of the USDA’s MyPlate Vegetable Group. It’s important to eat a variety of foods, and vegetables are one of the five essential food groups. Any vegetable—or 100% vegetable juice—counts toward your daily veggie intake. Vegetables can be raw or cooked, fresh, roasted, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated. They may be eaten whole, cut-up, or mashed.
Based on nutrient content, vegetables are grouped into five subcategories:
- Dark green
- Red and orange
- Beans, peas, and lentils
- Starchy
- Other vegetables
Beets fall into the red and orange vegetable subgroup. And you’ve probably heard it before: “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables for better health!”
Beets are low in calories and high in nutrition. Red beets provide vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and dietary fiber. Beets are a good source of fiber, which may benefit your digestive health and reduce the risk of several chronic health conditions. A ½-cup serving of plain, diced beets contains just 25 calories. https://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/database/food/beets.php
Learn more about vegetables at MyPlate.gov
Preparation
Here are some preparation methods from Purdue Extension. Beets can be eaten raw, or they can be roasted, baked, boiled, microwaved and/or incorporated into recipes. Always wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before preparing food.
https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/food.php?food=beet
Raw: Rinse beets in stream of cold water, cut tops and roots off beet and peel. Cut into thin, round slices and eat them with your favorite dip. Or grate or process beets in food processor to top a salad or add to coleslaw. Note: if you rinse the beet shreds and squeeze dry, they will not color the other vegetables.
Baked: Heat oven to 400°F. Wash beets in cold water and cut off tops and roots. Wrap in foil, place on baking sheet. Bake beets for about an hour. After cooling, remove it from the foil. Rub the beets gently to remove skin. Serve mashed or sliced with butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
Roasted: Heat oven to 400°F. Rinse beets in stream of cold water, cut tops and roots off beet and peel. Cut from stem to root and lay flat on a cutting board. Cut beets into 1/2-inch cubes and toss in a bowl with olive oil and a little salt. Spread beets in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes. Beets are done when they are tender when you poke them with a fork.
Boiled: Cook unpeeled beets in boiling, lightly salted water for about 45 minutes, or until you can easily slice them with a sharp knife. Remove from heat and immerse them in cold water. Next, use a damp cloth to remove the skin.
Microwave: Wash, peel, and cube beets. In a microwave-safe dish, add 2 tablespoons of water per 2 ½ cups of beets. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes and stir. Cook an additional 3 minutes. Repeat until tender. https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/food.php?food=beet
Tasty Beet Recipes
Looking for ways to enjoy beets? Try these:
Pink party salad – https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/recipes-and-menus/healthy-thrifty-holiday-menus/valentines-day#recipe-1848
More recipes using beets – https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-kitchen/recipes?search=beets&items_per_page=20&sort_bef_combine=title_ASC
Growing Beets in Florida
Beet variety names are as fun as they are flavorful! Have you heard of these garden beet types?
Chioggia, Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red, Cylindra, Little Ball, Asgrow Wonder, Green Top, Pacemaker III, and Red Ace.
These names are new to me—I especially like “Pacemaker III.”
Watching my grandfather grow and harvest beets was a great memory for me. I loved to see them pulled from the ground with the red, round beet emerging from the soil. Learn more about growing beets.
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/beets/
Go beets!
Beets are delicious and easy to include in your diet. They’re a great addition to salads, side dishes, pasta, smoothies, dips, and juices. I think I will add beets to my meal plan this week and roast some with other root vegetables. Yum!
Want to learn more about healthy eating from my blog series?
An apple a day – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/12/13/does-an-apple-a-day-really-keep-the-doctor-away/
Onions – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/06/27/onions-onions-onions/
Avocados – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/05/01/delicious-avocados/
Bananas – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2024/04/17/go-bananas-on-national-banana-day/
Dietary Fiber – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2023/07/05/dietary-fiber/
Watermelon – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2023/07/05/sweet-and-tasty-watermelon/
Strawberries – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2023/03/27/enjoy-seasonal-strawberries/
Pumpkin – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2022/10/26/celebrate-national-pumpkin-day/
Vitamin C – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2022/05/04/orange-juice-is-one-good-source-of-vitamin-c/
Follow a rainbow for good health – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2022/03/01/follow-the-rainbow-for-good-health-during-nutrition-month/
Vitamin C – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2020/01/21/star-fruit-a-source-of-vitamin-c/
Pumpkins – Decoration or food? – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2018/10/22/pumpkins-decoration-or-food/
Mango Season – https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/browardco/2018/08/10/its-mango-season-in-south-florida/
Brenda Marty Jimenez, MHM, RDN, LDN, FAND is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian with a Master of Science in Human Resource Management. Her professional focus areas include disease prevention, nutrition, wellness promotion, and food safety.
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