Saturday’s Food For Thought: Beets

Beets are small herbaceous plants with broad dark-green leaves. Its underground taproot matures in 50-60 days of sowing and weighs about 100 to 150 g. If not harvested, it keeps growing in size to more than 500 g and may develop surface cracks, lose taste and become unappetizing because of excess fiber content. Beets can come in a variety of colors like, red, orange, yellow, and white.

Nutritious Information On Beets:

• Beets are highly nutritious and “cardiovascular health” friendly root vegetables.
• Lower cholesterol levels within the body, and have anti-aging effects.
• Raw beets are an excellent source of folates. It contains about 109 µg/100 g of this vitamin (Provides 27% of RDA). However, extensive cooking may significantly deplete its level in food. Folates are necessary for DNA synthesis within the cells.
• One cup of raw beet greens may contain over 275 micrograms of lutein.
• Beetroots are not nearly so concentrated in lutein, although some beetroots – like the roots of yellow beets – may be valuable sources of this carotenoid.

• Nutrients In Beets (1 Cup Raw)

  folate 37%
  manganese 22.5%
  fiber 15.2%
  potassium 12.6%
  vitamin C 11.1%
  tryptophan 9.3%
  magnesium 7.8%
   iron 6%
  phosphorus s5.4%
   copper 5%
  Calories (58)3%

I attached a beet recipe to this post! Enjoy and happy Saturday!! 🙂

Roasted and Sautéed Beets

 Ingredients

• 1 bunch of beets with greens
• 1.4 cups of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic- minced
• 3 tablespoons of chopped onion or chopped leeks
• Sea salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of red wine/ or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. of cumin
• 1 tsp. of basil
• 1 lemon juiced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, remove any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or pan and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Cover, and bake for about 45- 50 minutes. If a knife can slide easily through the beets, then it is done.
3. When the beets are ready, heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, herbs, onion, and cumin. Take the beat greens and cut them up in pieces and add them in the pan. Add the wine and sauté. Season with salt & pepper. You can serve the greens and the beets with some fresh lemon juice and some extra olive oil. It tastes very fresh and great with fish, meats, or just as is.

Kali Orexi

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