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Best to buy
Available all year long, beets are best from June through December.
Cut & clean
Cut off the green tops (leave an inch of stem to prevent bleeding and flavor loss) and scrub.
Power food
Beets are an excellent source of folic acid and a good source of potassium and vitamin C.
The whole beet
Wrap clean beets in foil and bake in the oven until soft (45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours) at 400°F (200°C). Cool slightly and peel off skins, then slice and salt and pepper to taste. Add a vinaigrette and sliced onions for a delicious salad.
Beets are best when cooked whole, to retain the flavor, color, and nutrients. To prepare beets, cut off the green tops, leaving an inch of the stem to prevent bleeding and flavor loss. Scrub beets, wrap them in foil, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size, at 400°F (200°C). Let them cool slightly and then peel the skins off. Baby beets can be steamed whole for about 30 minutes, then peeled and sliced. Beet leaves have a rich flavor resembling that of spinach. If they are crisp and bright green, they can be steamed or braised with onions and garlic in a little olive oil.
Beets come in several varieties, from the characteristic deep crimson to gold, white, and the fanciful chioggia, that shows its alternating red and white rings when cut horizontally. Beet sizes range from large marbles to cylinders to the size of baseballs. Baby (bunched) beets are more tender than regular beets and require less time to cook.
Beets (root, raw), 1 cup (136g)
Calories: 58
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Total Fat: 0g
Fiber: 4g
*Excellent source of: Folic acid (148.24mcg), and Manganese (0.45 mg)
*Good source of: Potassium (442mg), and Vitamin C (6.66mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright © 2007 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.
