Beets: Give Them Another Chance!
By Sara Butler
If your introduction to the world of beets were those limp beets that flop out of a can, then you're missing out. Beets are some of the most nutritious foods you can find and, much like Brussels sprouts, when they're prepared correctly, you may fall in love. Here's what you need to know about preparing and eating beets that you actually like to eat!
Beets: What Are They Good For?
Beets are full of nutrients. They're root vegetables that are packed with all kinds of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They contain Vitamin C, protein, fiber, Vitamin B6, folate, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron while managing to be low in calories and fat. They can help to keep your cardiovascular system healthy, fight inflammation, support a healthy brain, and may even have some cancer-fighting properties.
Prepping Beets
If you're never had beets before that didn't come from a can or jar, then you may avoid them simply because you don't know what to do! Well, we're going to remedy that situation!
Prepping fresh beets isn't difficult. In fact, no matter what type of beets you choose, from golden to red, you prep them all the same. All you need to do is:
- Trim the stems and greens off the root and save them for later because you can eat those greens the same way that you do spinach with just a rinse and a saute with some olive oil
- Make sure to cut off the root to the bottom of the beetroot
- Gently wash the beet using a clean sponge or brush to remove any dirt
Cooking Beets
Now that you have those beets prepped it's time to get cooking! There are a variety of ways you can cook beets. They can be eaten raw if you want, but cooking tends to bring out their natural sweetness and is how most people like to enjoy them.
There are a few ways to cook beets, such as:
- Roasting - Roasting is a great way to enjoy beets. All you need to do is toss them with a little olive oil and spices of your choice, then roast in an oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until they're fork tender.
- Steaming - Steaming is the fastest way to cook beets and a great way to prep them if you want to add them to a soup or smoothie. Simply halve or quarter the beets and place in a steamer basket over boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Boiling - If you find roasting beets makes their flavor too powerful for you, then boiling is the way to go. Just place whole beets in boiling water for 30 to 45 minutes and immediately place in ice water, which makes removing the skin much easier.
Don't let the memories of the beets your grandfather ate keep you from enjoying this nutritious and delicious root vegetable.
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