A great post from one of our suppliers.
Remember the days when your dad would feast on beets and beg you to join in?
Your first thought may have been “ew.” Ok so the average 8-year-old probably wouldn’t go for beets based on dads enthusiasm or looks alone, but believe it or not, beets are tasty, sweet and quite filling on the surface.
Beneath the surface, these deep red delights are packed with so much goodness that they are considered one of the most important vegetables in the world.
There are probably a number of other things you don’t know about beets. For instance, did you know that there are four distinct types of beets? Did you also know that the greens are pretty tasty and nutritious too?
Beets are a cultivated form of the plant Beta vulgaris of the goosefoot family (chenopodiaceae).
The four different types include:
1. The Garden Beet (as a garden vegetable)
2. The Sugar Beet (a major source of sugar and commercially the most important type)
3. Manzel-wurzel (a succulent feed for livestock)
4. The Leaf Beet or Swiss Chard (admired for its edible leaves)
Grown most extensively in temperate to cool regions or during the cooler seasons, beets are available year round and they are packed with just about every metabolically important mineral on the planet.
This includes:
• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Zinc
Beets are also a rich source of fiber and folate, and it is one of the world’s best sources of manganese, which is crucial for bone health. Beet greens are packed with three times the amount of needed daily vitamin A and 1,000% of our daily vitamin K needs. They also contain ample amounts of vitamin C, protein, and B vitamins.
Some people think that beets are full of sugar, which they feel will cause weight gain. The fact is, vegetable beets do not contain large amounts of sugar. Further, the sugar that it does contain is insignificant when you consider the endless amount benefits beets provide. If you must know the sugar content of beets, here you go (and we’ll also provide even more outstanding nutrition content to put your mind at ease):
One cup of raw, sliced beets contains:
• 59 calories (greens contain 8)
• 13 carbs (greens contain 2 carbs)
• 106 mg of sodium (greens contain 86 mg of sodium)
• 9 grams of sugar (greens contain 0 grams of sugar)
Total fat calories? Zero!
Picking the Perfect Beet, Storage, and Eating Beets
Beets can be purchased in abundance at your local grocery store. Other colors (white, yellow and orange) are readily available at most farmers markets. Although different in color, these beets pack the same nutritional punch as red beets.
To pick the perfect beets, make sure the leaves are free of discoloration and wilting. The bulbs should be firm and free of soft spots. Bulbs should be stored dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. They may be stored for up to 2 weeks. To store beet greens, rinse and wrap them in a paper towel and place in a partially closed plastic bag. Beet greens may be stored in the crisper drawer for up to 2 days. When you’re ready, you may eat your beets or greens raw, steamed, in salads, roasted, boiled, baked, in soups, dips, and more.
To Your Balanced pH,
The pHion Balance Team.
