Beet

Beet or beetroot is round red root vegetable which is a biennial Eurasian plant usually having a swollen edible root; widely cultivated as a food crop.

Beet root vegetable

Interesting facts about beet

• Are you aware that beets come in red, white and a golden orange?

• Are you aware that beets are a root and grow underground similar to a carrot with a green leafy top?

• Are you aware that the beet root is either round or oval in shape?

• Are you aware that beets are actually two vegetables? (The root and leaves are both edible!)

• Are you aware that beets are available year round as they are grown in over 30 states?

Wursthall beet salad

• Are you aware that beets can be eaten raw or cooked?

• Are you aware that beets can be grilled, boiled or roasted?

• Are you aware that beets are cooked and then often served cold in a salad?

• Are you aware that beets are sometimes shredded raw and added to salads?

• Are you aware that beets peel best after cooking? (Simply run under cold water after cooking and the skin removes easily. Be sure to wear disposable gloves so your hands do not turn red!)

• Are you aware that pickled beets are a common food of the American South?

• Are you aware that in Eastern Europe a soup is made from beets called “borscht”?

Beets

• Are you aware that a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dish is red beet eggs? (They marinate hard-boiled eggs in the juice left over from pickling beets. They wait till the eggs turn a deep pink-red color.)

• Are you aware that the leafy tops of beets when cooked taste similar to spinach?

• Are you aware that beet juice is used as food coloring to intensify the color of tomato paste, tomato sauce, desserts, jams, jellies, ice cream and breakfast cereals?

• Are you aware that beet pulp is fed to horses when they are in vigorous training?

• Are you aware that in the Middle Ages beets were used to treat illnesses related to digestion and the blood?

• Are you aware that beets are a good source of folate and manganese? (Folate helps the body form red blood cells and is important in cell growth. It is specifically important for pregnant women. Manganese is required by the body for normal growth and health. It helps your body break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.)

• Are you aware that there is a beet that they use for making sugar? (A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains high amounts of sucrose. It is grown specifically for sugar production.)

Beets, raw

Portion	100 g
Fiber, total dietary	2.8 g
Calcium, Ca	16 mg
Iron, Fe	0.8 mg
Vitamin A, IU	33 IU
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	4.9 mg
Protein	1.61 g
Total lipid (fat)	0.17 g
Carbohydrate, by difference	9.56 g
Energy	180 kcal
Sugars, total including NLEA	6.76 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium, Na	78 mg
Fatty acids, total saturated	0.027 g

Nutritional information on Beet

NB:Carbohydrate, by difference(total carbs-fiber) is also called net carbs