Beets

"I love beets. Show me a salad bar and I will clean them out of their beets." - Chris Pratt

To add color and nutrition to meals ranging from salads to a "meat and potatoes" plate, you can't beat beets!

Five Fun Facts

Beet juice has been used as a natural red dye since the 1500s.
Beets were believed to be an aphrodisiac in ancient Roman times.
Beet juice can be made into a wine similar to port.
Beets come in a range of colors from yellow to red, red with white striped interiors, and all white!
The entire plant is edible, from the leaves to the root.

Nutrition Info

Beets are a good source of:

Vitamin A
Vitamin B (folic acid)
Vitamin C
Iron
Potassium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Calcium
Carotenoids
Dietary fiber

Benefits

Beets may be beneficial in the following ways:

Fighting inflammation
Lowering blood pressure
Improving endurance
Improving cognitive function

Cautions

Consuming beets may lead to a change in the color of your urine or stool, but if you are otherwise healthy, this is not a cause for concern. People who have kidney disease or are on a low-oxalate diet may need to limit beets in their diet -- especially the greens.

Suggested Recipes

Pickled Beet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (vegetarian)

Chicken and Roasted Beet Salad

Beet Risotto (vegetarian and gluten-free)

Beet Soup (Borscht) (gluten-free, low calorie, low fat)

Beet and Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Cobbler (gluten-free, vegetarian)

For the Kids and Kids-at-Heart

Download the "Beet the Clock" activity sheet to have some fun!

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Credits and thanks in addition to recipes and information linked above: Factretriever.com; Nutritionfacts.us; Self.com; Thespruceeats.com; Verywellfit.com.

Inclusion of a link does not imply WHF endorsement of all content at that link.

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