With so many choices in the food world it is easy to forget an item for a while.  Recently I have had a renewed love affair with beets. The cylinder gem of a vegetable is not only stunning but there is also a taste of subtle sweetness. Interestingly it seems a lot of people hate beets and now that I’m old I simply cannot understand why. Alas when I was a young child I felt the same way. My mom loved beets! She eat them boiled, pickled, roasted, piled them on salads, and actually used to eat beets out of a can..gross. (NEVER EVER try to convince someone a vegetable is good out of a can) Every time she ate them she would exclaim that they were just like candy. She never made me eat them but her comparison to candy along with their deepest reddish purple hues kept my curiosity alive. Young kids are obsessed with bodily functions so once someone told me they turn my pee red I just had to eat enough for that to happen. Now if I haven’t clearly convinced you to try this awesome crimson vegetable (red pee!) here are six more reasons to love beets.

  1. Lower Your Blood Pressure-Nitrates in beets are converted to nitric oxide in your body, which relax and dilates blood vessels.
  2. Boost Your Stamina- A study showed people who drank beet juice before a workout were able to exercise 16 percent longer
  3. Fight Inflammation- The betaine in beets helps protect cells, proteins, and enzymes from environmental stress.
  4. Anti-Cancer Properties-Research is currently being done that is showing reduced multi-organ tumor formations from using beetroot extract
  5. Rich In Nutrients and Fiber- High in vitamin C, potassium, manganese
  6. Detoxification Support- The betalin pigments helps support binding toxins to molecules so they may be excreted from your body.

Now that you are onboard #teambeet you should be thrilled to know how simple they are to cook and eat.



Try to get organic beets, preferably from a farmers market. These tend to be sweeter and more tender. If you are cooking something simply you want to make sure you have the best.

Cut off the leafy greens (save for later use) and wash beets thoroughly. They grow underground so they are super dirty normally.

To Consume Raw– Peel and grate to enjoy in salads/slaws or add simply add chunks to your favorite fruit smoothies.


  To Boil– Put in water and boil until knife tender (meaning you can stick a knife in it)

To Roast– Wrap in aluminum foil and put in the oven at 400 for 45-60 min depending on size of the beet.


Once the beet is cooked, peel off the skin which tends to be bitter. Peel warm beets under running water or since there is a drought use paper towels to easily peel off the skin.  Then slice, dice, grate, even serve the smaller ones whole. Presentation possibilities are endless!


Simply drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and you have a side dish. If you want to get fancy try the classic combo of oranges and beets and goat cheese.

**small warning beets will stain everything so don’t prep beets in your finest white linens**

 So easy right! I promise you will like them but if you don’t stop spreading bad rumors about them. I once had a friend that said I basically like everything except things that shouldn’t be edible like cilantro and beets. To each his own but don’t yuck my yum! I proudly defend beets and all they stand for, definitely don’t knock it till you try it! So  beet-it and get to cooking some beets.

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