C recently accused me of being a secret beet farmer – as if I could ever be as cool as Mose Schrute. Alls I was saying is that beets are damn good and good for you and good looking. I love that combo. People, eat your beets. Eat em raw, boiled, sliced or shredded, juiced or borscht-ed, in a salad, or in a pasta. (Now I’m going to have to do a borscht and a pasta – see how it’s all snow balls?)
As many people before me have claimed, beets do the following goodness to your body:
1. Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters. (NYTimes, 6.30.08)
2. Beets contain folic acid, which is recommended for pregnant women because it may lower the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects in newborn infants. (Aim For Hearbs, date unknown.)
3. Beta vulgaris roots contain significant amounts of vitamin C, whilst the leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A. They are also high in folate, soluble and insoluble dietary fibre and antioxidants. It is among the sweetest of vegetables, containing more sugar even than carrots or sweet corn. The content of sugar in beetroot is no more than 10%; in the sugar beet it is typically 15 to 20%. (Wikipedia)
And don’t forget to eat them greens. Saute them in butter or olive oil and drown in fresh lemon juice with salt to taste. (My mouth is watering.)
