Super Food: Beetroot or Beet

Beetroot is a versatile vegetable that can be utilised wholly in cooking - tuber and leaves and all!! The beetroot bulb is high in folate (something I found out myself the other day), with a single serving providing 34 percent of the recommended Daily Value, and 28 percent of your recommended Daily Value of fibre and manganese. The root is also a good source of vitamins B6 and C, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It also contains phenols and betalains, which have potent antioxidant properties. 

In 2010, a review in the journal Plant Foods in Human Nutrition stated that the betalain in beetroot has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Phytotherapy Research reported in 2009 that beetroot products, including the juice or chips, reduced oxidation and inflammation in obese women.

The leaves are high in fibre, vitamins A, B6, C, K, and E, thiamine, riboflavin, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. They are also a good source of the minerals magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, zinc, and phosphorus.

Facts/Serving
Cooked Beetroot
(1 Cup/170 g)

Calories: 75 (313 kJ)

Protein: 2.9 g
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
Carbohydrates: 16.9 g
Fiber: 3.4 g

Cooked Leaves
(1 Cup/144 g)

Calories: 39 (166 kJ)
Protein: 3.7 g
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.1 g

Carbohydrates: 7.9 g                                             

Fiber: 4.2 g

Origin: Atlantic and and Mediterranean Coasts of Africa and Europe
Season: Summer and Autumn
Home Garden: Easily grown at home