Roasted Beets

Beets are actually one of my top 5 favorite vegetables and for me, thats a hard list to make! They come in a variety of colors and I think they are one of the most misunderstood vegetables. One of my favorite activities is converting people from being anti-beet to extremely excited about beets. 
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"Beetroot, also known as beets, red beets, golden beets, and table beets (all of which are the same thing) is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They’re a powerhouse of nutrients, packed with tons of vitamins and minerals that have been proven to provide a wealth of benefits for overall health and well-being. In fact, beets offer so many benefits that they’re really quite impressive." [1]

Maybe when you where young you tried beets for the first time and hated them, like me. One Thanksgiving I went in for a big helping of what I thought was a canned cranberry sauce (truly a can of sugar, btw) and what I really ate was a big thing of pickled beets. I was convinced until just 4 years ago that beets where the grossest thing on earth. There are some people who are convinced they taste like dirt but I have still converted them with this super simple recipe. I have also worked with people who have an aversion to the color of beets. With that, I normally choose to mix orange and red beets. 
According to Livestrong.com, "Orange beets are good for your heart, help to cleanse your kidneys, have lots of antioxidants, lower your cholesterol and are full of vitamins. All this is contained in a vegetable that tastes a little bit less earthy than traditional red beets. All beets have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pigments that are called betalains. Red beets and purple beets get their color from betacyanins. Orange beets, which are also called golden beets or yellow beets, get their pigment from betaxanathins. Beets of any color have both of these as well as plenty of potassium, magnesium and vitamin C." [3] 
​For more information on how to handle food aversions, click here. [2]

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The number one recipe people ask me for is the beet recipe and it is surprisingly simple!
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1) Pre heat oven to 350. 
2) Scrub beets
3) Chop beets into 1/2 inch cubes
4) Toss in your favorite oil. I've used coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil. 
5) Season with salt. Thats it!
6) Bake in oven at 350 for 30 min. (Until a fork can easily slide through.) 
I personally love to bake mine in a cast iron skillet. 

Spice it up and top with goat cheese or walnuts!

According to "Very Healthy Life",
Here are the top 20 health benefits for eating beets: 

1) Reducing blood pressure
​2) Lowering blood sugar
3) Can help ward off neurodegenerative diseases (ie. Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, & dementia)
4) Increase post work-out recover time
5) Enhances brain activity
6) Improve athletic performance. 
7) They have the GOOD carbs
8) Promotes healthy bones
9) Reduces the risk of birth defects
10) Treats anemia
11) Improves digestion
12) Improves liver health
13) May prevent cancer
14) Increase sexual performance
15) Supports eye health
16) Combats premature aging
17) Detoxifies your blood
18) Provides natural energy
19) May prevent the risk of a stroke
20) Improves the rate of healing

Are you convinced to be a beet lover yet?!
​If not, just try this recipe and let me know if you are a convert!

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For more ways to cook interesting vegetables and how to sneak more veggies into your diet, check out this blog!

You can even try this recipe of Roasted Beets with Orange & Thyme from Martha Stewart! 

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Play with your food!
​Cooking is fun but eating is even more fun!

Sources: 
Image: ​https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide/beets
[1]https://veryhealthy.life/20-nutritional-facts-beets/?utm_source=health%20benefits%20of%20beets&utm_medium=20NutritionalFactsAboutBeets&utm_campaign=adw_us
[2]https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/jun/18/food-aversions-why-occur-how-tackle​
[3] https://www.livestrong.com/article/525504-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-orange-beets/