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Get your Beet Smoothie on! For those of you that know me well, you know I LOVE beets. I like to eat beets in all the ways one CAN eat beets: boiled, raw, on a salad, on hummus, in a smoothie, on dough… you name it. Beets are cool. They have a beautiful vibrant color. They are super high in antioxidants. They are high in fiber. I could go on all day. But let me highlight for you what makes beets SO wonderful!
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Nutrition Facts about Beets
- High in fiber. 1 cup of beets contains about 3.8 g of fiber. If you are one of our clients, you know how important fiber is in a healthy diet. We even give you a fiber score based on your estimated fiber intake!
- High in potassium, a mineral most people do not get enough of! Potassium plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure among other things.
- High in dietary nitrates. Nitrates will be converted into nitric oxide within the body, which is a potent vasodilator. Vasodilation is when the blood vessels relax and literally dilate, which in turn decreases blood pressure. This means beets can help improve blood pressure and enhance your athletic performance! Pre-workout beet smoothie anyone?
- Contrary to popular belief, beets are safe and healthy for diabetic individuals to consume despite their sweet flavor. Beets have a glycemic index of 61, which is considered moderate. Glycemic index, simply put, is a measurement of the impact that certain foods can have on your blood sugar levels. For example, sugar (or glucose) has a glycemic index of 100. Beets, although sweet in taste, have a moderate glycemic index because they are also high in fiber. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into our bloodstream, thus blunting potential sugar spikes and crashes. This means beets (or a beet smoothie) can be a part of a balanced diet for diabetic individuals to consume.
Have you ever cooked beets before? No? Totally ok! Let me break them down for you.
Cooking Methods for Preparing Beets
Raw: I usually like to buy a bag of beets and cook them all at once to help my future self with my veggie sides. However, you can grate them raw and eat them this way for a quick beet fix. Be sure to wash and peel them first. This process can get a little messy, so I don’t recommend wearing anything you want to keep the same color while grating beets. Beet juice splashes so wearing an apron is highly recommended. Apparently, a bunch of people really love this apron. Full disclosure, we don’t own this apron, but we thought we would share the love! Raw beets pair really well with a citrus ginger dressing.
Boiled: You can cook them in boiling water for 30-45+ minutes or until you can easily stick your fork into them. This can take a while, so if you’re super hungry and want to eat beets quickly, this is not the method to use. Boiling your beets will take a little planning. You can boil a bunch of beets together and plan out your meals or you could freeze some and have them ready for a beet smoothie (hint, hint). I do recommend cutting them into smaller pieces before freezing them because otherwise, you will have a frozen beet rock that will be difficult to manipulate. Boiled beets are my favorite way of eating them and I like to use a lemon + olive oil + salt dressing.
Roasted: Roasting beets also takes some time, but it provides great depth in flavor and a different texture. You can roast them with spices like cumin, pepper, turmeric, or garlic and eat them with a creamy dressing. This cooking method will also take around 45 minutes (give or take). Roasted beets are often paired with blue cheese or put as a topping on fancy pizzas.
Pickled: I’ve never pickled beets before so I’m likely not the best person to tell you about pickled beets. I know some people have ONLY had pickled beets and sometimes only from a can (disappointed face inserted here). Let me tell you, that’s the equivalent of saying “I’ve only had potatoes cooked ONE way…from a can.” If you’re curious about beets, let me reassure you that they can taste so much better. Ok, rant over. Pickled beets are usually sour and salty in taste and are often used as salad toppings or along with other pickled foods.
Back to this Beet Smoothie Recipe
This beet smoothie recipe is very adjustable, which is why I make it so often! Only have fresh berries? You can use those! Prefer to use pineapple instead of berries? Great idea! Don’t have coconut? Skip it. You don’t have orange juice? Use the juice of a clementine, lime, or lemon! Want to use your favorite yogurt instead of Greek yogurt? Do it! It will taste great regardless.
