July 7, 2021

The BEST Beet Smoothie

Receta en ESPAÑOL abajo!

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!

Table of Contents

Beet Smoothie Ingredients in a Tray 

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.

 

Beet Smoothie Ingredients

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.

beet smoothie

 

Beet Smoothie
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Beet Smoothie

This is the best Beet Smoothie recipe you will come across! If you are a little skeptical of trying beets, this recipe is for you. This recipe combines coconut, ginger, citrus, berries, and of course, beets!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Drinks, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Beet Smoothie
Servings: 2 cups

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Grater

Ingredients

  • ½ boiled beet*, cooled
  • 1 cup berries frozen or fresh
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt plain or sweetened
  • ¼ cup coconut shredded, unsweetened or sweetened
  • 1 inch ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • ½ cup water

Instructions

  • In a blender, add all the ingredients.
  • Blend until smooth and homogenous.
  • Pour into your favorite cup and feel like the coolest kid in town.

Notes

*You can use raw beets for this smoothie BUT you need a strong blender for that. If you have a good blender, I still recommend cutting your beet into smaller pieces or grating it and blending it first with water before adding the other ingredients.

But honestly, can it get more simple than this? You’re going to get this beautiful vibrant fuchsia color and feel like the coolest kid in town while you drink it. Ok, maybe you won’t *feel* like the coolest kid in town but you should cause this beet smoothie is hella nourishing!

 

beet smoothie

 

FAQ

How do you prepare beets for a smoothie?

I usually boil my beets and then use them once they have cooled off. I also freeze them after cooking to make them last longer. As stated above, it is always a good idea to cut your beets into smaller pieces because if you freeze the whole thing, it will be a frozen rock that will need boiling or overnight thawing in the fridge. No one has time for that. You can also roast them and then add them to the smoothie once they have reached room temperature. I prefer to boil my beets for a smoothie recipe because if I roast them, I must remember not to season them… which I seem to never be able to do. Pro tip: boil a bunch, cut half of them and put them in your fridge for an amazing salad during the week. Cut the other half and place them in individual bags the freezer for a ready-to-go beets for your favorite beet smoothie!

 

Can you use beet greens in a smoothie?

Sure! I don’t recommend using them in THIS smoothie recipe because I haven’t tested it yet. BUT I have used them in other smoothies before. I recommend pairing the beet greens with banana or mango or pineapple. These fruits tend to carry the flavor rather than enhancing the beet green flavor- which is what you want if you want to drink something sweet.

 

How to use beets in a smoothie?

I use beets in smoothies just like in the recipe above, with berries in a blender. I love the color and taste of these two ingredients together. I also enjoy adding coconut to the mix! Beets also pair well with carrots, apple, banana, pineapple, mint, and oranges. The best way of knowing what you like is simply trying something out!

 

 

 

If you’ve been a beet or beet smoothie skeptic, we hope this information has convinced you to at least give it a try! And if so, we’d love to hear what you think! Also, you don’t have to love beets in order to be healthy. If you’re not into it, we extend you a loving invitation to enjoy our Island Green Smoothie. Between these two, you cannot go wrong! 

 

 

 

¡Disfruta este smoothie verdaderamente rico…un smoothie de betarraga!

Los que me conocen muy bien, saben que yo AMO las betarragas (también conocidas como: remolacha o betabel). A mi me encanta comer las betarragas como sea- cocidas, crudas, horneadas, en vinagre, en un humus, en galletas… do TODAS formas. Las betarragas son realmente increíbles. Tienen un color hermoso. Son sumamente altas en antioxidantes. Son altas en fibra. Podría seguir por el resto del día.  Pero déjame decirte porque las amo.

Información Nutricional de la Betarraga

  • Altas en fibra. Una taza de betarragas contiene 3.8 g de fibra. Si tu eres uno de nuestros clientes, tu sabes lo importante que es la fibra para tener una dieta saludable. ¡Nosotras hasta de damos un puntaje de fibra en nuestra segunda sesión!
  • Altas en Potasio. El potasio es un mineral que mucha gente no logra consumir el monto recomendado. Potasio es importante para la regulación de la presión arterial, entre otras cosas.
  • Altas en nitratos dietéticos. Nitrato se convierte en óxido nítrico en nuestro cuerpo, el cual es un potente vasodilatador. Vasodilatación ocurre cuando los vasos sanguíneos se relajan y literalmente se dilatan causando una baja en presión arterial. ¡Esto significa que la betarraga puede ayudar con la presión arterial y aún más, ayudar en tu rendimiento físico!
  • Mucha gente piensa que la gente que tiene diabetes no debería consumir betarragas porque son dulces. Esto no es verdad. La betarraga es una verdura sana para individuos que tienen diabetes. La betarraga tiene un índice glicémico de 61, lo que se considera moderado. El índice glicémico, básicamente, es la capacidad que un alimento tiene de aumentar los niveles de glucosa en la sangre. Por ejemplo, azúcar (o glucosa) tiene un índice de 100. La betarraga, aunque es dulce, tiene un índice glicémico moderado porque contiene fibra. La fibra hace que la absorción de la glucosa sea más lenta, por ende, previene que los niveles de azúcar suban a rangos muy altos. Las betarragas y los smoothies de betarragas son saludables y sanos para cualquier persona diabética.

Receta en ESPAÑOL

Beet Smoothie Recipe In Spanish

Enjoyed this resource? Share it!

I am a Registered Dietitian (RD) based in Chicago, IL. I have worked in various clinical settings including dialysis, ICU, and NICU. I am bilingual and love my Spanglish speaking peeps!

3 Comments

  1. John July 15, 2021 at 11:46 pm - Reply

    5 stars
    Fantastic concoction! I really had my doubts given the seemingly incompatible ingredients, but they really work well together. Thought it might need sweetener, especially with plain yogurt and straight shredded coconut, but it’s perfect as is. The beet sugars are quite enough. Love the ginger bite and flavor. Used a half pint of fresh raspberries, which adds to awesome color. Would not have guessed such harmony. Muchas gracias!

    • Catalina Ruz Gatica, MS, RDN, LDN July 16, 2021 at 4:41 pm - Reply

      Thanks, John!! We are so happy you tried it even if it was a bit outside of your comfort zone, AND that you loved it :) Thanks for letting us know! Cheers

  2. zoritoler imol October 24, 2022 at 3:58 am - Reply

    I have been checking out some of your posts and i can claim pretty good stuff. I will surely bookmark your site.

Leave A Comment

Recipe Rating