Always choose beets that are rounded, firm, and that have an intense red color. Avoid those with an enlarged form, since they are harder and have a stronger taste. The beetroot diet is one of the most effective, healthy, and natural weight-loss diets out there.
There are several methods of losing weight, nature is full of fruits and vegetables that help us keep our figure. But perhaps none possess quite so many health benefits as the scarlet red beet, with its fresh, earthy taste.
Beets contain lots of fiber and they are very low in calories, leaving you feeling more satiated. This limits your consumption of other foods that could lead to weight gain. Would you like to know more about their nutritional value and what type of diet to follow? Here, we will explain it all to you.
Nutritional value
Beets are an incredible food with amazing nutritional properties that should never be left out from our diet. This vegetable gives us lots of energy, and is highly recommended for treating anemia, blood diseases and recovery time, and is great for children and pregnant women.
They have lots of iron, and are rich in carotenes, folic acid, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. Just so you can get a better understanding, here’s an example of the nutritional value in one cup of sliced, cooked beets:
- 31 Calories
- 5 grams of protein
- 5 grams of carbohydrates
- 5 grams of dietary fiber
- 259 mg of potassium
- 32 mg phosphorus
- 2 mcg of folic acid
- 5 international units of vitamin A
How to choose and preserve beets
- Beets can be found fresh in supermarkets and are frequently sold in bunches. It’s best to choose ones that are firm, round, spotless, and of an intensely red color. Choose bunches that have really green leaves (this means they are fresher), with identical roots, so that later, when you cook them, they cook evenly.
- Avoid long ones that are scaly on the upper portion of the root. These will be hard, fibrous, and will have a really strong taste.
- Keep beets fresh in the fridge, inside a plastic bag. They’ll stay for 2 or 3 weeks like this. Beet leaves can be separated from the root and preserved in a plastic bag, without washing. When preserved this way in the fridge, they will last for 3 to 5 days.
- Never freeze raw beets, it makes them soft.
How to prepare beets
This vegetable can be eaten raw, boiled, or preserved. They’re mainly eaten in salads, although they can also be eaten by themselves, with garlic or onions, or dressed with a bit of salt, vinegar and oil.
If you want to eat beets raw, you can peel them and dress them with a bit of lemon and oil.
If eaten cooked, they are more easily digested. To do this, place them in salted, boiling water, without peeling them. If you peel them they will lose their color and flavor. Boil the beets for at least an hour, and afterwards, the skins will be easy to remove.
Grilled – To grill beets, simply place them in the oven, leaving them until they are tender. When cooked this way, beets retain almost all of their nutritional value.
Just like you eat spinach or some other leafy vegetable, the beetroot leaves can be eaten too.
How to incorporate beets in your diet
- The beetroot diet should not be followed more than 10 days straight. During this beetroot diet, you should drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
- Beet juice for weight loss.
- This juice will provide you with nutrients that are necessary for your body, and will satiate your appetite, thanks to its fiber content. The fiber reduces the craving to eat. Drink this juice before meals.
Ingredients: 6 beets, 10 carrots, 10 oranges
Directions: Blend all the ingredients in high speed blender. Store in a covered jar in the fridge.
Beetroot diet menu
One hour before breakfast, and between meals: Lemon juice
Breakfast
- 1 cup of coffee or tea with low fat milk,
- 1 piece of whole grain bread,
- low-fat cheese, or light yogurt with 1 tbsp. of bran meal,
- 1 apple,
Lunch
- beet smoothie: one large glass,
- salad: peppers, tomato, spinach, lettuce, and a few pieces of nuts. You can dress this with oil,
- cooked rice with baked, skinless chicken or, if not chicken, baked fish,
- 1 orange,
Dinner
- 250 ml beet smoothie,
- vegetable soup, baked eggplant,
- 1 apple or 1 slice of watermelon or any other melon.
Via: BalanceMeBeautiful
