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Healthy Recipe: Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Sweet Pecan Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:00:10 -0700

I was surfing the FitSugar community page, checking out the recipes in the Healthy Recipes Group and I saw this amazing salad delorganic added to the page.
It looks really tasty and is a great way to incorporate nutritious and colorful beets into your meal. Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Join the my recipe group, since healthy food is a cornerstone to living the fit life. To check out the recipe and possibly learn a new technique for roasting beets, just read more.

Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Sweet Pecan Salad
Original Recipe

The sweet-salty contrast of the roasted beets, the tang of the goat cheese and crunch of the pecans is a delicious combination and the colors are absolutely beautiful.

Ingredients

2 beets, green cuts off, and skins trimmed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
3 cups mixed greens
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice the beets (about 1/4-inch thick slices) and toss with coconut oil and season with sea salt. Place on baking sheet in single layer, roast for 15 minutes, Remove pan from oven and turn beets over using a spatula. Return beets to oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

After beets are out of the oven, lower temperature to 250 degrees. Toss pecans with the maple syrup and spread out on a cooking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and then bake another 15 minutes until pecans are dried and crispy. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In a large bowl toss mixed greens with 3/4 of the salad dressing. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and add more dressing if needed. To assemble, divide salad greens on four plates. Divide the beets evenly and place on top of greens. Sprinkle with maple pecans and goat cheese. Serve immediately.

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If you would like to read up about coconut oil, my pals at Nutrition Data have some great information on the subject.

Healthy Eating Tip: Don't Toss Those Beet Greens

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:13:49 -0700

If you've already learned to love beets, then I've got a new assignment for you. Try eating the beet greens on top that you might otherwise cut off and discard.

These hearty leaves look very much like Swiss chard, and not surprisingly, they cook and taste like chard too. Better yet, they're incredibly nutritious. One cup of beet greens has just 39 calories and no fat but contains 220 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin A and 60 percent of your RDI of vitamin C.

Plus, if you're preparing a dish with beets, cooking the greens gives you an instant side dish! Try blanching them in boiling water for a few minutes, then drain the greens before sautéing with a little olive oil, salt, and garlic.

The Political Beet and President Obama

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Word on the street is that President Obama doesn't like beets. His aversion to this veggie is so strong that beets were not planted in the first lady's victory garden. Similar to the broccoli debacle that marred George Bush, Sr.'s nutrition record, beet advocates are up in arms about the president's dislike of the red root veggie. I am impressed that the garden includes the main ingredient of salsa verde, the tomatillo, as well as chard and Thai basil, and I understand that not every type of produce can make it into the garden. There was a period in my life where I avoided beets myself, but I have learned to love them. Roasted, they make great side dish or topping on a salad. Grated finely, raw beets make a colorful garnish.

You can eat both the leaves and the roots of a beet, so they are a two-for-one kind of plant. High in folate, beets are also high in betaine, which works with folate to help reduce inflammatory compounds that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the pigment that gives beets their crimson color has been identified as a potent cancer fighter in laboratory mice. Since beets offer all these health benefits, maybe our president will give beets another try? Although, it seems like he already has a lot on his plate.

Which side of the line do you fall on? Are you pro-beets, or anti?

Source

The Connection Between: Beets, Red Urine, and Iron

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Have you ever gone to the ladies room and were alarmed at what you saw? Red urine?! No reason to panic just yet. Think back to what you ate recently. Was there anything red? Yep, the beets are the culprit. I know it sounds weird but it's completely normal for some people to eat this veggie and notice a reddish color when they go to the bathroom. Ten to 14 percent of the population experience this genetic phenomenon known as Beeturia, but it can also occur if you eat a lot of other oxalic acid containing foods such as spinach, rhubarb, or chocolate along with your beets. If that's the case, then red urine is harmless, but it can also be a warning sign that you have an iron deficiency. If you're not getting enough iron, you may notice other symptoms such as feeling tired all the time, having a hard time concentrating, or pale skin and gums. A simple test at your doctor's office can help figure out if your iron levels are low. Once you start adding more iron into your diet, you'll have an increase in energy and the next time you eat beets, you won't have the scarlet effects.

New Terra Chips: Stripes & Blues

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

How very patriotic of Terra to introduce a red, white, and blue chip medley they call Stripes and Blues. They are much healthier than the Lays chips I ate as a kid since they are made with 3 kinds of harvested veggies, not just your average potato. The red chips are made from sweet potatoes, the blue chips are made from blue potatoes, and the striped chips are striped beets.

These Stripes & Blues chips take my favorite Sweets & Beets to an entirely new visual level. I love that they're made with no trans fat or cholesterol, and contain hardly any saturated fat (the kind that is bad for your heart). Plus these chips have a much zestier flavor so they don't need a whole lot of sodium.

To check out the nutritional info and see what these delectable chips really look like, read more

Serving Size	1 oz (about 14 chips)
Calories	140
Total Fat	8g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	110mg
Carbs	16g
Fiber	2g
Sugar	5g
Protein	2g
Ingredients	A seasonal mix of root vegetables (sweet potato, blue potato, beets), canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, beet juice concentrate, sea salt.

Well I'm just amazed that these chips are actually as pretty as the photo on the outside of the bag, plus I can actually pronounce all the ingredients!

With only 110mg of sodium, these still taste salty and definitely satisfied my craving. Plus they have 2g of fiber (you can aways use more), 2g of protein, and 4% of your daily iron needs (I know it's not much, but every little bit counts).

I love that there are 3 different chips in this bag, so your taste buds never get bored. I definitely recommend looking for these chips in a health food store near you, or in the health food section of your grocery store.

Fit's Tip: Just remember, even though these chips are healthier than potato chips, they are still chips! So keep your portions under control.

Terra Chips Sweets & Beets = YUM!

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:30:00 -0700

I took a flight on JetBlue last week and was loving their Terra Blue Chips. When I went to the health food store to pick some up, I came upon Terra's Sweets & Beets.

These krinkle-cut chips are made out of my favorite root veggies - delicious sweet potatoes and bold, beautiful beets. Sweets & Beets chips offer a hearty crunch, with a robust burst of sweet goodness.

Want to know what they're made with? The ingredients are simple - sweet potatoes, beets, canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil. That's right - no salt, no hydrogenated oils, no sugar or corn syrup (many a chip has this), and nothing but veggies and oil. I will happily recommend these Terra chips for a snack any day.

Want to see what they really look like? How about the nutritional info? Then read more

Serving Size	1 oz (16 chips)
Calories	150
Total Fat	9g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	5mg
Carbs	15g
Fiber	1g
Sugar	0g
Protein	2g

Can you believe that? The serving size is pretty big compared to some other chips (Pico de Gallo), and there's no sodium, no cholesterol, and no sugar. I love it! These are a much healthier snack than say those Pita Chips I was tricked into buying (damn advertising), because these are made of actual vegetables instead of crappy enriched wheat flour. These Sweets & Beets could be my new favorite thing.

Learn to Love: Beets

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:30:00 -0700

I have heard so many bad things about beets that I feel I must defend one of my favorite veggies. This root is sweet in taste despite its tough looking skin.

The guys over at Men's Health say we should think of beets as red spinach since they are loaded with nutrition. They are high in folate an important nutrient for expectant mothers, even before they conceive! It is also high in betaine, which works with folate to help reduce inflammatory compounds that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the pigment that gives beets their crimson color has been identified as a potent cancer fighter in laboratory mice.

Beets are tasty roasted and make a great topping for a salad. You can also peel them and grate them for a salad topping. Plus the leaves can be used just like you would chard!

So how do you feel about this controversial veggie? Do you love it or hate it - tell me in the comment section below.

Source

My Pee is Red!!!

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 03:30:00 -0800

Relax - Don't call 911 just yet. Think back. Have you eaten beets recently? Well, that'll do it.

When some people eat beets, it turns their pee and poop red. Only 14% of the population experience this.
Beeturia is the real name for this phenomenon, and it may be genetic. Eating beets while eating a lot of other oxalic acid containing foods such as spinach, rhubarb, or chocolate has been said to cause the red urine as well.

The majority of the time however, red pee after eating beets is a sign that your body needs a little more iron in your diet.

Fit's Tips: Other signs of an iron deficiency are heart palpitations, pale gums, and feeling tired all of the time. You can go to your doctor and get a simple test to find out for sure. Once you start adding more iron back into your diet, you'll be feeling more energetic. And when you eat beets again, you won't be scared by what you see after going to the bathroom.

Beet Juice For Stamina

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:00:05 -0700

Looking for a way to increase your stamina that doesn't involve carbo loading? Beet juice could be the answer. In a very small UK study, drinking beet juice daily was found to improve endurance by 16 percent, which translates into a two percent "reduction in the time taken to cover a set distance." The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, suggests that gains from drinking beet juice are greater than those that could be achieved with training. Wow! I wish I loved to drink beet juice as much I love to eat beets.

This new research builds on earlier findings that beet juice lowers blood pressure. The scientists believe that nitrates in beets affect oxygen uptake and that this discovery could benefit people with cardiovascular and respiratory disease as well as professional and amateur athletes. Tell me, do you like beet juice?

Source: Fickr User freshtopia

Beet Juice, Beet Juice, Beet Juice . . .

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0800

New research has found that drinking 500 milliliters of beet juice a day may significantly lower blood pressure.

What's more? The study found that healthy people's blood pressure decreased within an hour of drinking the juice. Honestly, the thought of drinking beet juice seems enough to make my blood pressure rise, but if you're into beets then you may actually enjoy it while getting the benefits. If you're like me, and not a beet fan, then you should know that researchers said the nitrate, which is also found in green, leafy vegetables, appears to be the key blood pressure-lowering ingredient. I'll stick to the leafy greens, thanks.

If you like beet juice, tell me why you do in the comments section below.

Source