Last week we talked about promoting arugula as a delicious, spicy green that goes well either raw in a salad or cooked in a pasta dish. The natural flavor complement to arugula is a sweet beet. Check out these fantastic facts about beets by Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD, and use them in your social messaging. Beets are in season now in many stores.
- Beets are not just the canned pickled vegetable your mom served you growing up. There’s lots to love about this earthy root vegetable.
- Beets are not just red. Golden beets are also available and equally nutritious.
- Beets are a good source of fiber, which helps to keep you feeling fuller, longer.
- Beets are also an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin linked with reduction of homocysteine.
- Beets contain nitrous oxide, which turns to nitric acid in the body. Nitric acid relaxes blood vessels, which aids in blood pressure reduction and muscle recovery.
- Beets can be roasted or grilled and served as a side dish or chopped fresh and added to salads.
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.
Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.
