Beet

The beet is a plant with a rounded fleshy taproot. Cultivars of the beet include

Nutritional information (beetroot/table beet)

Beets contain good amounts of vitamin C in the roots, and the tops are an excellent source of vitamin A. They are also high in folate, and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and several antioxidants.

Related Topics:
Vitamin C - Vitamin A - Folate - Dietary fiber - Antioxidants

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Beetroot is among the sweetest of vegetables, containing more sugar even than carrots or sweet corn. The characteristic "earthy" taste of beet comes from the presence of the chemical compound geosmin. It is unknown whether beets produce geosmin themselves, or whether it is produced by symbiotic soil microbes living in the beet.

Related Topics:
Sweet - Carrot - Sweet corn - Geosmin - Microbe

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An average sized cup (250 ml) of sliced beets will contain:

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• Food energy 31 cal (130 kJ)
• Carbohydrate 8.5 g
• Dietary fiber 1.5 g
• Folate 53.2 µg
• Phosphorus 32 mg
• Potassium 259 mg
• Protein 1.5 g

Beet recipes include borscht.

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