5 nutritional benefits of beets and tips to effortlessly incorporate this veggie into your meals

Rich, sweet and earthy in flavour, this highly nutritious, ruby-red root vegetable blends beautifully in a variety of dishes. Read on about beets, and how they are great for both your health and reinvigorating your meals.

• Betaine

Preliminary studies suggest that this substance may be helpful in lowering homocysteine, an amino acid associated with an in­creased risk for heart disease.

• Betacyanin

A type of plant pigment, betacyanin is under review for defending cells against harmful carcinogens and is also being studied for its potential as a tumour-fighting compound.

• Fibre

Soluble fibre in beets may be linked to the reduction of LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels.

• Folate

Folate may help prevent birth defects and may also protect against heart disease and cancer. One 250 gram (one cup) serving of cooked, diced beets provides 136 micrograms of folate.

• Saponins

Available in small amounts in beets, saponins may bind cholesterol in the digestive tract, lowering the risk for heart disease.

• To preserve the betacyanin in beets, it's best to roast, bake or microwave whole beets in their skins. If you cook peeled or cut beets, the vegetable's pigments leak out and are lost.

• Don't cook beets in water, as some of the water-soluble B vitamins and folate will leach into the cooking water.

• Puree beets with yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream and vinegar to taste. Chill and serve as a refreshing summer soup.

• Add sliced cooked (or pickled) beets to chicken or meat sandwiches in place of sliced tomatoes.

• Shred peeled raw beets and use in place of carrots in carrot cake, carrot bread or muffins.

• Make a slaw of shredded peeled raw beets, balsamic vinegar, mustard and dill.

• Combine diced, cooked beets with olive oil and lemon juice and use as a sauce for salmon.

Whether you prefer beets in slaw or sandwiches, this versatile veggie just works in so many wonderful ways.  As the weather starts to get colder, maximize the vegetable's flavours with a warm and delicious Eastern European borscht.  Add some meat or mushroom dumplings to the soup for extra heartiness and satisfaction.  You can't "beet" it!;)