Beetroot · cooked

Cooked beetroot provides about 40 kcal per 100 g, with 1.6 g of protein, 7.5 g of carbs, 0.2 g of fat and 2 g of fiber. It is therefore a low energy density vegetable, almost fat-free, but slightly richer in carbs than most green vegetables. A 150 g portion stays around 60 kcal, which makes it very easy to fit into a structured meal plan.

Its naturally sweet taste comes from part of those carbs, mostly sucrose, but the total amount per portion stays modest. Do not confuse it with a starchy food: it does not replace rice or potatoes, it complements them. Its main strengths are the color, the tender texture and the flavor it brings to the sometimes monotonous meals of an athlete.

Beetroot is known for its richness in inorganic nitrates, which the body can convert into nitric oxide, a molecule involved in the widening of blood vessels. Several studies on beetroot juice have observed a slight improvement in exercise economy or time to exhaustion, mainly in moderately trained people and over endurance efforts lasting from a few minutes to an hour.

Stay cautious: these results mostly concern juices or concentrated shots, not a portion of beetroot on your plate, and effects vary between individuals. They are much smaller in highly trained athletes. So consider beetroot as an interesting vegetable for its composition, not as a guaranteed performance product. Betalains, the red pigments, are studied for their antioxidant properties, with no health promise to be drawn from them.

When cutting, cooked beetroot is a good compromise: at 40 kcal per 100 g, it brings volume, sweetness and a little fiber for little energy. It lets you eat something sweet without a dessert, for example in a salad with fromage blanc and herbs. It does contain more carbs than zucchini or cucumber, so weigh it if you track your macros precisely.

When bulking, it will never be your main source of calories, but it has its place around training or as a side for a protein dish such as chicken breast or salmon. It adds variety, micronutrients and a few fast carbs without weighing down digestion. To raise the energy intake, pair it with olive oil, walnuts or basmati rice.

With 2 g of fiber per 100 g and plenty of water, cooked beetroot fills you up more than its 40 kcal would suggest, especially when eaten with protein. It also supplies folate, essential for cell division, manganese, potassium and a little iron and vitamin C, in proportions that vary with variety and cooking.

These contributions are interesting without being spectacular: do not count on beetroot to cover your iron needs, for example. Its real value is to add a color and plant compounds different from those of green vegetables. Varying vegetables across the week remains more useful than chasing a miracle food, and beetroot is an excellent option for that variety.

Raw, choose firm, smooth roots that feel heavy for their size, with intact skin and, if possible, fresh leaves. Cook them whole with the skin on, 30 to 60 minutes in water or 45 to 75 minutes in the oven depending on size, until a knife slides in easily. Keeping the skin and a bit of stem stops the color from leaking into the water. Then peel under running water, preferably wearing gloves.

Vacuum-packed cooked beetroots sold in supermarkets are very handy, but check the label: some contain vinegar, salt or added sugar, which slightly changes the values. Once opened, keep them 3 to 4 days in the fridge in a closed container. Homemade, they keep about 4 to 5 days. Raw roots last several weeks in a cool place away from light.

Cooked beetroot can be eaten in cubes in a salad with lentils, feta or fromage blanc, in thin slices with Greek yogurt and mint, or blended into a pink hummus with chickpeas. Grated raw, it adds crunch to a carrot salad. Roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and thyme, its flavor becomes more concentrated and caramelized.

It also works in a smoothie with raspberries and skyr, in a cold soup, or even in a moist cake where it replaces part of the sugar and fat. For a complete meal, pair it with a protein source, such as hard-boiled eggs or tuna, and a starch. This balances the plate with no effort, and requires almost no cooking in the evening if you prepare everything ahead.

First surprise: after eating beetroot, urine or stool can turn red or pink. This is beeturia, a common and harmless phenomenon in many people, due to the pigments. If you have doubts about an unusual coloration that persists without having eaten beetroot, ask a healthcare professional for advice.

Other mistakes: buying jarred beetroots that are very sweet or pickled without reading the label, overcooking until the texture turns mushy, or forgetting to weigh the portion when you count carbs. Beetroot also contains oxalates, worth watching if you have a history of kidney stones; when in doubt, talk to your doctor. This information is general and does not replace medical advice.