Beetroot

Ancient Greeks cultivated beetroot around 300 BC. They didn't use the roots of the plant they only ate the leaves. Romans on the other hand only ate roots but mainly for medicinal purposes. They used it as a laxative or to cure fever. 

An old variant of beetroot was long and thin perhaps not to disimmilar to today's exhibitor variety. The ones, as we know it today, appeared in 16th and 17th century Europe. It needed a few hundred years more to become popular in Central and Eastern Europe.

Today, the most common variant of beetroot is round and deep red, but they can also be yellow, white, and even red and white.

Beetroot can be eaten raw and shredded into a salad (alone or with other vegetables), boiled, cooked, pickled, or cold as a salad after cooking.

There are three types, the popular globe, the less common cylindrical and the exhibitor which is long.

Beetroot mainly consist of water (87%), (8%), and fibre (2–3%).

100 grams of raw beetroot boasts the following nutrients:

• Calories: 43
• Water: 88%
• Protein: 1.6 grams
• Carbs: 9.6 grams
• Sugar: 6.8 grams
• Fibre: 2.8 grams
• Fat: 0.2 grams

Carbs

Raw or cooked beetroot offers about 8–10% carbs.

Simple sugars — such as glucose and fructose — make up 70% and 80% of the carbs in raw and cooked beetroots, respectively.

Fibre

Beetroots are high in fibre, providing about 2–3 grams in each 100-gram raw serving.

Beetroots are a great source of many essential vitamins and minerals.

• Folate (vitamin B9). One of the B vitamins, folate is important for normal tissue growth and cell function. It’s particularly necessary for pregnant women.
• Manganese. An essential trace element, manganese is found in high amounts in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
• Potassium. A diet high in potassium can lead to reduced blood pressure levels and positive effects on heart health.
• Iron. An essential mineral, iron has many important functions in your body. It’s necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.
• Vitamin C. This well-known vitamin is an antioxidant that is important for immune function and skin health.