Should you eat beetroots boiled or raw? Six Ways to Consume Beets

Raw or boiled: what’s the best way to eat beetroot for maximum health benefits? If you’ve ever stared at this deep crimson root wondering how to make the most of its superfood status, you’re not alone. Loved for its earthy flavour and loaded with iron, antioxidants, and natural nitrates, beetroot is a wellness all-rounder. But how you prepare it can make all the difference. Some methods preserve nutrients, while others enhance digestibility.

In this article, we break down whether raw or cooked beets are better for you and reveal six easy, nutrient-packed ways to add them to your daily diet.

Raw vs Boiled Beets: Which is Better?

Raw Beetroot:

Raw beets retain the maximum content of the nutrients they have. It is packed with vitamin C, folate, and betalains which are strong antioxidants that give beets their deep red colour. Fresh beets are crispy, sweet and perfect to make salads or juices.

Cooked or Boiled Beetroots:

Beets are high in fibre, and digesting them can be hard for some. To avoid this, steaming or boiling the beetroot makes them easier to digest, and also mellow down their earthy flavour. However, only light cooking is advised by experts as excess cooking enables the decrease in levels of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C. But, cooking does not rob beets of their fibre, potassium, iron, and nitrates that are essential to the health of the heart and blood vessels.

Expert Tip: According to Aishwarya Jaiswal, Nutritionist & Diabetes Educator, Apollo Hospitals Lucknow, “Instead of boiling, steam the beets to retain most of the nutrients.”

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Six Ways To Eat Beets for Maximum Benefit

Beetroots are an excellent way to increase your fibre intake, support your weight loss goals and get vital nutrients like vitamin C, iron and folate. So, here are six great ways of incorporating these healthful beets to your diet. These include:

1. Raw Beetroot Salad

Best For: Maximum Vitamin C and antioxidant retention.
How to Use: Peel and grate raw beets and mix with lemon juice, spices and a pinch of olive oil. Add carrots, cucumbers and roasted peanuts to provide some crunch as well as additional nutrients.
How it Works: It is refreshing, has high fibre and aids detoxification. The lemon assists in improving the uptake of iron.

2. Beetroot Juice Or Smoothie

Best For: Boost performance and increase overall stamina.
How to Use: Peel raw beetroot, mix with apples, carrots, ginger and lemon juice to make a juice. Moreover, you can also add a bit of mint leaves or amla for a boost of Vitamin C and refreshment.
How it Works: Beets have high levels of natural nitrates that enhance the flow of blood and Athletic capability. Excellent as a morning detox or a pre-workout drink.

Jasiwal also suggests drinking a glass of beet juice daily (1) can control blood pressure and increase energy.

3. Steamed or Boiled Beets with Chaat Masala

Best for: Aid in digestion while providing a good taste.
How to Use: Chop beets into cubes, and steam beets till tender, and mix with salt, lemon juice, and chaat masala. It is a fast and delicious side dish.
How it Works: Cooking beets softens tough fibres, which makes it easy on the stomach, particularly to people with stomach complications.

4. Beetroot Raita

Best for: Digestive support and temperate action.
How to Use: Grate boiled beetroot with chilled curd, roasted cumin powder, and black salt. Red color raita can be used with khichdi, pulao or even rotis (flatbread).

“Beetroot raita works great as it is a combination of yoghurt (probiotics), fibre, and antioxidants, which both aid digestion and help the immune system,” advised Jaiswal.

ALSO READ: Drinking Beetroot Juice Daily? Here’s Why It May Harm Your Health

5. Beetroot Tikkis or Cutlets

Best for: Kids and fussy eaters
How to Use: Combine boiled and mashed beets and potatoes with oats or breadcrumbs, onion and spices. Make it into cutlets and shallow-fry or air-fry for a wholesome snack or light dinner.
How it Works: This is an excellent idea to incorporate beets into snacks or lunch boxes. To get additional protein add in paneer or tofu.

6. Beetroot Soup/ Curry

Best for: Warning, hearty dishes
How to Use: Boil beets with onions and garlic & and tomatoes. Puree and season to make a smooth soup. Or tuck in diced beets to coconut-based curries to give it a South Indian flavour. Serve with rice, bread or roti.
How it Works: Cooked beetroot brings a depth of flavour to your dishes and tastes great when combined with other warming spices such as ginger, cumin and mustard seeds.

How to Get the Most Out Of Your Beets

Don’t Peel Before Cooking: Cook beets peels on and peel after, this helps save more nutrients.
Pair Beets with vitamin C: Mix with lemon, tomatoes or amla to improve iron absorption.
Avoid Excess Cooking: Steer for 15–20 minutes, as well as steam till equally tender to keep nutrients and vitamins.
Eat Beet Greens too: It is rich in calcium and vitamin K-so sauté or use in dals and curries.

ALSO READ: Health Benefits of Beetroot: Why You Should Add This Superfood to Your Diet

Final Word: Beets to Beat the Health Woes

Raw or boiled, beetroots should be a part of our daily diet. Raw beets give you the most nutrition, while cooked beets are kinder to your gut and win in the kitchen versatility. So, the trick is to keep a variety, maybe, salads one day, soups the next and a glass of beet juice in between. Beets are more than just the pretty colourful root vegetable; they are a superfood. Begin incorporating them into your dining routine today, bite by bite.

Should you eat beetroots boiled or raw? Six Ways to Consume Beets