Beets are characterized by high content of sucrose, cellulose, organic acids (citric, apple), mineral substances (potassium, magnesium, iron), vitamins. Fiber contained in beet root crops, enhances peristaltic contractions of the intestinal wall, which improves the digestive process and promotes a more complete assimilation of food eaten. Due to the presence of magnesium, beet is very useful for people suffering from hypertension. Beet dishes can have a vasodilating effect and improve the state of the central nervous system. The dietary properties of beetroot dishes are more pronounced if they are made from raw root crops. This is due to the fact that during cooking a fairly large part of the vitamins contained in the root crops is destroyed. Therefore, even though the dishes from boiled beets seem to us somewhat tastier, but this vegetable will still bring more health in its raw form. The most valuable dietary and medicinal properties are fresh juice, obtained from the roots of beets. It is useful for anemia, with exhaustion of the body and loss of strength. At increased pressure, it is recommended to drink beetroot juice with honey. Dishes from boiled beets are useful in diabetes and diseases of the gallbladder.
The dietary properties of beetroot dishes are also explained by the fact that they contain betaine - a substance that promotes the cleavage and full absorption of proteins of vegetable and animal origin that enter our body with food. Betaine is also involved in the formation of choline, which improves liver function. Beetroot dishes are recommended for atherosclerosis. The content of iodine beet is one of the first places among the vegetables we grow.
Useful dietary properties of beets are almost entirely preserved even with prolonged storage. Therefore, in the winter and spring period, when many vegetables during storage already lose a significant proportion of vitamins and our body becomes more susceptible to hypovitaminosis (a pathological condition that develops when the intake of vitamins is insufficient), beet dishes can meet our needs in many biologically active substances.
Dietary dishes prepared from beets can satisfy the feeling of hunger, but they are low-calorie. This makes them very suitable for inclusion in the diet of a person who wants to get rid of excess weight.
And at last we will consider some recipes of dietary dishes, which can be prepared from beets:
1. Salad from beets. Cooked beets cut into cubes, then rubbed on a coarse grater. Garlic crushed and grinded with salt. Then the beets are mixed with garlic and a little low-calorie mayonnaise is added to the dish.
2. Borsch. Peel potatoes, cut into cubes, chop cabbage, then place them in boiling salted water. Beetroot and carrots grate on a large grater, fry in vegetable oil and put it out a little, then add them to the pan and cook until ready. At the end of cooking, you can add to the dish one spoonful of sugar and a pinch of citric acid (it will give the cooked dish a more appetizing bright shade and a pleasant taste).
3. Beetroot juice. Root beets are washed, then exposed to water vapor for thirty minutes. Next, the beetroot is rubbed on a grater and squeezed through a layer of clean gauze. If desired, you can save the juice for a long time - for this, 7 grams of citric acid is added to each liter of it, heated to 80 ° C, poured into sterilized jars and immediately rolled.