I grew up eating canned, sliced, pickled beets. I could easily eat my weight in those. I love beets, and as I have become more aware of my diet over the past few years and try to eat food in it's least processed form, I tend to stray away from canned & packaged foods.

We live two miles away from two farms that open every summer and offer an amazing selection of local and northwest grown items. I end up out there at least once a week. The first summer we moved here I remember looking over the selection of veggies and realizing I didn't have a clue as to how to cook half of them.

That slowly changed. Every couple weeks I would select something I had never tried or cooked before and would learn how to. Once such example is fresh beets. Nutrient-rich, they now have a place in my veggie rotation.

"Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support." source

"In recent lab studies on human tumor cells, betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth through a number of mechanisms, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes (specifically, cyclooxygenase enzymes). The tumor cell types tested in these studies include tumor cells from colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testicular tissue." source

Beets are also a fantastic source of vital micro-nutrients such as manganese, potassium, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C and iron. source

Paleo Balsamic Roasted Beets

Serves 4


I love these served with steak or grilled chicken. These are great to top a salad with too. Let me know if you try any variations or have any questions! I'd love to hear your feedback!