Can we eat beets on a keto diet?
In this brief article, we will answer the question, “Can we eat beets on a keto diet?”. Moreover, we will discuss the number of calories and the nutrition facts of eating beets, along with some beet keto recipes.
Can we use beets on a keto diet?
This is a controversial question. Some nutritionists are in favour of eating beets on the keto diet while others are not.
Beets contain a medium amount of carbs. Beets along with their stem and roots can be used in dishes of keto diet-conscious people but their quantity must be kept low.
Calories in beets
Beets are not a high caloric food. Following is the calorie content of beets
- A single beet that is two inches in diameter contains 35 calories.
- When beets are in chopped form, one cup can contain 59 calories.
How many beets can people with a keto diet eat?
Although beets are not much keto-friendly, their small amount is not harmful to the people who are following a keto diet. Generally, 50 Grams of beets are harmless for people who are on the keto diet.
Some beet keto recipes
A lot of beet keto recipes are available. These recipes are utilized by people who are diet conscious. Following are some recipes that are commonly used
- Beet, Hemp, Avocado recipe: This smoothie is very powerful in terms of maintaining weight. It is very easy to make and can be prepared in a very short time. First, avocado and beets are separately blended in unsweetened almond milk. After blending them, these are layered in the glass.
- Red velvet beet smoothie: Red velvet beet smoothie is gluten-free and keto-friendly. It tastes just like normal red velvet cupcakes in smoothie form.
Firstly, raw monk fruit extract powder is taken. We must keep in mind that when this raw monk fruit extract powder is used then the sugar level is kept low as compared to when this powder is not used. Then avocado is cut opened to extract its meat.
Along with these two ingredients, vanilla powder and cocoa powder are added to a blender. After they are blended perfectly, they are poured into a cup and topped with ice cream.
- Keto beetroot juice: Keto beetroot juice is mostly used by athletes. This keto beetroot juice contains nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is very effective for vessel dilation due to which more oxygenated blood travels to muscles.
Besides this, it is also very helpful to improve VO2 max by getting more blood to those places that utilize it very effectively.
- Beetroot smoothies: In order to make a beetroot smoothie, one-half apple, one small pre-cooked beetroot, half lime, ten fresh mints, and a quarter glass of water is taken. After collecting all the ingredients they are mixed in a blender. This beetroot smoothie is very helpful for performing sports activities.
Health benefits of beets
Beets are a very good option to eat. There are many health benefits of beets. Some of these are mentioned below
- Keeps blood pressure in check: High blood pressure is very dangerous for health and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Beets help to lower blood pressure.
As beets contain a high concentration of nitrates, these nitrates help to lower blood pressure. In our body, these dietary nitrates are converted to nitric oxide.
- Effective against inflammation: Numerous diseases are linked with chronic inflammation. These diseases include cancer, obesity, and heart disease. Inflammation of kidneys can be treated with beetroot juice and beetroot extract.
- Improvement of digestive health: To enhance digestion, dietary fibres are very effective. Almost 3.4 grams of fibres are present in a single cup of beetroot. Fibres bypass digestion and then leads towards the colon. Here in the colon, it either feeds the beneficial intestinal bacteria or adds volume to the stool.
- Supports brain health: As it is an understood fact that mental functions decline with age which can also lead to dementia in some cases. The reason behind this decline is a decrease in the levels of oxygen and blood flow towards the brain.
Luckily, the nitrates present in beets help improve mental and cognitive abilities by helping the dilation of blood vessels and thus improving blood flow to the brain
- Anti-cancer properties: Beets are very famous for their anti-cancer properties. Beetroots halt the division and growth of tumour cells in the body. Pigments in beetroot help to decrease the growth of tumour cells.
- Helps in losing weight: Plus point of beets is that they are low in calories and have a high amount of water in them. Apart from having a high amount of water, beets also contain the appropriate amount of protein and fibres. These all nutrients help to maintain weight.
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have answered the question, “Can we eat beets on a keto diet?”. Moreover, we have discussed the number of calories and the nutrition facts of eating beets, along with some beet keto recipes.
