How to eat beets and a look at a day of food

The other night at dinner, Dave mentioned to me that he wanted us to start eating different side-dishes. He said he was getting bored with the same old veggies in our usual rotation. Well, I’m always up for a challenge, and so I decided to pick up a new colorful root veggie during my last shopping trip — and it’s a trendy one, ladies and gentlemen — the beet.

Today, I’m going to tell you about a super easy way to cook this veggie, as well as share a day of my meals for “What I Ate Wednesday,” which just so happens to include beets, not once, but two times.

The benefits of eating beets

Beets are more than just colorful, they’re good for you, my friends. Beets contain a ton of valuable vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, folic acid, fiber, iron vitamins A, B and C and beta-carotene. And what else? Beets are said to have anti-aging properties for the skin and have been used to help treat depression, because the tryptophan in them helps the mind release feelings of well-being. Pretty cool stuff, right? Not to mention, it’s fun to add a new hue like deep-purple-red to your plate.

Naked Juice Bright BeetsHere’s a look at three ways to take in some beets …
1. Add raw beets on the top of a salad.
2. Roast whole beets in the oven as a colorful side-dish.
3. Drink a tasty beet beverage, like Naked Juice‘s new “Bright Beets.”

I like the looks of beets, and I like the taste of them even more. Now for world’s easiest new-to-me veggie side-dish recipe and one of the ways I’ve been enjoying beets lately — roasting.

How to roast beets

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to prepare and roast beets. Here’s how you do it …

  1. Wash and scrub beets and remove the leaves and stems.
  2. Lightly coat the skin of the beet with olive oil or coconut oil.
  3. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil.
  4. Cook for 45-60 minutes in the oven at about 400 degrees.
  5. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Cut into thin slices, season and serve.

The result is a slightly sweet and very tasty side-dish, which nicely complemented the dinner shown in my “What I Ate Wednesday” recap below. Moral of the story? If you’ve never tried beets, take a chance on this root veggie, because you just may like what you find. Beets are the jam. Pun very much intended.

What I Ate Wednesday 

Now let’s get to some more food. This is a regular feature on A Lady Goes West, in which I share a “What I Ate Wednesday” post, featuring everything I eat and drink in one full day. These are my real meals, with photos taken in real time. Enjoy …

What I Ate Wednesday via A Lady Goes

This recap features everything I ate this past Sunday, which was a rest day, featuring zero workouts. While sometimes being less active reduces my hunger, sometimes it doesn’t change a thing.

Breakfast at 8:30 a.m.

Overnight oats and tea for breakfast 5.17Breaking the fast: A standard first meal of the day for me, consisting of overnight oats, topped with a banana and cinnamon. Enjoyed alongside some green tea, sweetened with stevia and soy milk. I just can’t quit overnight oats and seem to have this meal every single day!

Snack at 11 a.m.

Naked Juice and trail mix for a snack 5.17Veggies and nuts: This is one great combo for a mid-morning meal. Some Bright Beets Naked juice and a little bowl of trail mix, consisting of oat and nut clusters with raw almonds mixed in for some extra substance. My first of two servings of beets for the day!

Thanks to my new role as a Naked Juice Ambassador, I had the pleasure of trying this new product, Bright Beets, which is another reason I was inspired to buy and cook beets. This no-sugar-added juice is super tasty and is full of good stuff. In just 170 calories, this little bottle of juice includes 2 and 1/2 beets, 1/3 of a carrot, 1 and 3/4 apples, 1/3 of a lemon, 1/4 of a coconut’s water and a hint of ginger. Yum!

Lunch at 2:30 p.m.

Thai Chikin salad for lunch 5.17A colorful bowl of goodness: Although I almost always eat lunch at home, on this particular day, Dave and I rode our bikes to grab a bite at Veggie Grill in downtown Walnut Creek. I enjoyed this meat-free Thai Chikin salad, consisting of grilled veggie “chikin,” quinoa, romaine, corn salsa, green onions, mandarin oranges, cucumbers and cilantro and topped with spicy Thai dressing. It was pretty good, but not quite as delicious a salad I had there last week. But it sure looks pretty, doesn’t it?

Snack at 5:30 p.m.

Tea and a bar for a snack 5.17Afternoon tea: Maybe this isn’t the fancy afternoon tea service that I would have preferred to have, but it sure hit the spot. A mug of soothing decaf tea, sweetened with stevia and soy milk, enjoyed with a little frosted fiber bar, which I snagged for free from the gym earlier in the week. Free food is always better food.

Dinner at 8:30 p.m.

Salmon dinner 5.17Grilled perfection: You know what I love to eat? Grilled salmon. Dave made me this delicious piece of grilled salmon, while I prepared the kale salad, and of course, the easy and tasty roasted beets, as our sides. This was a totally yummy and colorful home-made meal, which was  enjoyed with a glass of fine (cheap) white wine. Roasted beets? Definitely making them again!

Dessert at 9 p.m.

Carrot cake for dessert 5.17Sweets and cream cheese: I like to keep my meals pretty clean during the week, but not a weekend goes by that I don’t get into something sweet. And if it involves cream-cheese frosting? Well, that’s a plus. This past Sunday, the sweetness came in the form of a huge chunk of artisanal carrot cake. I mean. Double-yum. Yes, I gave Dave one small bite, but I’m afraid that’s all I could spare. It sure went well with some vanilla soy milk. 

And that was everything I had for the day. As usual, plenty of veggies (including beets), every single food group and some fun stuff thrown in for good measure.

In store for me today? I’m teaching BODYATTACK at lunch and two classes at Orangetheory Fitness tonight. And tomorrow morning, Dave and I will be at the airport before 5 a.m. to fly out to Florida. Can’t wait! 

**Disclaimer: Please note that this post is sponsored by Naked Juice. As a new Naked Juice Ambassador, I was compensated and provided with Naked Juice product, but please know that all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting A Lady Goes West and our great sponsors.

Read more daily eating recaps

Each week, “What I Ate Wednesday” is hosted by Peas and Crayons for bloggers to showcase their eats to the world. If you want to see more food recaps, check out some of my posts from the past here:

  1. A full day of eating in pictures
  2. Another full day of my eats and drinks
  3. Real food isn’t always pretty
  4. Do you have a balanced dining out strategy?
  5. What I ate and drank all day
  6. Three meals, two snacks and a shake
  7. Food trucks and rest-day eating
  8. Plenty of protein at every meal
  9. Colorful fuel for a day of training
  10. Long days of training require a lot of food
  11. Making do on “What I Ate Wednesday” 
  12. Healthy foods for a rest day
  13. Who doesn’t like pictures of food?
  14. A look at a full day of eating in pictures
  15. Snapshots from a day of delicious meals
  16. Pictures of food, because you like them
  17. Food pictures and the juice cleanse that wasn’t
  18. A look at what I really eat in a day
  19. What I ate in the Sunshine State
  20. My weekend eats and a little narrative
  21. Stories about food and yesterday’s meals
  22. A day of eating and some commentary
  23. Do you want to know what I ate yesterday?
  24. Healthy challenges and foods from my day
  25. Eating, napping and eating again
  26. Filling up on healthy food before the holiday
  27. A perfect birthday at home and my eats
  28. Top blog posts, reader stats and my food
  29. A different kind of training and my food
  30. Joining a healthy green movement and my eats
  31. Must-try veggie pasta tip and my eats
  32. Are you eating this sweet and satisfying fruit?
  33. What a difference a week makes and my eats
  34. On Wednesdays we look at pictures of food
  35. Food, drinks and a very hydrating giveaway
  36. Front-loading all the healthy this week
  37. MealEnders giveaway and back to healthy food
  38. Eating, drinking and sharing the pictures
  39. I don’t like bad people, I do like good food
  40. Smart training nutrition tips and my meals
  41. “What I Ate Wednesday” and a Phenoh 7.4 review
  42. What my daily meals look like in pictures
  43. Food pictures from a light and healthy day
  44. Life lately and a look at all of my meals
  45. What’s normal to you? (And my daily eats)
  46. A bit of chatter and “What I Ate Wednesday”

Questions of the day

Do you ever eat beets?

What’s a new food that you’ve tried recently?

What did you have for breakfast today?

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55 Comments

  1. I am OBSESSED with beets – Love them! Kyle doesn’t care for them but that means that all of the beets are for me 😉 I like to boil mine and then slice them onto salads or top them with goat cheese. I haven’t tried roasting them yet but I need to soon. They sound amazing prepared that way!

  2. I absolutely adore beets. Golden, red, whatever color, I love them. Alex didn’t like them until a few years ago, but now he loves them too! My favorite beet recipe was my beet burger from a a few months ago, but I love them just simply roasted as well.

    1. Hi Carissa! You’re not a bad human. And it’s fun to try new foods, so get out there and buy a beet. Or two or three. hahha! Have a lovely day, lady!

  3. We don’t eat them all the time, but I love beets, especially roasted! I have never tried them grated over a salad though.
    I am having overnight oats for breakfast right now! Love how simple and filling it is.
    Have a great day of teaching Ashley!

    1. Hi Heather! Thank you so much! Enjoy those oats! I’m going to break into some here in just a minute. Creatures of habit … 🙂 Happy Wednesday!

  4. Love beets! I remember I used to always avoid them at salad bars–they just looked weird. But I have tried both red and golden now and am a big fan of roasting them at home. Thanks for the simple recipe. Can’t wait to try with coconut oil.

    And hey, no apologies necessary for your overnight oats addiction. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

    1. Hi Courtney! I knew you’d agree with me on that. Routine is never a bad thing! 🙂 And I’m glad you don’t avoid beets any longer hehe. Hope you have a happy Wednesday, lady!

    1. Hi Sue! Well they are definitely a little mushy when raw, but I tend to like that! The roasting firms them up a bit for sure. Happy Wednesday to you! 🙂

  5. Oh my – that carrot cake will be on my mind all day now!

    Do you eat dairy? Try goat cheese with your beets- it’s a match made in heaven!

    1. Hi Mo! Carrot cake is ALWAYS on my mind. And yes, goat cheese for sure. I’ve had that beet/goat cheese combo out to eat before and need to recreate it at home. Thanks for the reminder! Happy Wednesday! 🙂

  6. I take the lazy/easy way out a buy beets already cooked and peeled from Trader Joes! I made a great salad the other day with lentils, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers and goat cheese. So good!

    1. I’ve had beets paired with goat cheese before at a restaurant, so I know that combo is delish! And the easy route is totally fine. I love the pre-made Trader Joe’s produce too! Happy Wednesday, Gretchen! 🙂

  7. I just started eating beets this year! Crazy, right? I love the flavor, but I guess I was just hesitant of the color? Who knows. Anyways, it looks like you had a great day of eats! Love the tips on cooking beets and… once again, I’m reminded how much we need a grill back in our lives. Delicious!

    1. Having a grill is so wonderful! We use it about twice a week. And beets are weird looking, but once you dig in, you’re glad you did! 🙂 Happy Wednesday, Heather!

    1. Carrot cake is my favorite dessert, with red velvet and cheesecake close behind hehe! And hopefully Orangetheory will head your way soon! It’s growing quickly. Happy Wednesday, Sheena! 🙂

    1. Yes, I like to have beets on salads, especially when paired with goat cheese (as a few readers have reminded me!). I love sharing dishes at restaurants with the husband, but it’s not fun when he isn’t into my choices heheh! I feel ya, Carrie!

  8. Look at you eating a big ‘ol piece of carrot cake! You naughty girl. 😉

    I’m glad you allowed yourself a little cheat. You certainly deserve it after a full day of workouts on Saturday!

    And yes, I love beets. I think a lot of people are intimidated by them but they really are so easy to cook. I bet that Naked Juice is delicious too!

    1. Hi Sarah! Oh I get my desserts in, I just usually don’t put those pictures up every single week. hahaha! And carrot cake is my personal fave! I figured you’d be into beets, and I bet you have some awesome ways to cook them too! Happy Wednesday!

  9. I really do love beets, but so often forget about them! I mostly have them atop a salad or in juices/smoothies when I do have them. I need to try roasting them though – that sounds so good! And that carrot cake…YUM! Where did you find that amazing piece of yumminess?

    1. Hi Ash! I get this same exact slice of carrot cake ALL THE TIME! It’s from the bakery at Safeway and they sell it by slice, which is perfect for me! LOVE IT! Happy Wednesday to you, lady! 🙂

  10. It’s so cool that you’re a Naked Juice ambassador – love their juices! I usually drink one of their Green Machines right before I travel to make sure I get my veggies and antioxidants in. I just can’t get all that into beets for some reason. My dad absolutely hates them so I never had them as a kid, and as an adult I’ll eat em here or there, but I don’t loveee them ya know?

    1. Totally know what you mean Nicole. I didn’t eat beets until the last couple of years. And I’m big into the Green machine drinks before travel and also when I think I’m getting sick. SOOO good! Hope you’re having a happy Wednesday! 🙂

  11. I have tried roasted and raw beets and I don’t really like them…however, I can drink them in smoothies or juices! So thats usually what I do. I kind of got lazy about buying my own because they were alot of work to cut up and I ended up making a huge mess:) But I should probably give it another try!

  12. I love beets! I always just roast them, I should try a different way of preparing them. Do you peel the skin off yours after they cool? The only thing I don’t like is how bad they stain everything! I just tried some beet chips – they’re yummy! We were in Pigeon Forge, TN this morning on vacation and I tried to eat healthy at the hotel breakfast bar. I think I did pretty good with some instant, plain oats mixed with some hot water, peanut butter and banana. Also, 2 hard boiled eggs on the side. Better than the biscuits, gravey and sausage my husband chose!

    1. Hi Melissa! Hotel breakfasts are totally hit or miss! Sounds like you did the best you could. And I peeled off some of the skin of the beet, but ate some of it too. I figure, it’s sort of like a potato — I like the rough skin hahha. It became quite tender once roasted though. Are you still on vacation? Hope you enjoy the rest of it!!

    1. I know, I want to have it right now! I buy that single-slice from my grocery store bakery every once in a while. It’s the best! Pre-made, delicious. Yum! Happy eating, Sara! 🙂 Hope you’ve had some good sweets lately too!

  13. My husband drinks about a litre or more (maybe a pint?) of beet juice before his races. He says it makes him faster – and apparently a lot of people do it too, because any time he heads out before a race the stores seem to be all sold out! Hahaaha… I’m not that into it. Though I do love eating them after they’ve been baked in the oven!

  14. Most definitely agreed on the cream-cheese frosting. The ironic thing is that I used to hate anything cream-cheese. 😀

    I like how you collaged your eats photos.

    1. As long as you don’t spill any beet on your clothes of course! 🙂 Glad you’re a beet fan, Caity! Hope you’re having a great weekend!

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