How to eat beetroot – and love it!

By Heather Cupit

Once upon a time, beetroot was only to be seen – pickled in a jar – at the back of Granny’s pantry. But that was then… Now it’s seen as a superfood you can use far beyond the salad bowl. Why all the fuss?
Celebrity chefs have gone beetroot crazy: Jamie roasts beef with it, Nigella teams it with chocolate and even Mary Berry makes cakes with it. And, naturally, sales are on the up, with retail analyst Kantar claiming they’ve soared 20% in the past four years.

Rich and earthy, root vegetables make a meal satisfying without bumping up the fat and calories, and beetroot, in particular, is surprisingly versatile and great value. As well as the familiar purple orb, you’ll find white, golden or even striped versions in varying shapes and sizes.

Raw baby beetroot can be peeled and grated into salads or juices, while the mature kind tastes better boiled, roasted or baked in foil (don’t peel or cut it before cooking or the colour and nutrients will leach out). Ready-cooked ‘natural’ beetroot has no additives, but ‘traditional’ beetroot is dipped in acetic acid or mild malt vinegar (thanks, Gran).

Healthwise, beetroot juice is a great pick-me-up that contains nitrate, a chemical that helps to reduce blood pressure, cutting the risk of heart disease and stroke.

How to use beetroot

Choose

Firm, fresh-looking veg – avoid any that feel soft and limp. They should smell fresh and earthy, not musty.

Store

Beetroot keeps well for a month or two in a cool, well-ventilated place. Brown paper bags are ideal as they allow a good airflow.

Eat

An 80g serving or 3tbsp cooked beetroot counts as one of your five-a-day.

Healthy Food Guide expert and nutritionist Amanda Ursell says: ‘Although they taste like comfort foods, root veg like beetroot are packed with useful amounts of vital nutrients and often have fewer calories than their reputation might suggest. Beetroot is rich in super-nutrients, such as betacyanins, which Professor Govind Kapadia, of Washington DC’s Howard University, believes may have a role to play in cancer prevention. And research published in 2012 says it improved running performance in healthy adults – perhaps due to its nitrates. It also contains betaine, which could help protect furred arteries and help to prevent heart disease.’

Try these 3 easy recipes

*Make hummus: whiz cooked beetroot flesh with a tin of drained chickpeas in water, lemon juice and a little cumin in a food processor.

*Roast it: drizzle wedges with olive oil and a little clear honey. Scatter with fresh thyme and cook for 25 min in a medium oven.

*French rarebit: boil one or two beetroots, then cool and slice. Layer on to slices of sourdough (or any crusty bread), top with a few thin slices of French-style soft cheese, such as brie or camembert, and grill until melted.

Why should we increase our fibre intake?

By Gulshinder Johal, British Dietetic Association spokesperson

There was more positive news about fibre this week, with a new study revealing that a fibre-rich diet helps heart attack patients live longer. Why should the fibre we eat make such a difference?

A team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in America found that patients who ate the most fibre were 25% less likely to die within nine years of having a heart attack than those patients with the lowest fibre intake. Those patients also had a 13% decrease in risk of dying from heart disease.

The study found that every 10g increase in fibre was associated with a 15% decrease in risk of death. With more people surviving heart attacks, looking at the lifestyle of patients and their dietary habits could help improve outcomes.

In this latest study, the authors looked at the different sources of fibre and found that higher cereal fibre consumption was associated with these decreased health risks. 

Possible mechanisms for the effect were lower inflammation in the body, lower levels of the more harmful 'HDL' cholesterol and improved glycaemic control. 

What does fibre do?

High-fibre foods can play a key role in keeping our diets healthy and balanced, while preventing the risks associated with diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. The fibre in some cereals, fruits and beans, known as soluble fibre, binds with cholesterol, preventing its re-absorption by the body thereby improving heart health. It can be found in foods such as cereal products, fruits, vegetables, pulses, beans, nuts and seeds.

So how much should we be eating? 

The NHS says that the UK population consumes approximately 14g fibre per day – well short of the 18g per day target.

Think wholegrain

Eating wholegrains is an easy way to increase dietary fibre because they contain all three parts of the grain – the bran, germ and endosperm – which makes them an excellent source of fibre, as well as iron, magnesium and vitamin E. 

Wholegrain foods include: whole oats, wholegrain breakfast cereals such as Weetabix, Shreddies, wholegrain muesli and Shredded Wheat, wholegrain bread, brown rice, whole wheat, oatmeal, barley, bulgur, and popcorn

Also get into the habit of:

* swapping white foods for brown foods, so choose wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice over white varieties.

* substituting white flour for brown flour in baking.

* adding lentils, beans or pulses to stews, soups and casseroles.

* checking labels: beware foods that are marketed as high fibre, such as biscuits, flapjacks, cakes and savoury snacks, as some could be very high in fat and sugar.

* having your five daily portions of fruit and vegetables as this alone could provide as much as 20g fibre per day.

One word of caution: increase your intake of fibre gradually, as a sudden rise can lead to bloating and wind!

Any other tips for better heart health?

Remember that fibre is one change of many that could improve our heart health. Looking at our overall lifestyle and addressing low fruit and vegetable intake, high salt consumption, low physical activity levels, oil-rich fish consumption and saturated fat levels will all contribute to optimum heart health.

Eat chickpeas to lower cholesterol

They’re an HFG staple, and with the news today that eating a daily serving of chickpeas could reduce levels of bad cholesterol and, therefore, the risk of heart disease, now there’s even more reason to keep your storecupboard stocked with this versatile pulse.

Scientists in Toronto analysed 26 trials and found that eating a portion of beans or pulses each day cut bad cholesterol by around 5%. ‘This study supports what we know about the heart health benefits of a Mediterranean diet rich in beans and pulses,” says Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation.

But they’re not just good for your heart – chickpeas are naturally low in fat and salt, and they’re a good source of protein. Plus 3tbsp counts as one of your five-a-day. ‘We have a lot of room in our diets for increasing our pulse intake,’ says Dr Sievenpiper, who led the study. ‘As an added bonus, they’re inexpensive.’ To help you get your intake, we’ve looked back through the HFG archives to share with you five tasty ways with a tin of chickpeas…

1.     Pittas on the pulse

In a medium bowl, mix together watercress, drained chickpeas, pitted olives, halved cherry tomatoes and a little crumbled reduced-fat feta. Toss the salad with a drizzle of reduced-fat dressing, then use to fill wholemeal pitta breads.

2.     Quick hummus

Tip 1 tin drained chickpeas into a food processor with the zest and juice of 1 lemon 3tbsp tahini, 2 large garlic cloves and 100ml olive oil. Whiz until smooth, then season with ground black pepper. Top with chopped fresh coriander and a light drizzle of olive oil.

3.     Half-and-half curry

Heat a little spray oil in a non-stick frying pan, then gently fry 1 sliced onion until soft. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1tbsp harissa paste and cook for 2 min. Add 1 tin chopped tomatoes and 1tsp sugar and bring to a simmer, then tip in 1 tin drained chickpeas and simmer for 10 min. Stir through 200g ready-cooked and peeled prawns and cook for 3–4 min. Serve with brown rice.

4.     Garlicky mash

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Slice the top off one whole garlic bulb, wrap it in foil, then roast in a baking tray for 30 min. Meanwhile, heat a little spray oil in a medium pan, then add 1 sliced onion and gently cook for 5 min. Add 1 tin drained chickpeas and 300ml reduced-salt veg stock and simmer for 10 min, then drain, reserving a little of the stock. Remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the flesh into the chickpeas, then mash together, adding a little of the reserved stock, if needed.

5.     Beany burgers

In a food processor, pulse 1 tin drained chickpeas until roughly chopped, then tip into a mixing bowl. Add 500g turkey mince, 2 ready-cooked and coarsely grated beetroots, 1 finely chopped onion, 2tsp fennel seeds, 1tbsp apple sauce and 3tbsp chopped fresh parsley, then stir to combine. Season, then shape the mixture into 8 burgers. Spray a non-stick frying pan with a little oil, then cook the burgers for 6–7 min on each side until cooked through. Serve in toasted buns with your choice of toppings.

For more ways with chickpeas, download the March 2013 issue of Healthy Food Guide from itunes