Beetroots For Winter: 5 Delicious Ways To Add More Beetroot To Your Winter Diet

Beetroot or chukandar is a winter vegetable that might just hold the key to keeping healthy during the cold months. The root vegetable is usually deep red or purple in colour and is available in various countries, including India during the winter season. The roots are roasted, boiled and even eaten raw, with salads. Beetroot soup is particularly popular during the winters, for its wholesome and soothing nature. Although the green leafy part of beetroot is also edible, it's the tuberous part that is consumed more widely. This is because beetroots pack in a whole load of nutrition including carbs, fibre, natural sugars, along with calcium, magnesium, potassium. Beetroots also contain sufficient amounts of vitamin C- nature's immunity boosters.

Beetroot is a winter essential and you should start stocking up on it soon. However, not everyone is fond of consuming raw beetroots. Thankfully, beetroots are also quite versatile and can be converted into a number of dishes, making it easier for one to sneak them into their diet.

If you're not fond of raw beetroots, here are 5 delicious and innovative ways to include it in your diet:

1. Beetroot Pickle

Pickling of vegetables is a great way to make them palatable and even add nutrition to them. The pickling process makes them gut-friendly. The process of preparing pickled beetroot can be different, but whatever the method is, the end result is a delicious and nutritious food that can be paired with rice dishes or eaten as is.

2. Beetroot Juices and Smoothies

Beetroots have a slightly sweet taste, which makes them great additions to juices and smoothies. All you have to do is grind chopped beetroot along with some other vegetables and fruits like oranges or carrots, to make a healthful and delicious drink. Add some seasonings and spices to make the juice tastier.

^{Beetroot for Winter: Beetroot juice can be made delicious by adding spices to it}

3. Beetroot Tea

Beetroot tea or beetroot chai has been catching on a healthy non-caffeinated veggie tea, which is a healthy alternative for tea or coffee during winters. All you need to do to make beetroot tea is boil a couple of clean chopped slices of beetroot in water, and add ginger, lemon and honey to it. The soothing tea packs in an antioxidant punch.

4. Beetroot Raita

Beetroot can be grated finely and added to sides like raita, hummus and other dips. These can be enjoyed with snacks like chips or other finger foods. Beetroot raita is a great way to add some nutrition to the popular Indian accompaniment for parathas and rice dishes.

5. Beetroot Paratha

Grated beetroots can be added to the dough of the wildly popular Indian flatbread in order to enhance the satiety factor and nutrition of the dish. It's one of the most delicious ways to sneak in the goodness of beetroot in your morning meal.

Beetroots are low in calories. A 100 gm serving of the veggie packs in just 43 calories (as per USDA data). It is high in antioxidants and contains almost no fats. So what are you waiting for? Start prepping for the winters with this incredible superfood already!