Last week we talked about promoting arugula as a delicious, spicy green that goes well either raw in a salad or cooked in a pasta dish. The natural flavor complement to arugula is a sweet beet. Check out these fantastic facts about beets by Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD, and use them in your social messaging. Beets are in season now in many stores.
- Beets are not just the canned pickled vegetable your mom served you growing up. There’s lots to love about this earthy root vegetable.
- Beets are not just red. Golden beets are also available and equally nutritious.
- Beets are a good source of fiber, which helps to keep you feeling fuller, longer.
- Beets are also an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin linked with reduction of homocysteine.
- Beets contain nitrous oxide, which turns to nitric acid in the body. Nitric acid relaxes blood vessels, which aids in blood pressure reduction and muscle recovery.
- Beets can be roasted or grilled and served as a side dish or chopped fresh and added to salads.
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.
Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.
Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.
