Beets are a deep purple root vegetables used in salads, pickled, boiled, steamed, or roasted. In Australia and New Zealand, beets are commonly put on burgers.

Beets, for which the correct term is beet root, seem to be an under-appreciated root vegetable.  We find many uses for potatoes, carrots, yams, onions, and even ginger and taro, but many people shy away from the strangely colored, oddly shaped beet root. Be assured, and do not be afraid of this vegetable. After reading this article you will be prepared to add beet roots to a variety of dishes and introduce yourself to a wonderfully flavorful food.

The beet root is a very versatile vegetable. It can be peeled, roasted or steamed and eaten warm. It can be steamed, roasted or pickled and eaten cold as a condiment or topping. It can even be peeled, shredded and eaten raw much like a broccoli or carrot salad. You can even juice beet root to make a nutrient filled vegetable juice. http://www.juicingbook.com/vegetables/beet Additionally, beet roots are not only available in the common red color. Don't shy away from other beet colors available, like orange, yellow, white and two-toned, particularly at farmer's markets and specialty produce stores. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-beets-s,0,7386060.story http://moscowfood.coop/archive/beets.html

1. Kingdom: Plantae
2. Division: Magnoliophyta
3. Class: Magnoliopsida
4. Order: Caryophyllales
5. Family: Chenopodiaceae
6. Genus: Beta
7. Species: Beta vulgaris

Beets contain many nutrients, including folate, manganese, magnesium, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, tryptophan, iron, phosphorus, and copper. At the same time, they have a low calorie content, making beets very nutrient dense.

They have a purple juice that will stain clothes and skin. When eaten the color may show up in the urine.

The sugar beet is a beet with a high sugar content, grown commercially for sugar.