Beet Fries - Baked Beets and Freezing Beets - How To Make

I have not eaten beets for many years. I will eat a beet at salad bars that are pickled but for the most part I can't think of a time I have purchase or had anyone give me beets since my younger girls were in piano and that was well over ten years ago.

Back then, their piano teacher would give me produce from her garden and she gave me some beets she grew. I don't know that I had ever purchased any raw before. I remembered growing up we had them in our garden. I remember my mother boiling or steaming the greens on the top but don't remember if we ever at the beet roots like that. I seem to remember bottling them at some point in my youth.

With my health problems, I was looking for a healthy way to cook and eat them as I can't eat butter as I think my yellowing eye problem is "fatty liver" so I have been avoiding any types of fats in my diet but eat healthy fats sparingly. 

With all that situation going on, I had to think out of the box for how I would normally eat them. I thought maybe making them like I do asparagus may work. I drizzle olive oil and put salt and pepper on them and broil them. However, I add parmesan cheese on my asparagus but once again, that is a fat. I opted to go without the cheese.

I sliced the beets into long thin fry shapes and then drizzled them with the olive oil and put salt on them. I baked and broiled them until they were crispy. They were SO good. 

I also wanted to see how they would turn out baked in a baking dish. I cut all the rest of the beets into small squares and washed each leaf and stem and cut them into small pieces as well and then I put them into a large baking dish with a lid and put a small amount of salt, pepper, and olive oil. 

I baked them until they were baked through and ate a HUGE amount of them. It make me feel so good. I could feel almost immediate energy. It was so amazing to feel a surge of energy after eating something. I have never had that happen before. Since then, I have been eating some every day. I do feel like it is bringing me more energy. 

I have been freezing the baked beets in smaller containers so I can pull one out every few days. I find it easier to bake a large amount once over turning on the oven to bake smaller batches every day or two. It is nice having something healthy to eat when I am hungry. 

Here are some health benefits from beets. I wonder what it was that made me feel better. 

Vitamins: Beets contain significant amounts of vitamins A, C, E, K and the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, B6, B12, pantothenic acid and folate. Riboflavin and B12 are often deficient in western populations, especially the aged, so eating beets could be a major dietary source for many people.
Minerals: Beets are high in the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.
Other Nutrients: Beets also contain many important phytonutrients like carotenoids, flavonoids, betaine and dietary fiber (both of which assist digestion).

Have a Blessed Day!