Mainely Dish: Harvard Style Beets

— By Kayla Parsons, MS, RDN, PhD student, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Visit EFNEP’s recipe website for the Harvard Style Beets recipe and recipe video.

Did you know that Harvard style beets gained their name due to their burgundy color being representative of Harvard’s traditional colors? These colors aren’t only aesthetically pleasing, but also serve a purpose. Betalains, the red pigment in beets, is derived from the amino acid, Tyrosine. Beets are extra pigmented as compared to other plants because they contain extra tyrosine-creating enzymes. From a functional standpoint, Betalain can help with both pollination (due to the bright pigment) and potentially environmental stressors.

Try brightening up your plate with this delicious Mainely Dish: Harvard-Style Beet Recipe. This side dish will add a new hue to your plate, while also providing key nutrients. Don’t have access to fresh beets? Try canned instead! Canned beets’ nutrient density is comparable to other forms of beets; both of which contain folate, fiber, manganese, copper and potassium.

Resources

• Mainely Dish: Harvard-Style Beets Recipe
• How Beets Became Beet-Red (New York Times)
• Canned Food Alliance Fact Sheet (Canned Food Alliance)