I’m a big juicer and regularly juice beetroot but I don’t just use the root - I use absolutely everything.

Beetroot is packed with nutrients including iron, manganese and vitamin C. It’s all the things I chase in my diet because I run long distance. I particularly love the iron content in beets before runs if I am menstruating. I used to not run for fear of cramping if I ever found myself in this spot, but these days I just go. And I find that I’m less tired when I run anything over 20 km’s if I eat a lot of beets the night before.

I found myself in this exact same situation this weekend and I was fine, I had no cramps and was even able to attend a birthday tea after my fun run in the Cradle of Humankind.

I will post my beetroot salad recipe soon because this is what I usually gobble when I train for big challenges. However, this recipe is one way of using up the leaves and making it taste amazing. PS. It tastes way better than creamy spinach.

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil (I used garlic avocado oil)

1 bunch beetroot leaves

1 small onion diced

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 cup plain yogurt (I use the Gero fat free version)
salt to taste

Method

1. Cut and wash the beetroot leaves well. Slice it.

2. Chop the onion in cubes and fry it on high-medium heat in a large pn until it becomes translucent and a little brown.

3. Add the washed beet leaves to the pan and keep stirring until the leaves begin to whilt.

4. Add ginger and fry it until you can smell the fragrance.

5. Add yogurt and peanut butter, lower the heat and let everything simmer until the gravy thickens.

6. Salt to taste and serve with a bowl of fluffy sorghum.