Roots and tubers · IFCT 2017
Beet root: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw beetroot gives 36 kcal, 6.2 g carbohydrate, 3.3 g dietary fibre, 306 mg potassium and 97 micrograms of folate, according to IFCT 2017. That folate ranks 1st of 10 roots and tubers and 25th of 197 foods, and 100 g covers about 32 per cent of a man's and 44 per cent of a woman's daily requirement. Folate, not iron, is beetroot's real strength.
About beet root
Beetroot, chukandar in Hindi and Punjabi, is a cool-season root grown across India, from the plains of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana in winter to the Nilgiris, Karnataka and Maharashtra hills for much of the year. In most other Indian languages it is simply beet or beet root, a sign of how recently it entered Indian kitchens compared with radish or carrot.
It has settled in quickly. South Indian homes make beetroot poriyal or thoran with coconut, Kolkata's vegetable chop is coloured and sweetened by it, North Indian salads slice it raw with onion and lemon, and Punjabi kitchens add it to winter kanji. Beetroot halwa and raita are newer favourites. The deep red colour comes from betalain pigments, which bleed into everything they touch.
What beet root brings to a meal
- 01
Folate leader among roots
At 97 micrograms per 100 g, beetroot ranks 1st of 10 roots and tubers and 25th of 197 foods for folate. Folate is needed for making new cells, which matters most before and during pregnancy.
- 02
Fibre and potassium
Beetroot carries 3.3 g dietary fibre and 306 mg potassium per 100 g, with only 36 kcal. It ranks 6th and 7th among roots for these.
- 03
More protein than most roots
Its 1.9 g protein per 100 g ranks 3rd of 10 roots and tubers. It is still a vegetable, not a protein food, but above carrot and radish.
- 04
Natural sodium
Beetroot has 69 mg sodium per 100 g, the most of any root and 20th of 243 foods. That is still low in absolute terms, far below a pinch of salt.
Beet root nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 36 kcal | 2% | 2% |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 4% | 4% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 6.2 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 3.3 g | ||
| Free sugars | 4.3 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Water | 87 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.06 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 7 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 17 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.76 mg | 4% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.3 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 33 mg | 8% | 9% |
| Phosphorus | 36 mg | ||
| Potassium | 306 mg | ||
| Sodium | 69 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.12 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 5.3 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Beta-carotene | 10 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.01 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.01 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.21 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.07 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Folate (B9) | 97 µg | 32% | 44% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.09 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 3 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Beet root: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/roots-and-tubers/beet-root/
Where beet root sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 9 roots and tubers and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In roots and tubers | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folate (B9) | 97 µg | 1st of 10 | 25th of 197 |
| Beta-carotene | 10 µg | 4th of 6 | 102nd of 160 |
| Vitamin C | 5.3 mg | 8th of 10 | 107th of 130 |
| Dietary fibre | 3.3 g | 6th of 10 | 121st of 182 |
| Magnesium | 33 mg | 4th of 10 | 127th of 242 |
How beet root is eaten
- Beetroot poriyal or thoran: grated beet stir-fried with mustard, curry leaves and fresh coconut.
- Kolkata vegetable chop, the beetroot and potato croquette sold at tea stalls.
- Raw beetroot sliced into a salad with onion, cucumber, lemon and salt.
- Beetroot raita: grated, lightly cooked beet stirred into curd with roasted cumin.
- Beetroot halwa, cooked in milk and ghee like gajar ka halwa, as an occasional sweet.
Before you plan around it
Pink or red urine and stools after eating beetroot are common and harmless, caused by its pigments; they are not blood. Beetroot is high in oxalate, so people who form calcium oxalate kidney stones should ask their doctor how much to eat. Its 306 mg potassium per 100 g matters for kidney patients on a potassium limit. Beetroot is often promoted as the answer to anaemia, but its iron is modest at 0.76 mg per 100 g.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about beet root
Is beetroot good for anaemia?
Not especially for iron. IFCT 2017 lists 0.76 mg iron per 100 g of beetroot, modest for a vegetable. Its real strength is folate, 97 micrograms per 100 g, which is also needed to make red blood cells. Anaemia needs a doctor's diagnosis and treatment.
Why does beetroot turn urine red?
Beetroot's red betalain pigments are not always broken down in the gut, so they can colour urine and stools pink or red. This is harmless. If red urine appears without eating beetroot, see a doctor.
Can people with diabetes eat beetroot?
Yes, in normal amounts. Beetroot has 6.2 g carbohydrate and 4.3 g sugars per 100 g, with 3.3 g fibre. In salads, poriyal or raita it fits most meal plans. Beetroot halwa is a sweet and should be treated as one.
Is beetroot juice healthy?
Fresh beetroot juice keeps much of the folate and potassium but loses most of the fibre, and it concentrates the sugar and oxalate of several roots in one glass. Eating the cooked or raw vegetable is the better daily habit.
Related foods and tables
Carrot
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Radish
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Sweet potato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Beet greens
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Potato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
All roots and tubers
10 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.