Research shows beetroot juice could improve athleticism

According to a survey commissioned by LeaderBrand, 49% of Kiwis see beetroot as ‘an iconic part of New Zealand cuisine’, which puts it up there with the likes of the pavlova, feijoas, meat pies and L&P. However, 28% of respondents said they wouldn’t know how to serve it fresh if they were using it for a nice meal.
 
Interestingly, 40% of respondents also said they considered beetroot a superfood. Of those surveyed, 73% who eat beetroot at least once every three months will purchase it tinned.
 
The results also indicate many Kiwis find it hard to serve fresh beetroot to their children, with 39% of those surveyed with kids stating they wouldn’t know how to serve fresh beetroot to them in an enticing way.
 
Richard Burke, general manager of LeaderBrand says: “Beetroot is such an iconic part of New Zealand cuisine, a hamburger isn’t complete without a fried egg and a few slices of beetroot. It’s also a real superfood, being high in antioxidants, rich in nitrates, and containing folic acid.
 
“As these survey results highlight though, many Kiwis struggle to serve beetroot in its pure form. If you don’t have time to prepare raw beetroot, pouched beetroot is a great alternative, as it also has no added sugar or salt. ‘Eating your purples’ is actually easy to do in a healthy, tasty way with some pointers in the right direction.”
 

Photo courtesy of Blackfoot

LeaderBrand’s Lamb, Beetroot & Pomegranate Salad
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
1 head of LeaderBrand broccoli, cut into florets
½ cup frozen minted peas
400g lamb leg steak
1 tsp olive oil
1 x 250g packet LeaderBrand beetroot, chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Dressing
½ cup natural unsweetened yoghurt
1 tsp honey
½ cup mint leaves, to serve

Directions

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Blanch broccoli for 30 seconds and the peas for 10 seconds, then drain and rinse in cold water.
• Heat a chargrill pan on high. Rub lamb with oil and season to taste.
• Cook lamb for 2-3 minutes each side, until cooked to taste. Loosely cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
• In a small bowl combine yoghurt and honey for the dressing. Season to taste. 
• Arrange the salad ingredients in a large bowl or serving platter, toss gently. Serve drizzled with dressing.

LeaderBrand’s ready to eat pouched beetroot, with no added ingredients, is available in the fresh produce section of all major supermarkets.
 
For more recipes go to www.leaderbrand.co.nz
 
Perceptive Research’s monthly Omnibus surveys a minimum of 1,000 New Zealanders online using a nationwide sampling framework. The results are then weighted to Statistics New Zealand census gender, age and location data. 1,004 responses were captured in this survey.