Beetroot Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Raw beetroot has 43 kcal per 100g with 109mcg folate — 27% of the daily value. This folate density places beetroot among the top vegetable sources, behind spinach (194mcg) but ahead of asparagus (52mcg cooked), broccoli (63mcg raw), and Brussels sprouts (61mcg raw). One cup of sliced raw beetroot (136g) provides 148mcg folate — 37% of the daily value ^[1][2].

The calorie density at 43 kcal/100g is modest for a root vegetable — lower than sweet potato (86 kcal), potato (77 kcal), and carrot (41 kcal, nearly identical). One medium beet (82g, 2" diameter) has just 35 kcal, making it easy to integrate into meals without significant caloric impact.

For food journaling, beetroot's standout value proposition is the folate-to-calorie ratio: 2.53mcg folate per calorie — higher than broccoli (1.9 mcg/kcal) and comparable to spinach (8.4 mcg/kcal). If tracking folate intake, a single medium beet covers 22% of the daily target.

Beetroot contains 6.76g sugar per 100g — more than carrot (4.74g), sweet potato (4.18g), turnip (3.80g), or parsnip (4.80g). This makes beetroot the sweetest widely consumed root vegetable. The sugar is primarily sucrose, which accounts for the distinctly sweet, earthy flavor that intensifies during roasting as sucrose caramelizes ^[1][3].

Despite the relatively high sugar, total calories remain low at 43 kcal because beetroot is 87.6% water. The sugar is accompanied by 2.8g dietary fiber (10% DV per 100g), yielding a sugar-to-fiber ratio of 2.4:1 — more favorable than apple (4.3:1) and much better than grapes (17.2:1). Boiling slightly concentrates sugar to 7.96g per 100g.

For food journaling, the sugar content means a cup of raw beet (136g) has about 9.2g sugar — comparable to a small apple. If tracking sugar intake, note that roasting does not add sugar but concentrates it through water evaporation, making roasted beets taste sweeter without changing the total sugar per serving.

Boiled, drained beetroot retains 80mcg folate per 100g — a 27% reduction from raw (109mcg). Folate is water-soluble and heat-sensitive, leaching into cooking water during boiling. Vitamin C drops from 4.9mg to 3.6mg (27% loss). Potassium decreases modestly from 325mg to 305mg (6% loss). Calories and protein remain nearly unchanged at 44 kcal and 1.68g ^[1].

Canned beetroot (drained solids) presents a different trade-off: folate plummets to 30mcg (73% loss from raw) due to extended heat processing, but sodium rises from 78mg to 194mg per 100g — a 149% increase from the canning brine. Iron, interestingly, increases from 0.80mg to 1.82mg in the canned form, likely absorbed from the can during processing ^[1].

For food journaling, the preparation method choice matters significantly for folate tracking. Raw or lightly roasted beetroot preserves the most folate. If using canned beets, account for the higher sodium (194mg vs 78mg raw) and choose "no salt added" varieties when available to reduce sodium to approximately 36mg per 100g.

Beetroot's deep red-purple color comes from betalains — nitrogen-containing pigments that exist in two forms: betacyanins (red-violet, primarily betanin) and betaxanthins (yellow-orange, primarily vulgaxanthin). Total betalain content ranges from 100–500mg per 100g depending on variety, growing conditions, and maturity. These compounds are not captured in USDA's standard nutrient panels ^[2][4].

Betalains are water-soluble and heat-sensitive. Boiling for 15 minutes can reduce betalain content by 15–25%, while roasting preserves more because there is less water to leach into. The pigments are also pH-sensitive — they maintain their red color in acidic environments (hence pickled beets staying bright red) but shift toward brown in alkaline conditions ^[4].

For food journaling, if tracking phytonutrient diversity, note that the intensity of beetroot's color roughly correlates with betalain content. Deeper-colored beets contain more betalains. Golden/yellow beet varieties contain predominantly betaxanthins and minimal betacyanins, resulting in a very different pigment profile.

Raw beetroot delivers 325mg potassium (7% DV), 23mg magnesium (5% DV), 0.80mg iron (4% DV), 40mg phosphorus (3% DV), and 0.33mg manganese (14% DV) per 100g at just 43 kcal. The potassium content is comparable to carrot (320mg) and roughly 91% of banana's potassium (358mg), but at half the calories (43 vs 89 kcal) ^[1][5].

The potassium-per-calorie efficiency is 7.56mg/kcal — substantially better than banana (4.02mg/kcal), though still well below spinach (24.3mg/kcal). One cup of raw beetroot (136g) provides 442mg potassium (9% DV) for just 58 kcal. Manganese at 14% DV per 100g is also notable — higher than most common vegetables.

For nutrition journaling, beetroot is an efficient way to add potassium and manganese to the daily total without significant calorie impact. Two medium beets (164g, 71 kcal) provide 533mg potassium (11% DV), 179mcg folate (45% DV), and 0.54mg manganese (23% DV).