Harvard Beets
Harvard Beets are a classic American side dish featuring tender, sliced beets simmered in a sweet and tangy sauce. The sauce is typically made from sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, and spices like cloves or cinnamon, creating a glossy, ruby-red glaze. This dish is a staple of traditional New England and Midwestern home cooking, often served at holiday meals and family gatherings.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is primarily a source of carbohydrates from both the natural sugars in the beets and the added sugar in the sauce, with very little fat or protein. It provides a good amount of fiber, folate, and manganese from the beets, and a typical serving (about 1/2 cup) contains roughly 100-150 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 150 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbs | 30 g |
| Fat | 2.5 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 22 g |
| Sodium | 350 mg |
| Potassium | 480 mg |
| Folate | 80 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 8 mg |
| Manganese | 0.5 mg |
| Iron | 1.2 mg |
| Magnesium | 35 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg |
| Phosphorus | 50 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Harvard Beets are a unique example of a 'sweet-sour' or agrodolce preparation in American cuisine, a technique more commonly associated with European cooking. Nutritionally, while the added sugar makes it a treat, the base ingredient—beets—is a nutritional powerhouse known for supporting heart health and exercise performance.
