Reboot Your Stamina with Honeyed Beets

Few foods are as effective as a performance enhancer as beetroot. Its nitrate compounds – a sort of cardio super serum – improve oxygen efficiency, kicking your endurance
up a gear almost instantly. “Tour de France cyclists swear by it,” says Drew Price, who has worked with elite-level athletes. “It’s pretty astounding.” Don’t sweat about the sugar in this salad, either: ahead of endurance exercise, honey provides performance-supporting carbs in the form of glucose and fructose, ensuring you don’t gas out at the midway mark. Best of all, this recipe is light, because the last thing you want on a 10-mile training run is a belly full of minced beef and bread. You can always eat that when you cross the finish line.

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 1)

• Purple beetroot, 2

• Golden beetroot, 2

• White wine vinegar, 50ml

• Caster sugar, 50g

• Manuka honey, 2tsp

• Sherry vinegar, 30ml

• Avocado oil

• Feta cheese, 60g

• Avocado, ½, sliced

• A candy beetroot

Method

1. Peel the purple beetroots, slice into wedges and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Roast on a low heat until soft. Beets serve up your folate RDA, helping to convert carbs into useable energy. While they cook, slice and boil the golden beets. Drain. In a separate pan, combine the white wine vinegar and sugar with 50ml of water. Boil and pour over the golden beets, letting them steep for a couple of hours.

2. Mix the honey – a source of carbs – with the sherry vinegar and avocado oil.

3. To serve, layer the beetroot and pour on the dressing. Crumble the feta on top, then crown with the quarters of avocado. Take your candied beet, shave it and arrange the crunchy slices on top.

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