This blog post is sponsored by iHerb but as always,the opinions and experiences expressed in this post are my own.

Blood red, murky liquid filled the glass, dark and menacing, yet impossibly, inexplicably appealing. Touted as an everyday superfood, hidden in plain sight on the supermarket shelves yet locked away just beyond reach, beet juice is both laughably commonplace and frustratingly difficult to get a hold of all at once. Brimming with nutrients shown to improve stamina, improve blood flow, and help lower blood pressure, these vitamins and minerals are all locked away within the tough, fibrous exterior of these hard root vegetables. Drinking straight beet juice cuts out the middleman to make this rich source of folate, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants, far more accessible for instant absorption. Call it the new energy drink; no caffeine need apply.

What of the flavor, you ask? Some people can’t get past that deep, earthy taste, but all I get is subtle, natural sweetness. It helps that I’ve taken to mixing up Nature’s Way Beet Root Powder lately, which is far easier than fumbling with a messy juicer and consistently palatable. Mixing up instantly with plain water, you couldn’t find a better source of instant vegetative goodness.

Idly browsing the pages of iHerb as I’m apt to do, powdered beets stood out as a specialty item that should really be a mainstream staple. I’ve never encountered this powerful new ingredient before, which makes it particularly fortunate that iHerb is fully stocked, carrying this and over 400 Nature’s Way products that can be shipped to over 160 countries, and representatives that offer support in 10 languages.

For those of you still balking at the idea of chugging a tall glass of beet juice, no matter how mild, fear not. I have three different ideas here for refreshing, revitalizing drinks you will genuinely enjoy.

Popularized by Starbucks but improved by real ingredients, the famous pink drink gets blushes a bit more boldly with an infusion of not only Wilderness Poets Freeze Dried Dragon Fruit Powder for flavor, but our hero, the beet mixed in for backup support. Stash Mango Passionfruit Tea brews up a tropical base for both the colorful swirl and rich cream contrast, thanks to Earth Circle Organics Coconut Cream Powder, creating a far more flavorful blend than anything coming plain out of a can.

Pink Ombre Drink

2 Cups Brewed and Chilled Mango Passionfruit Tea
Liquid Stevia, to Taste
1/4 Cup Coconut Milk Powder
1 Teaspoon Beet Root Powder
1 Tablespoon Freeze-Dried Pitaya Powder
Ice, To Serve

Add a few drops of stevia to the brewed tea according to taste and divide it into two parts. To the first, whisk in the coconut milk powder. To the second, whisk in the beet root powder and pitaya powder.

To serve, fill one or two glasses with ice. Pour a layer of the coconut mixture in first, and then gently pour an equal amount of the pitaya mixture on top, allowing the two to slowly swirl together. Enjoy immediately.

Makes 1 – 2 Servings

Printable Recipe

For a quick sip on a hot summer’s day, nothing can beat a zesty glass of fresh lemonade. Nothing, except for lemonade infused with the vitality of beets and fruitiness of blueberries. Mingling together in a harmonious purple blend, this is an easy way to introduce the pickiest of eaters and drinkers to the idea of liquefied root vegetables. Dynamic Health Laboratories Pure Blueberry Juice Concentrate is so powerful that just a tiny drop add volumes of fresh berry essence in an instant. Since whipping up this drink, I’ve used it as an utterly luscious glaze over baked tempeh and rich finishing drizzle over many salads, too.

Purple Lemonade

4 Cup Ice Cold Water
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons Blueberry Juice Concentrate
1 Tablespoon Beet Root Powder
Liquid Stevia, to Taste
Fresh Blueberries and Ice, to Serve (Optional)

Simply mix together the water, lemon juice, blueberry juice concentrate, and beet powder in a large pitcher. Sweeten to taste with stevia, adding just a few drops at a time. Serve over ice with a few fresh blueberries on top, if desired.

Makes 3 – 5 Servings

Printable Recipe

Finally, because this is the 21st century and we CAN have our cake and drink it, too, red velvet gets a nutritious boost from these beets, plus a powerful punch of Sunwarrior Vanilla Warrior Blend Protein. Thick and creamy, it’s good enough to call dessert, but healthy enough to throw down for breakfast.

Red Velvet Protein Shake

1 Cup Vanilla Non-Dairy Milk
1 Scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla Warrior Blend Protein
1/2 Cup Vanilla Vegan Yogurt, Plus More for Garnish (Optional)
1 Tablespoon Natural Cocoa Powder
1 Tablespoon Beet Root Powder
5 – 6 Ice Cubes

Toss everything into your blender and puree on high speed, crushing the ice into a completely smooth mixture. Pause to scrape down the sides of the canister as needed to make sure the powder is full incorporated. Pour into a tall glass and top with an extra swirl of vanilla yogurt, if desired.

Makes 1 Serving

Printable Recipe

Beet powder is poised for culinary and nutritional domination as more people discover the benefits this humble root has to offer. Though still somewhat of a rarity, iHerb has you covered with this and thousands of other specialty goods to give your beverages an extra boost.

Plus, all customers get 5% off their order, but new customers get an additional $5 off their order of $40 or more by clicking here!