One Super-Healthy Food Michelle Obama Won't Touch

Michelle Obama, former first lady and healthy eating advocate, has one weakness when it comes to health foods: beets.

Of all the vegetables in the world, Michelle Obama claims she’s not picky. She’ll eat them all — except, of course, this darkly died vegetable. “I know that I’m known for eating my vegetables, and there really isn’t much I don’t enjoy,” the former first lady explained in an interview with Food & Wine. “But,” she continued (and here’s the kicker), “I’m just not a fan of beets.”

The vegetable is typically used in many a fall salad or risotto, and adds a deliciously starchy element to any dish. In our opinion, Michelle Obama is seriously missing out. But we have to find it in our hearts to forgive her — she did, after all, plant over 55 vegetables in the White House garden during her eventful stay. Despite her busy life in the spotlight, she did find time to care about sustainability and nutrition.

She also found immense amounts of time to advocate for healthfulness in children’s school lunches and is known for her passion for providing healthy, balanced, unprocessed meals for America’s youth — though presumably she didn’t push very hard for meals including beets (those purple lunches sound messy, anyway).

Her aversion didn’t peeve her family, either. Her husband vowed, too, to avoid them when possible. “We believe there’s a beet gene,” he joked in 2012. “You either love beets or you hate ’em.”

But just because the Obamas don’t go for the root vegetable doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Beets have a ton of health benefits, including a hefty supply of folate, magnesium, potassium, and fiber — among other nutrients. They can fight disease, regulate digestion, and (like these other 20 foods) even keep you living longer.

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