Beetroot and Protein: Does Mixing Them Do Anything?

Beetroot isn't a meaningful protein source itself — raw beetroot has about 1.6 g of protein per 100 g, closer to most vegetables than to a protein food. Most "beetroot protein" searches are really asking whether combining a beetroot supplement with a protein shake does anything extra. One small trial tested exactly that combination and found no measurable difference from beetroot juice alone.

Does beetroot have protein?

A little, but not enough to matter as a protein source. Raw beetroot provides roughly 1.6 g of protein per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central) — the research interest in beetroot is almost entirely about its dietary nitrate content, not its protein. See what is beetroot for the fuller nutrient profile.

What happens when you combine beetroot with a protein shake?

A crossover trial in 12 healthy middle- to older-aged adults tested this directly. Each person took beetroot juice alone, beetroot juice plus a vitamin C supplement, and beetroot juice plus 15 g of whey protein, on separate occasions, with blood drawn before and 1 and 3 hours after each. Plasma nitrate and nitrite rose significantly after all three — but there was no significant difference between them. Adding whey protein (or vitamin C) to the beetroot juice didn't change how much nitrate or nitrite showed up in the blood compared with beetroot juice by itself. That's one small trial testing juice at one specific protein amount (15 g), not every possible ratio or a whole-food powder capsule, but it's a real, directly relevant finding: nothing about mixing the two changed the outcome the researchers measured.

Why people pair beetroot and protein anyway

Combining a beetroot supplement with a protein shake around a workout is a common routine — beetroot's research is mostly about exercise performance, and a protein shake is a common post-workout habit, so the two get taken together as a matter of convenience, not because a trial has shown the pairing does more than either ingredient alone. The trial above is the closest thing to direct evidence on the question, and it found no added effect from the combination on the specific measure it tested.

Our beetroot and protein products

Electric Tiger Beetroot is 1300 mg of whole organic beetroot powder per two-capsule serving — a single ingredient, nothing else in the facts panel, as low as $14.39 a bottle on subscription. It's a separate product from a whey protein shake, and nothing about taking the two together is documented as better or worse than taking either on its own. If you're comparing protein powders specifically, that's covered in our whey protein guides on Learn.

Questions people ask

Does beetroot count toward my daily protein target?

Not meaningfully. At about 1.6 g per 100 g, you'd need a very large amount of beetroot to add up to a noticeable protein contribution — it isn't a practical protein source.

Can I mix beetroot powder into a protein shake?

There's no documented problem with combining them in the same drink. The trial above tested beetroot juice with whey protein specifically and found no difference in nitrate absorption either way — no benefit, and no downside, on that measure.

Does taking beetroot with protein increase nitrate absorption?

The one trial that tested this found no significant difference in plasma nitrate or nitrite with or without added whey protein. It's a small, single trial using juice, not proof that no combination could ever matter, but it's the direct evidence that exists.

Related reading: beetroot benefits: what the research does and doesn't show, what is beetroot, and how much beetroot should you take a day.