Nutrients For Vision, Gut And Heart Health

Carrots may be the most versatile vegetable. Whether raw or roasted, savory or sweet, you get the same nutritional benefits from carrots.

“Carrots are budget-friendly, have a long shelf life, and are one of America's most popular vegetables, whether eaten raw or cooked, eaten as is, or mixed into dishes,” says dietitian and academy spokesperson. says Debbie Petitpain, an expert in the field. Nutrition and diet, he tells TODAY.com.

This makes it a sustainable and accessible vegetable for many people. This is good news because these colorful vegetables are packed with healthy nutrients. Yes, carrots are rich in vitamin A, but they're also rich in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. This includes adorable baby carrots.

Carrot nutritional information table

a chopped raw carrot cup Includes:

• 52 calories
• 1 gram of protein
• fat 0.3g
• 12 grams of carbohydrates
• 3.5 grams of dietary fiber

Baby carrots and carrots of various colors also contain similar nutrients. However, different colored carrots contain additional compounds that give them their color and some unique health benefits.

benefits of carrots

If we know anything about the nutritional benefits of carrots, Petitpain says, it's that they're rich in vitamin A, which helps with vision health, skin health, and immune function.

Vitamin A is made up of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, and carrots contain high amounts of beta-carotene, registered dietitian Grace DeRoca tells TODAY.com. Just half a cup of carrots provides almost 9,700 IU of vitamin A, “which is already well over 100 percent (of the recommended dietary allowance),” added DeRoca, who is also a spokesperson for the academy. . Nutrition and Dietetics.

Looking at it another way, “one 7-inch-long root has only 35 calories, no fat, and provides 270 percent of your daily vitamin A and 10 percent of your vitamin C needs,” Petitpain says. .

Carrots also have other benefits that may not be as well-advertised.They contain small amounts of natural sugars – approx. 6 grams in a cup Chopped carrots don't have the bitterness that comes with other vegetables. That makes for a sweeter, kid-friendly vegetable option, DeRoca says.

It's also high in fiber, with nearly 4 grams per cup, which helps slow down the digestion of food, DeRoca says. “Thanks to its fiber, it can naturally help (avoid) blood sugar spikes.” Its fiber also helps you feel full and satiated, meaning carrots can help with weight management. Then Mr. Petitpain added:

Carrots of all colors are “rich in antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body,” DeRoca says. Free radicals are compounds that cause aging, cancer, and other diseases.

For example, carrots contain the antioxidant lutein, which prevents cell damage from free radicals and supports eye health, Petitpain says.

Do different colors of carrots have different nutrients?

In addition to all the other benefits that carrots are packed with, these vegetables are also packed with phytonutrients. These compounds give each carrot variety its unique color and may contribute to its health benefits, experts say.

For example, Petitpain says:

• Yellow carrots contain xanthophylls, pigments that may help eye health.
• Red carrots contain lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes. This antioxidant pigment may help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer.
• Purple carrots contain anthocyanins. These antioxidants, also found in blueberries, may have anti-inflammatory properties.

What will happen to baby carrots?

Baby carrots can be made in two ways. One possibility could be immature carrots that were harvested too early, DeRoca says. Second, baby carrots can be fully grown carrots with imperfections cut off or peeled.

This second method is developed in the 1980s This project by farmer Mike Yurosek helps reduce food waste by reusing damaged carrots that would otherwise be thrown away.

Several successful marketing campaigns helped Baby Carrot become the most successful snack food. These days, “a lot of people snack on carrots over other things because it's easy and convenient,” says DeRoca. Plus, she says adding “baby” to her name makes it even cuter.

Adult and baby carrots are essentially the same thing, so they have similar nutritional benefits, explains Petitpin. “Grocery stores also sell pre-shredded carrots and carrot 'chips,' which come in a variety of shapes and sizes for use in dips, salads, soups, mixed dishes, and more. ”

Can you eat carrot vegetables?

Yes, I can!

“Carrot leaves are edible and rich in nutrients such as vitamin K and potassium, as well as minerals and antioxidants,” says Petitpin. However, it can be bitter, so she recommends adding it to salads with a sweet vinaigrette or sautéing it with other vegetables, she says.

DeRoca also suggests adding carrot leaves to soups and stews, as well as homemade herbal pesto.

Carrots are perfect for the home garden!

Both experts said carrots are surprisingly easy to grow at home and tend to tolerate cold climates.

“You can harvest the roots about 100 days after planting the seeds,” says Petitpin.

DeRoca, who lives in Michigan, points out that carrots don't require any special attention during the cold winter months. “You usually have to rake the garden again to get it ready, but you can leave the carrots alone,” she says.

Does eating carrots make your skin yellow?

If you eat a lot of carrots, your skin may turn orange. This effect, known as carotenemia, occurs because the pigment beta-carotene is “stored in fat, including in amounts under the skin,” Petitpain says.

Thankfully, she says, the effects are otherwise harmless and disappear once you stop consuming too much beta-carotene.

And if you're worried that you're eating enough carrots to turn your skin orange, try mixing it up with other vegetables in your diet, or at least try carrots of other colors, says DeLoca. Masu.

Try these amazing carrot recipes

Raw carrots make a perfect simple snack, especially when eaten with dips like hummus, guacamole, and salad dressings. The fat content in the dip also increases the bioavailability of the vitamin C found in carrots, Petitpain says. Carrots are also a natural ingredient in salads and grain bowls, and petit bread goes well with salads with raisins and shredded carrots.

Of course, carrots also make a great side dish, especially when roasted with aromatic herbs or sweet glazes, and are often used in stir-fries and all kinds of cozy winter soups and stews.

DeLoca likes to get creative with carrots and often adds them to her smoothies. She's also known for making her own version of “carrot cake” using overnight oats, adding her shredded carrots, chopped apples, and spices. Carrots have a naturally sweet taste, so DeRoca sneaks them into other dishes, like sweet potato casserole, to “add a variety of nutrients.”

Try these other dishes to get the delicious benefits of carrots: