Food in focus: Carrots

Image by claireknights via Flickr

Carrots are no longer considered rabbit food; recent studies have uncovered the many benefits of including carrots in your diet.

Most people know that carrots have the highest Vitamin A content of any vegetable, making them good for the skin and slowing the aging process.

That great news aside, at Hopewood we love carrots because they’re easy to include as part of a balanced diet and are an easy to prepare snack, no preparation needed- just chop them up and eat them raw!

Steaming carrots makes them more easily digested and also makes nutrients more ‘bioavailable’ meaning that your body is better able to access the nutrients in carrots if they’re cooked. Whether raw or cooked, carrots have a low GI value which keeps blood sugar levels constant and lessens your hunger and feelings lethargy. 

However, it is important to bear in mind that cooked carrots do have a slightly higher GI value than raw carrots. So, it’s a good idea to eat them with vegetables that have a lower GI such as broccoli, cauliflower or spinach.

DID YOU KNOW:

• The orange colour in carrots is beta carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A. The deeper the orange, the higher the Vitamin A. This Vitamin A is what keeps our eyes healthy and is catalyst to the “carrots help you see in the dark” myth.
• Vitamin A is great for the skin and immune system.
• Carrots are about 87% water.
• Carrots were originally grown as a medicine not a food.

Hopewood is now running cooking classes to teach you how to prepare and enjoy gourmet vegetarian food. See the new food@hopewood page for more information.

Include more carrots in your diet with our fantastic salad recipe below:

Carrot and Cranberry Salad

This recipe is gluten, dairy and wheat free

1 carrot
2 tablespoons cranberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cut parsley

Method:

Wash the carrot, and use the lemon zester to shred the carrot into little pieces.
Zest the lemon.
Place the carrot and lemon zest in a bowl and add lemon juice and cranberries.
Roast the cumin seeds, heat until they pop and the aroma is distinctive.
Crush the cumin in a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle over the carrots.
At the last moment toss with parsley.