Nutritionist, Healthy meal plan and healthy diet plan by Lucy Hyland, your online nutritionist

Healthy Eating with Carrots

The Carrot : Facts and Health Tips

Carrots are a great addition to healthy eating and a good source of:

Vitamin A (carotene) which means them great for your vision, boosting your immunity and your growth as well as being a powerful antioxidant,

Vitamin K which is essential for effective blood clotting and bone development,

And is a good source of dietary fibre.

Carrots are one of those vegetables that I would recommend you buy organic.  Other handy information:

When buying, look for carrots that are firm and bright in colour. If they have particularly dark colouration at the top, they are passed their best.

The best way of storing carrots is to wrap in a plastic bag, expel the air, and store in the fridge.

If you are going to eat them raw, grating is best to help with digestibility.

Carrots actually increase their antioxidant value when cooked!!! The best way of cooking carrots is to steam them, for about 5 minutes, so that they are softening on the outside but still crunchy on the inside. Wash thoroughly before cooking but don’t soak them, it can cause a leaching of their vitamins.

I’m going to give you 2 recipes to start with carrots. Do these this week and let me know how you go. Its coming into winter so I’ll be giving you lots of warming, comforting, healthy dishes. However, even though I’m not very attracted to raw foods in the winter, I like to eat a little every day, as raw food contains enzymes that can aid digestibility and can be higher in antioxidants (but not always!). One suggestion is to make a small salad or a salsa and eat it before or with your hot meal. Another great tip is, as you are cooking your dinner in the evening, chop up a carrot while you are chopping the rest of your ingredients and eat while you cook – you are then getting in one or your 5/7 fruit and vegetables a day without even thinking!!

Healthy Eating Carrot Recipes
Carrot and Ginger Soup

Hope you enjoyed this post. Remember that keeping on top of your health and eating habits takes ongoing support and motivation.

Do you want to develop a balanced diet plan to suit your health and lifestyle? My healthy eating update service might be just what you need: Lucy's Living Digest.

Or if you are looking for more of a plan than a one-off recipe, try one of my specially designed meal pans Lucy's Meal Plans giving you everything you need to stay on track