What's Up, Doc? 35 Carrot Recipes That Prove They're Not Just for Bunnies and Kindergartners (2024)

FAQs

What is a carrot in simple words? ›

A carrot is a long, orange root vegetable. Carrots can be planted as tiny seeds and grown in a backyard garden.

Raw carrots are 88% water, 9% carbohydrates, 0.9% protein, 2.8% dietary fiber, 1% ash and 0.2% fat. Carrot dietary fiber comprises mostly cellulose, with smaller proportions of hemicellulose, lignin and starch. Free sugars in carrot include sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

No, carrots are not man-made. Humans have been selectively breeding carrots for centuries, resulting in the vegetable's evolution into its current form. The misconception that carrots might be man-made could stem from the fact that modern-day carrot varieties are a result of selective breeding by humans.

But, what is the best way to eat carrots — cooked or raw? “While raw carrots are great to get falcarinol, cooked carrots have beta-carotene as heat disintegrates plant cellulose and releases beta-carotene. So, for eye, skin, and hair health, eat soup, steamed, baked, stir-fried, or boiled carrots,” suggested Luke.

Carrots are biennials that grow in loose soil and in cooler climates. There are wild carrots and domesticated carrots, and the part that most people eat is the taproot. This vegetable contains carotene, which helps you stay healthy and sharp-sighted.

Carrots are eaten both fresh and cooked. They are used in many dishes, including salads, stews, soups, sauces, and cakes. The juice of the carrot can also be a sweet drink. Orange carrots are a good source of a substance called carotene.

Spinach takes the top prize as the healthiest vegetable because of its range of nutrients and benefits.

Fun facts about carrots

Carrots are members of the Apiaceace (formally called the Unbeliferae) family. This family also includes celery, anise, dill and cilantro. Carrots are biennial. They grow taproots the first year, flower and set seed in their second year.

Carrots can be a safe choice if you have diabetes and are watching your blood sugar levels. They're also non-starchy vegetables. So you can even enjoy small amounts of carrots if you're following the ketogenic, or keto, diet.

Carrots are a versatile vegetable. People can eat them raw, steamed, boiled, roasted, or as an ingredient in soups and stews. Boiling vegetables can reduce or eliminate some of the vitamin content. Raw or steamed carrots provide the most nutritional value.

Can dogs eat carrots? ›

Yes, dogs can eat carrots. Carrots are an excellent low-calorie snack that is high in fiber and beta-carotene, which produces vitamin A. Plus, crunching on this orange root vegetable is great for your dog's teeth.

A baby carrot is a carrot harvested before reaching maturity and sold at that smaller size. A baby-cut carrot is a small piece cut from a larger carrot; baby-cut carrots are often marketed as "baby carrots", leading to potential confusion.

The fiber in carrots (and any high-fiber vegetables, actually) acts like a natural vacuum cleaner in your gastrointestinal tract, picking up debris as it runs through your body. Carrots can also help keep gut cells healthy, supporting a decreased risk of illness and improving your health overall.

It's best to cook carrots for the shortest time possible to preserve their nutritional value. Boiling, in particular, may lower some of the antioxidant activity in carrots and nutrients like vitamin C. But it makes it easier for the body to absorb the carotene in them.

them into sticks or rounds as desired. ranch as a healthy snack. Shred them. Shred raw carrots and use in salads, wraps and coleslaws.

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A inside the body. Vitamin A is required for the proper functioning of the immune system and the organ systems in the body. Carrots are also a great source of dietary fibre, which helps to reduce cholesterol and stabilise blood sugar.

Plant description

When cultivated, carrots appear as feather-like green leaves growing around 30 to 60cm tall. Underground, the taproot is long and conical and varies between 5 to 50cm depending on the cultivated variety (cultivar). The root can be orange, white, yellow, red or purple.

Is a carrot a fruit? This is an easy one—carrots are definitely vegetables, not fruits. Like potatoes, carrots are a type of root vegetable. The greens of the plant are edible, but carrots are grown for the bright orange (or purple, or white, or yellow) taproot growing underneath.