The Health Benefits of Carrots & How to Cook them 3 Ways

Before I move onto the recipes, I just have to sing their praises. Orange carrots are high in Beta Carotene which the body converts to vitamin A. (Some bodies are more effective at this than others & eating fat with carrots aids the process, see recipes below)- Carotenoids helps the body resist age related macular degeneration, and vitamin A combats reduced night vision. It is also important for immune functions, growth and development of the body. Carrots also contain Biotin - a B vitamin which is incredibly important in the metabolism of fat and protein. They contain the blood-pressure-controlling vitamin - Potassium, also K1 which is key for blood coagulation and good bone health, as well as vitamin B6 which is very important to the body’s ability to make energy from food. When carrots are eaten as part of meals they can increase that feeling of being full and actually decrease calorie consumption in later meals. And that knee jerk reach for raw as a snack makes good sense because the glycemic index of carrots ranges from 16-60, with raw carrots on the low end, a little higher for cooked carrots and the high end of the range is for pureed carrots. *Health details taken from Healthline
———————————————
Shredded carrot salad
———————————————
Shred a pound of raw carrots in a food processor, sprinkle over a tsp of cumin, toss with 1/4 cup of orange juice, olive oil, s&p and toss with fresh cilantro leaves & diced stems

———————————————
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Sage, Thyme and Olive Oil - 1 pound each of parsnips & carrots roughly chopped into sticks, 1 bunch each of fresh sage and thyme removed from stems and roughly chopped. Put the carrots in a roasting pan, toss over the fresh herbs, pour a well of olive oil into your hand and rub the carrots, parsnips and herbs on all sides. Grind over S&P. Roast at 400 for 40-60 mins to desired doneness. ———————————————
Everything but the Bagel - on our Carrots
This recipe relies on the spice mix from Trader Joe’s - Prepare the carrots as listed above but instead of the herbs, when they are halfway through roasting sprinkle over the “Everything but the Bagel” spice mix. Trust me - it’s awesome.