Ways On How To Get More Carrots Into Your Diet To Increase Greater Nutrition

Knowing about all their beneficial antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-prevention effects, you’re probably excited to get all the great health benefits out of these root vegetables. And they add a touch of color to your plate.

But each color of carrot has a little something different to offer. The purple variety has polyacetylenes, which also have anti-inflammatory properties. You’ll find the most lutein in the yellow variety. Orange carrots have lots of alpha- and beta-carotene, while black carrots are rich in phenolic compounds. And red carrots have high amounts of lycopene.

But which way to eat them: Raw or cooked? Mix it up throughout the week. There are benefits to eating carrots both raw and cooked. Raw carrots have a lower glycemic index, and more vitamin C. Cooking carrots break down the vegetable’s thick cellular walls, which makes the antioxidants easier to absorb.  And mix up the color of carrots too.

Here are some of these ideas for adding more carrots (and color) into your diet for greater nutrition:

• Add shredded or chopped raw carrots to overnight oats, salads, or slaws, and fold them into nut butter.
• Use whole or cut, raw carrots to scoop up dip, olive tapenade, and tahini, or add them to fresh pressed juices or smoothies.
• To cook, steam carrots or toss them into your favorite stir fry, soup, veggie chili, or stew.
• They’re also amazing oven-roasted, brushed with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, or prepared with a glaze made from water-thinned pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and fresh, grated ginger root.
• Enjoy carrots as a snack with edamame “guacamole” or hummus.
• Carrots can even be incorporated into desserts, including carrot cake, of course, as well as carrot pie (think pumpkin or sweet potato, but with carrots!), carrot cookies, whoopie pies, dark chocolate truffles, and even carrot ice cream.