Carrots

Healing Foods

Carrots

Any way you color them, carrots are packed with an arsenal of antioxidant defense

Perhaps Bugs Bunny should have been a nutritionist. After all, his food of choice is a smart pick. Carrots, a member of the parsley family, contain a wealth of beta-carotene, which provides protection against age-related cataracts. The root veggies are also rich in vitamins C and K, potassium, and fiber. Deliciously sweet rainbow carrots, born from heirloom yellow, purple, and red seeds, contain several different disease-thwarting antioxidants (including lycopene and lutein), making them worth seeking out at farmers’ markets.

Choose It & Use It
Look for firm carrots that are free of cracks. If you buy them with greens attached, trim the greens to 1 inchthey rob the carrots of water, causing limpness. Shred carrots into baked goods, purée into soups, and roast with herbs. But try to save the chopping for the last step; U.K. scientists discovered that cutting carrots after cooking reduces their loss of the anticancer compound falcarinol by 25 percent.

get the recipes

Chickpea Tagine with Cinnamon, Cumin, and Carrots

North African cooking often features cinnamon in both savory dishes and desserts. Carrots and raisins make this a slightly sweet stew that’s best served with a dollop of “sour” Greek-style yogurt to complement the flavors.

Steamed Baby Carrots with Orange-Dill Butter

Tossing hot carrots with a touch of butter, dill, and orange juice and zest yields delectable results. Vary the flavors by using lemon or lime in place of the orange and tarragon or cilantro instead of dill. Holiday prep tip: this dish needs to be made just before serving, but

Sweet & Spicy Carrot Bisque

This recipe, created by Aylene Lambert, won Best Soup in VT’s 2011 Chef Challenge. Lambert got the idea for this soup while trekking across England with her husband. "We were at this lodge in the middle of nowhere, expecting pretty basic English food," she says. "Instead, they had