Health Articles

Topics presented by our Food & Nutrition Department Dietitian.

---

CARROTS ~ The Color is Everything

Have you ever wondered what makes carrots orange? The plant pigment that gives carrots and other vegetables their vivid orange color is Beta-Carotene. Fruits and Vegetables that are yellow/orange in color contain Beta-Carotene and carrots are one of the vegetables richest in Beta-Carotene. Our bodies convert Beta-Carotene into Vitamin A.
One carrot supplies enough Beta-Carotene to meet our daily requirement for Vitamin A. In fact, one carrot has 220% of the Vitamin A we need every day! Carrots are also a source of fiber, potassium and Vitamin C.
You can learn about the nutritional value of other vegetables, fruits, and which fruits and vegetables are good sources of Vitamin A by visiting the Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Center in this WWW site.

Why Do We Need Beta-Carotene/Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is important for good eyesight, especially at night. It helps our eyes adjust to the dark. Vitamin A also helps fight infection and keeps our skin and hair healthy. Beta-Carotene has important health benefits and may reduce our risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Just ask Healthy Buddy to show you how Vitamin A keeps the body healthy -- Check out H.B.'s Body Shop on the 5 A Day Adventures CD-ROM

Carrots - An Easy Way to Eat Your 5 A Day

• Carrots are great for snacking, adding to salads and for cooking. Mini-peeled carrots are super convenient because they are ready-to-eat right out of the bag! You can snack on carrots anywhere, anytime.
• In the Land of 5 A Day, all of us keep a bag of mini-peeled carrots next to our computers. So, when we get the munchies, we eat a handful of mini-peeled carrots. Crunchy and delicious!
• Just one handful of mini-peeled carrots counts as one serving of your "5 A Day."
  One medium fresh carrot counts as one serving of your "5 A Day," pick one that is bright orange in color.
  1/2 cup of cooked carrots equals one serving of your "5 A Day"
• Another important reason to eat carrots, and other fruits and vegetables that are yellow/orange in color every day, is because at least one serving of your "5 A Day" should be a fruit or vegetable high in Vitamin A.
  So, color is everything!

5 Carrot Tips

• The bright orange color of carrots tell you they're an excellent source of Vitamin A.
• V itamin A is important for good eyesight, especially at night. Vitamin A helps your body fight infection, and keeps your skin and hair healthy!
• Mini-peeled carrots are great snack with a low-fat dip
• One handful of Mini-Peeled carrots or one medium fresh carrot counts as one serving of your 5 A Day.
• Carrots are crunchy and delicious! Pick carrots that are smooth, firm and well-shaped and bright orange to orange-red in color.
  

Information from: The California Fresh Carrot Advisory Board