CARROTS
Stacey Lambert
Description
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•
•
•
Orange, white, yellow, red, or purple.
Thick, fleshy, deeply colored root.
Grow underground.
Feathery leaves that emerge above ground.
Description
• Carrots can be as small as two inches or as
long as three feet.
• There are over 100 different varieties.
(whfoods, March 7, 2006)
History
• Cultivated in central
Asian and middle
eastern countries.
• Further cultivated and
developed in
Afghanistan.
• Spread through
Mediterranean, used
by Greeks for medical
use.
History
• 17th century-Europeans cultivated different
varieties of carrots.
• 1800s-North American colonies were
introduced to carrots.
-Became 1st vegetable to be canned.
• Today-France, England, Poland, china, and
Japan are the largest producers of carrots.
(whfoods, March 7, 2006)
Consumption
• Use of fresh market carrots totaled 10.2 lbs.
per person in 1996 (up 23% since 1990).
• Use of carrots for freezing totaled 2.8 lbs.
per person in 1996 ( up 22% since 1990).
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/AgOutlook/nov1997/ao246c.pdf
(Agricultural Outlook, Nov. 1997)
Nutrients
Potassium- 177mg.
Sodium- 51.5 mg.
Calcium- 24mg.
Phosphorus- 23.4mg.
Magnesium- 10mg.
Iron- .48mg.
Beta-carotene-19,152IU
Vitamin C- 1.8mg.
Niacin- .4mg.
Folate- 11mcg.
Pantothenic Acid- .2mg.
(Health Alternatives, 2000)
Nutrients
(beta caroteen)
How to Prepare Carrots
• Wash carrot roots by scrubbing with a
vegetable brush.
• Peeling is unnecessary unless the carrots are
old, thick or not grown organically.
• Cut the stem if it is green.
How to Prepare Carrots
• Carrots can be eaten raw, or cooked,
chopped or shredded.
http://hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?id=8
73&hlite=true&querytext=carrots#preparation
(whfoods, March 7, 2006)
Recipes
• Use of fresh market carrots totaled 10.2 lbs.
per person in 1996 (up 23% since 1990).
• Use of carrots for freezing totaled 2.8 lbs.
per person in 1996 ( up 22% since 1990).
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/AgOutlook/nov1997/ao246c.pdf
(Agricultural Outlook, Nov. 1997)
Health Benefits
• Antioxidant compounds
-protects against cardiovascular disease and
cancer
-promotes good vision, especially night
vision
http://healthalternatives2000.com/vegchart.htm
(whfoods, March 7, 2006)
Powers
• Greeks used carrots as a love potion
• The Roman emperor believed the Greek
story of the love potion.
• He forced the entire Senate to eat carrots so
he could see them “in rut like wild beasts”.
Powers
• European doctors prescribed carrots for
everything from sexual maladies to snake
bite.
• The British Royal Air Force were fed
carrots to improve their night vision. They
believe it enabled them to hide their radar
from the Germans in WWII.
http://www.soupsong.com/fcarrot.html
Bibliography
Agricultural Outlook. November 1997. Economic Research Service/USDA.
Retrieved on March 7, 2006 from website:
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publicoptions/AgOutlook/nov1997/ao246c.pdf.
All About Carrots. Hormel Foods. Retrieved on March 9, 2006 form website:
http://hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?id=873&hlite=true&q
uerytext=carrots.
Carrots (Daucus Carota). Retrieved on March 9, 2006 from website:
http://www.soupsongcom/fcarrot.html
Carrot Recipes. Abigail Gordon. Retrieved on March 7, 2006 from website:
http://www.geocities.com/green_cache/carrot_recipes.html
Health Alternatives 2000. Dr. Decuypere. 2000. Retrieved on March 9, 2006 from
website: http://healthalternatives2000.com/vegchart.html
The World’s Healthiest Foods. Retrieved on March 7, 2006 from website:
http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?pfriendly=1&tname=foodspice&dbid=21