For International Carrot day, Thursday 4th April, we are celebrating one of our great British vegetables which is so versatile – we’ve pulled together some interesting carrot facts and a healthy smoothie recipe. We love carrots because they can be enjoyed raw as a snack, in smoothies, stir fry, roasted, sauteed, steamed, in soups and even in cakes, to name just a few options.
Carrots have many health benefits including supporting a healthy heart and eyes, a good source of antioxidants, supporting healthy teeth and gums, treating wounds, improving brain health and cognitive functions, supporting better digestion, supporting healthy hair and skin and lowering the risk of developing diabetes. Carrots contain vitamin A, beta carotene, antioxidants, and other nutrients which can help reduce the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Carrots make an excellent addition to smoothies, so why not experiment with carrot recipes for International Carrot Day. Here’s one we love:
Carrot Smoothie recipe
- Large ripe bananas x 3 (peeled)
- Apples, peeled and cored – x 2
- Small chunk of grated fresh ginger
- Ground turmeric – half teaspoon
- Raw carrots x 3 (Wash but don’ t peel)
- The juice of half a lemon squeezed
Prepare all of the above, put in a blender and whizz until smooth – and enjoy!
If you don’t have all the ingredients above you could substitute other fruit like oranges, pineapple etc. Experiment and explore what flavours you enjoy. You can also leave out any ingredients you don’t like! The important thing is to enjoy raw carrots so you get all the nutrients which can be destroyed with cooking.
We’d love to hear from you. What are your favourite recipes for carrots? What would you add to a carrot smoothie to make it taste even better?
