Celebrating Carrots

Celebrating Carrots

Having recently celebrated International Carrot Day,¹ it’s important to remember that the humble carrot is a staple root vegetable in many homes across the globe and is an extremely versatile ingredient to use in the kitchen. Carrots are native to Europe and Southwestern Asia, and it is believed that they are likely to have originated in Iran.

In Britain, approximately 700,000 tonnes of carrots are produced annually which amounts to roughly 100 carrots for every person per year.² To put this number into perspective, the total weight of the London Eye is 1,700 tonnes, so that really is a magnificent number of carrots!

A rainbow of colours

The most traditional colour of the carrot is orange, but they do in fact come in a variety of colours, known as rainbow carrots, including black, red, yellow, white, and purple. Searching for different coloured carrots could be an exciting way to liven up your plate and celebrate eating the rainbow, which can do wonders for gut health. It promotes consumption of a wider range of polyphenols. These are naturally occurring chemicals found in plants and have been shown to have many health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There are over 8,000 types of polyphenols and each type lends itself to the vibrant colours in fruits and vegetables.

Nutritional value of carrots

80g (roughly 3 heaped tablespoons) of carrots counts as 1 of your recommended 5-a-day³ and are a real nutritional powerhouse. They contain many different vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin K and calcium. We’ve put the spotlight on three more nutrients found in carrots below.

• Fibre: Carrots are a great source of dietary fibre which provides fuel for the friendly bacteria within the gut. In the UK, the recommended daily intake for fibre is 30g, however, only 9% of adults meet this recommendation.⁴ One medium-sized carrot will provide roughly 1.8g fibre. Keep the skin on too for an extra boost!
• Beta carotene: Carrots are a great source of beta-carotene. This is a nutritional compound that, once ingested, is converted into vitamin A via the liver. It is beta-carotene that is responsible for the vibrant orange colour of carrots.Myth buster: Do carrots really make you see in the dark?

This is mainly just an old wives tale that originates from a World War Two propaganda campaign, however, it does hold some truth. Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision, so it is important for eye health. Deficiency of vitamin A leads to a higher risk of night blindness (nyctalopia), so eating more carrots in order to increase vitamin A consumption could be beneficial for those experiencing deficiency.⁵ Unfortunately, for those with sufficient levels of vitamin A, consuming a surplus of carrots will not grant you with night vision superpowers!

• Vitamin C: Whilst not the first vegetable that might come to mind when thinking about vitamin C, a medium-sized carrot provides roughly 3.6mg of vitamin C, contributing nicely to the recommended daily intake of 40mg for adults aged 19 – 64 in the UK.⁶ Vitamin C has ample benefits including, but not limited to, contributing to the normal function of the immune system which communicates closely with the gut microbiome, the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and aiding iron absorption.

Here at Love Your Gut, we don’t usually need any encouragement to celebrate vegetables so why not try these tasty recipes celebrating carrots!

Love Your Gut recipe inspiration

• For something sweet: Carrot, almond and coconut cake or low fat carrot and walnut cake
• For a plant-based salad delight: Roasted baby carrot salad with walnuts, puy lentils and feta
• For a delicious, nutritious breakfast (that can be enjoyed any time of day!): Chopped up veggie breakfast
• For something simple: Enjoy a carrot in its simplest form by giving it a gentle wash and eating raw!

Top tip: Avoid food waste and get some extra nutritional goodness by using up the green carrot tops. Roast them, blend them in a sauce, or sprinkle them in a salad.

References

1. Carrot Day (2025) The Annual International Carrot Day. Available at: International Carrot Day (Accessed: 06 March 2025)
2. Great British Carrots (2025) Carrot Production Factors. Available at: Carrot Production Facts | Great British Carrots (Accessed: 11 March 2025)
3. NHS (2020) 5 A Day: what counts? Available at: 5 A Day: what counts? – NHS (Accessed: 06 March 2025)
4. The Food and Drink Federation (2024) Action on Fibre. Available at: Action on Fibre | The Food & Drink Federation (Accessed: 11 March 2025)
5. Sajovic et al. (2022) Int J Mol Sci, 23(3): 1014
6. NHS (2020) Vitamin C. Available at : Vitamins and minerals – Vitamin C – NHS (Accessed: 11 March 2025)