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The month of March is National Vision Awareness Month and when it comes to your vision, you’ve probably heard that eating carrots is good for your eyesight. Is there any truth to that?
Carrots do contain nutrients that can be beneficial for your eye health. They are a good source of beta carotene and lutein, antioxidants that can help prevent eye damage. Beta carotene (found in many red, orange, and yellow vegetables and fruits) gets converted into vitamin A, which can help prevent night blindness. Lutein may protect against age-related macular degeneration.
Carrots can also improve our health in other ways. They’re a good source of fiber to support our digestive health, and lycopene to protect our heart and skin.
Now that I’ve opened your eyes to the many benefits of consuming carrots, here are a couple of my favorite recipes that can help you incorporate them into your diet. Either one would make a great addition to your Easter table:
Carrot Salad
- 1 - 5 oz. container plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- Juice from ½ a lemon (approx. 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 lb. shredded carrots
- ¾ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds (or chopped nuts)
Whisk the yogurt, lemon juice and honey in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add carrots, cranberries and sunflower seeds and stir to combine. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour before serving. Tastes better the next day! Makes 8 servings: 128 calories, 20g carbs, 4g fat, 5g protein, 6g fiber each serving.
Roasted Carrots
- 1 lb. carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 t. garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add garlic powder, orange juice, olive oil and honey to the bottom of a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in salt and pepper. Add carrots to bowl and toss until carrots are coated with the liquids. Spread carrots on the parchment paper with space between each piece. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Check and stir halfway through baking. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings: 92 calories, 15g carb, 4g fat, 1g protein, 3g fiber each serving.
- Sherry DeWalt is a healthy lifestyles coordinator with the CGH Health Foundation.