In the spotlight - Carrots

As you've probably come to realise, I'm all for experimentation with food and that extends to my blog too. So after eight months of "in the spotlight" as a collection of facts about a chosen fruit or veg, it's time for a change. I'll still be spotlighting a fruit or veg each week, but I'll be focusing in on one aspect to provide more detail. Let me know what you think of the new approach, as this blog is for you as much as me. We can always go back to the old style if preferred, but like trying any new food it can take a number of exposures to something new to make up your mind whether you like it or not. So let's get things started with my guinea pig - carrots and what the truth is about their role in eyesight.

Carrots help you see in the dark don't they?

While people may have been encouraged to eat carrots in World War II to help them see in the blackout and the veg were heralded as the reason for the success of the RAF, the truth behind this is questionable. In reality carrots were one of the few foods in plentiful supply during the war, in fact there was a surplus, so to encourage people to turn to this food and prevent wastage, the Government provided a good reason for them to do so. And the RAF's success was related more to radar than any carrots they may have eaten, so Government propaganda is nothing new.

Why might there be some truth in this?
Carrots are rich in Beta-carotene, which your body converts to Vitamin A. There is no recommendation for Beta-carotene intake in the UK, but the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A is 600 micrograms for women and 700 micrograms for men. The last National Diet and Nutrition Survey showed that for both men and women of working age the average intake of Vitamin A from food sources exceeded these recommendations, with older adults having higher intakes still. That said, there were still people who fell short, with 2.5% of the sample managing only to achieve a third of their recommended intake for Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is converted to retinal and used by the rods and cones of the retina (the light receptors at the back of the eye) for vision when light is limited, as in the dark, and for colour. Deficiency of Vitamin A does indeed affect vision and is the leading cause of blindness in developing countries. However, when dietary intake of Beta-Carotene and Vitamin A are adequate, eating extra does not provide any improvement in vision. In fact the conversion of Beta-Carotene to Vitamin A slows down the more that you consume, so not only will you not see any improvement in your vision, but your skin will take on an orange pigment. So like everything, carrots are best eaten in moderation and variety is the key when it comes to including fruit and veg in your diet.

A stew wouldn't be the same without chunks of carrot and when grated they certainly brighten up a salad, but how else can they be eaten?

• Roast carrots with parsnips in a honey and mustard dressing.
• Serve carrot sticks along with batons of cucumber, celery and pepper to dip into hummus - Beta-carotene is a fat soluble vitamin, so the fat from the sesame seeds and oil in the hummus help with its absorption; for this reason if you make a tomato salsa, add a little oil.
• Mix grated carrot and beetroot with raisins to make a side dish for a salad and finish with a drizzle of orange juice and olive oil.
• A favourite soup of mine is carrot, tomato, chilli and ginger - so easy, especially if you use chopped tomato and ground spices. Coriander and cumin also partner well with carrots.
• Grated carrot and diced onions can be mixed with extra light soft cheese for an alternative sandwich filling.
• Carrot cake makes a lovely teatime treat. See the following link for a number of recipes http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search.do?keywords=carrot+cake