The New Complete Book of Food

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r Carrots

Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Low

Protein: Moderate

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: High

Fiber: High

Sodium: Moderate

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A

Major mineral contribution: Potassium

About the Nutrients in This Food

Carrots are high-fiber food, roots whose crispness comes from cell walls

stiffened with the insoluble dietary fibers cellulose and lignin. Carrots also

contain soluble pectins, plus appreciable amounts of sugar (mostly sucrose)

and a little starch. They are an extraordinary source of vitamin A derived

from deep yellow carotenoids (including beta-carotene).

One raw carrot, about seven inches long, has two grams of dietary

fiber and 20,250 IU vitamin A (nine times the RDA for a woman, seven

times the RDA for a man).

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food

Cooked, so that the cellulose- and hemicellulose-stiffened cell walls

of the carrot have partially dissolved and the nutrients inside are more

readily available.

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food

Disaccharide-intolerance diet (for people who are sucrase- and/or

invertase-deficient)

Low-fiber diet

Low-sodium diet (fresh and canned carrots)