Taste the Rainbow

          You may have done a double take last week when you peeked into your CSA box and saw vegetables that resembled a carrot, minus one pretty standard feature – the ORANGE color that most of us associate with this sweet and crisp veggie!
          However, these carrots are not some futuristic ploy to convince us to eat all of our vegetable servings each day.  Rather, they are a thing of the past.  Multi-colored or “rainbow” carrots have been around for thousands of years, originally used in Asia predominately for medicinal purposes.  Several hundred years ago Dutch growers planted orange carrots in the spirit of patriotism to represent the Dutch national color and the Royal Family House color (http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-for-your-home-garden/gourmet-color/a-rainbow-of-carrots.html).  And so began our recognition of today’s ordinary, orange carrot.
          All rainbow carrots have a similar nutrition profile; it’s the pigment in the plants that gives them their unique color and health properties.  ORANGE carrots contain beta-carotene which promotes healthy eyes and is important for the immune system.  RED carrots contain lycopene which we learned about a few weeks ago when toe-mah-toes were highlighted.  This pigment acts as an antioxidant and helps to prevent against heart disease and some cancers.  YELLOW carrots contain xanthophylls which form one of the major subdivisions of the carotenoid group.  These pigments also aid in the development of healthy eyes and prevent against macular degeneration.  PURPLE carrots get their characteristic color from the pigment class anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants.  Lastly, WHITE carrots lack pigment but contain other health-promoting substances called phytochemicals (USDA, 2004). 

          These multi-colored carrots can be eaten cooked or raw, and each color may carry a slightly different flavor.  Store raw carrots in the crisper section of the refrigerator to keep them fresh and crisp (CDC, Vegetable of the Month).  Give your palate some excitement by trying each of the different colors raw and cooked.   Shred them over a salad or pasta dish for a fun pop of color or cut them into strips and dip them in your favorite low fat dressing.   For a delicious and healthy side dish roast the carrots in the oven with your favorite spices (see recipe below).  If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth try incorporating the carrots into a carrot cake or muffin recipe for a splashy confetti appearance!   That counts as a serving of vegetables, right?

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Written by Alison Galzki, RD, a graduate student in the Saint Louis University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics