Carrots

[KraftMan]

1 – are carrots healthier raw or cooked
2 – can you actually eat the peel?

[ChefMel]

I read somewhere that carrots are healthier cooked. Don't know if that's right

[suzieQ]

I think that they are healthy both ways. I think the only trouble with cooking them (especially if you boil them) is that you boil out the nutrients. As for eating them raw, I think you need to eat a bit of fat with them to get the most benefit from them, or something like that. Which is why it's a good idea to include something in a salad (for instance) that has fat like a bit of cheese or avacado or salad dressing, etc. As for eating the peel...I have no idea if you can or not, but I don't think it would taste very good.

[Firefly77]

I'm pretty sure that carrots are equally healthy whether you eat them raw or cooked, as long as you prepare them properly.

As for the peel, the answer is, yes, you can eat the peel. There is nothing dangerous about the peel. It's just as healthy as eating the rest of the carrot. That said, there are a couple of things that you should keep in mind if you do want to eat the peel. First - make sure you wash it well to get off any dirt. Secondly, keep in mind that if you do decide to peel the carrot, you haven't lost any of the nutrients. The peel isn't any healthier than the rest of the carrot.

Finally, if you are concerned about pesticides, peeling the carrot will not do anything to protect you from chemicals that may have been used to treat the soil in which the carrots were grown. If chemicals got into the carrot, it's in the whole carrot, not just the peel. If pesticides are a concern for you and this is why you peel your carrots, consider buying organic.

[ChristySmiles]

Thanks for all of that info, Firefly77. I also never knew if it was safe to eat carrots with the peel on! I'm going to look at carrots in a whole new way haha.

[Tony1968]

Yes, thanks Firefly77. I feel like I have gained new knowledge about carrots hahaha. I think I might not peel my carrots tonight and see how that goes. Also, in case anyone was curious, you can also eat the green tops of carrots. They're good in salad and stirfry.

[Bean]

I think it depends on how you cook them. Like suzieq said, if you boil them, you'll boil out some of the nutrients. However, if you lightly cook them in olive oil or if you steam them, you break them down so that they are easier to digest so that your body can get more of the nutrients out. Raw is still really healthy, though. Just chew them well

[PamelaPoison]

You can eat the peel but it tastes bitter