Dr Carrot is Back!

During the Second World War, the Ministry of Food developed a cartoon character called Dr. Carrot as part of an educational campaign to show people how to eat healthily during rationing. Today as we struggleagainst an obesity epidemic and harsh economic times, The British Carrot Growers’ Association has decided to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Carrot and work with TV’s Dr. Christian Jessen to echo his words of advice. “Dr. Carrot was a well loved character who promoted healthy-eating messages to keep the nation fit during the dark days of war”, says Dr. Christian. “I’m delighted to be reintroducing him on behalf of the British Carrot Growers’ Association. Together we’ll get Britain healthy by revisiting Dr. Carrot’s advice which is as relevant in 2011 as it was in the 1940s!”    

The Dr. Carrot character carried a bag of vitamin A as the Ministry of Food recognised the value of the carrot in providing high levels of this vital vitamin. Dr. Christian explains: “Carrots are packed with beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A by the body.  This vitamin is essential for growth, healthy bones, teeth, hair and skin, for an effective immune system as well as good vision. Research* has shown that many of this country’s youngsters and indeed adults have lower levels of vitamin A intakes than is ideally necessary.  

But an 80g serving of cooked carrot – that’s just half a medium sized carrot – contains more than twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin A equivalent needed by adults.  It really couldn’t be easier to eat yourself healthier with carrots.” To support the new Dr. Carrot Campaign, Dr. Christian has developed two delicious family recipes, Carrot & Lemon Thyme Risotto and Bean & Carrot Patties (see below).  Not only are they extremely tasty but with a single carrot costing only 8p, they provide a low cost, nutritious way to satisfy all the family.  

He has also provided some top carrot health tips to feature on the British Carrot Growers’ Association website, www.britishcarrots.co.uk and has contributed to a downloadable children’s leaflet containing kid-friendly recipes, puzzles, interesting carrot facts and the fascinating history of the carrot from its earliest known appearance in Afghanistan in the 7th Century AD to the vital role it played in Britain’s war effort (coming soon). Dr Christian adds: “There’s so much more to say about carrots. 

They’re low in calories, low in fat and saturates, naturally low in salt but high in fibre making them the perfect snack to crunch on when you’re watching your weight or that of your children.  The beta-carotene, when converted into Vitamin A, is an important nutrient for eye health – a lack of it can cause blindness - and because beta-carotene is an important antioxidant, eating carrots helps to keep your skin healthy and elastic.” Carrots are incredibly versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked.  During the Second World War carrots were promoted as a replacement for sugar in many recipes due to their natural sweetness which probably explains their popularity with children.  

If, as a mum though, you still struggle to think of ways to get your kids to eat more carrots, Dr Christian has some top tips to help make it happen:

1.     Fill jacket potatoes or sandwiches with a mixture of grated carrot and Red Leicester cheese

2.     Serve carrot sticks with favourite dips such as houmous or cheese and onion

3.     Roast carrots with other root vegetables like potatoes, parsnips and swede

4.     Add grated carrots to salad and toss with all the other ingredients

5.     Grate carrots and add to stews, casseroles, pasta sauces and curries – they’ll disintegrate into the sauce so you can’t see them

6.     If coleslaw is a hit, add extra grated carrot to you regular brand before serving (or make your own! –see Dr. Christian’s recipes below)

7.     Add extra cooked carrots to canned or cartons of soup, then liquidise before serving

8.     Mix mashed carrots with mashed potato and use to top cottage pie or fish pie 

The great thing with carrots is that research published in the European Journal of Nutrition4 showed that more beta-carotene is absorbed from cooked, puréed carrots than from raw ones so if your kids will only eat cooked carrots it’s actually a good thing! In addition, research from Ohio State University in America has found that more beta-carotene is absorbed when a fresh salad (containing carrots) is eaten with a full-fat salad dressing compared with a fat-free salad dressing as the oil actually helps to absorb the beta-carotene.  

So for once it’s ok to add that dollop of Mayo! Isn’t it ironic that during World War II, despite rationing and shortages, the British population generally had a better diet than it does today?   Perhaps now’s the time, in these days of economic uncertainty, to take a leaf from their book, and the advice of the good doctor, and eat more carrots.   For more recipe inspiration and Dr. Christian’s top carrot health tips visit www.britishcarrots.co.uk.

*The research to which Dr. Christian refers is the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People¹ that revealed that 13 per cent of 11-14 year old boys and 20 per cent of 11-14 year old girls have vitamin A intakes below the minimum amount needed for good health.  This is also true of 16 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women aged between 19 and 24².

Dr. Christian’s Family Friendly Carrot Recipes:

Carrot & Lemon Thyme Risotto

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 20-25mins

Serves 4 Per serving: 479 calories, 12.8g fat, 3.3g saturates, 0.59g salt
Counts as one of your 5-A-DAY 

1.4ltr/21/2pts hot vegetable stock made with low salt stock cube*

30ml/2tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed450g/1lb carrots, washed and coarsely grated

350g/12oz arborio rice

zest and juice1 lemona few springs of lemon thyme or 5ml 1tsp dried

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g/2oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese*

Kallo do a very low salt vegetable stock cube 

1.     Place the stock in a small pan and keep on a low heat. Heat the oil in large heavy-based pan, add the onions and saute for 2-3mins to soften without colouring. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for a further 2 mins.

2.     Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated. Add a ladleful or two of the stock to the pan, stir well then gently cook until the stock has been absorbed. Repeat until all the stock has been used and the rice is nearly tender - about 20 mins

3.     Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese and finally adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve sprinkled with a few more sprigs of thyme if liked. 

This recipe is suitable for freezing. Spoon into freezer bags in useable quantities then freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw completely before reheating in the microwave until piping hot.

Bean & Carrot Patties

Preparation time: 15 mins + cooling time

Cooking time: 35-40 mins Serves 6

Per serving: 169 calories, 4.1g fat, 0.5g saturates, 1.32g salt

Counts as two of your 5-A-DAY

1 onion, finely chopped

15ml/1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

450g/1lb carrots, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped

5ml/1tsp ground cumin

5ml/1tsp ground coriander

200ml/7floz vegetable stocksalt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (400g) can mixed or red kidney beans, drained

75g/3oz fresh wholewheat breadcrumbs

45ml/3tbsp chopped fresh coriandera

little spray olive oil or olive oil to brushrolls and salad leaves to serve 

Guilt-free Slaw

225g/8oz white cabbage, stalk removed

225g/8oz carrots, washed

half a small onion, finely chopped

60ml/4tbsp virtually fat free mayonnaise

60ml/4tbsp low fat natural yogurt

10ml/2tsp Dijon mustard 

1.     Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and saute for 2 mins. Add the garlic, carrots, cumin and coriander and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the stock, season well and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10-15 mins or until the carrots are tender. Leave to cool.

2.     Drain the liquid from the carrots. Then use a potato masher to mash them until lump free. Add the drained beans and mash again until a rough mash is formed. Stir in the breadcrumbs and coriander. Mix well and adjust the seasoning to taste.

3.     When cold, divide the mixture into six then use wet hands to shape each piece into a round pattie about 2.5cm/1in thick. The patties can be chilled at this point if you’re not serving them straight away.

4.     Preheat the oven to 220oC/Fan200oC/425oF/Gas Mark 7 and put a large baking sheet in to preheat. Spray or brush a little oil on both sides of the patties then place them on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins or until pale golden.

5.     To make the coleslaw, finely shred the cabbage, coarsely grate the carrots and mix together in a large bowl with the onion. Add the mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard and mix thoroughly.

Chill until required. If liked serve patties in a toasted bun with the coleslaw. This recipe is suitable for freezing. At the end of step 3, place the patties on a paper lined baking tray and freeze until solid. Wrap in bags then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in a single layer on a baking tray before cooking as above. 

References:¹  National Diet and Nutrition Survey:  Young People Aged 4-18 Years. 2000.² National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Adults Aged 19-64 Years. Volume 2, 2003³ Mintel May 20014 European Journal of Nutrition, Volume 42, Number 6, 2003.5 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 80, Number 2, 2004. 

Nutrition information is based on McCance and Widdowson, The Composition of Foods, 6th Edition.  Values are for ‘old carrots, boiled in unsalted water’.