Katie-Kate's Kitchen: Rabbit Food

After a couple of weeks of re-visiting fruits and veggies I've already introduced, along with a couple of new foods, I thought it was time to once again introduce a new veggie. Lots of my in-real-life mommy friends tried carrots with babies much younger than my son, so it was on my radar. And I was already buying some at the grocery for a dish I'm making later this week!

Carrots are famous for being high in beta carotene and Vitamin A. I can vividly remember my dad telling me to eat my carrots because "they're good for your eyes". Didn't help me much since I am now blind as a bat, but that doesn't mean that carrots are still super good for you! Vitamin A, in addition to being good for eye development, is a key component of an infant's developing diet. Carrots are also packed with Vitamin C and calcium!

When choosing carrots, look for sprouting on the top and "hairs" growing along the entire root. Both indicate that the carrot has been around for a while and you should pass it over in favor of a younger version! Also, beware the "baby carrot"! Momtastic says:

"'Baby' carrots are the product of modern technology and are specially formed by a machine that cuts them out from full sized older carrots. Some 'growers' add green food coloring at the 'stem' for further effect. One way to tell if a baby carrot is truly a baby carrot is to read its packaging. The common 'baby carrots' sold in the grocery store will actually say 'baby cut' carrots.

Baby cut carrots are cleansed in a solution that often contains chlorine so that they will not turn white while in the package. Skip these carrots and opt to peel and cut your own, especially if you will be making carrot baby food!"

Carrots are best stored in the 'fridge to retain flavor, crispness, and beta carotene. When preparing, steaming is the cooking method which will create a more bio-available beta carotene, ready for the body to use right away.