Are carrots considered a staple food or a vegetable? How to choose carrots

Carrots have a very high nutritional value and are called "little ginseng". They can be eaten raw without peeling, or cooked, steamed, or stir-fried. They are rich in carotene, protein, fat, vitamin C, and carbohydrates. Are carrots considered staple foods or vegetables? How to choose carrots? You will know after reading this article!

Contents of this article

1. Is carrot considered a staple food or a vegetable?

2. How to choose carrots

3. Are carrots alkaline or acidic?

Are carrots considered a staple food or a vegetable?

Carrots are vegetables. Carrots contain 9.58 grams of starch per 100 grams, which is very low and almost negligible, so it is destined not to be a staple food. Secondly, carrots have a high water content and are easily metabolized, so they have a poor sense of fullness and can generally only be eaten as a vegetable.

Carrot is also called red radish and carrot.

Carrots have very high nutritional value and are called "little ginseng".

Carrots are rich in carotene, protein, fat, vitamin C, carbohydrates, vitamin B, and trace elements such as calcium, iron, and copper.

How to choose carrots

There are several aspects to check when choosing carrots: first, the smaller the core of the carrot, the better the quality; second, carrots with orange-yellow exterior and shiny surface are relatively fresh; third, for carrots of similar size, the heavier the better; fourth, do not buy carrots with cracks on the skin; try to choose those that are intact and smooth.

Carrots are annual or biennial herbs. The fruit is conical in shape and orange-red or yellow in color. When choosing carrots, it is best to choose medium to small ones, which have better moisture and maturity and taste better.

Carrots are native to western Asia and were introduced to China via Iran in the 12th century. They have strong adaptability to the environment and are easy to cultivate. They are grown in many places in my country. They are usually sown in February in spring and harvested from May to July, and in July in autumn and harvested from November to December.

Carrots are rich in nutrients such as carotene, vitamins, anthocyanins, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, etc. They can be washed, peeled and eaten raw, or they can be cooked by boiling, steaming, stir-frying or other cooking methods.

Are carrots alkaline or acidic?

Carrots are alkaline. The so-called alkaline food is classified according to the final metabolites of food in the human body. If the sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions and calcium ions produced after food metabolism are more, it is easy to produce more alkali in the body, forming an alkaline reaction. Because carrots contain more rare elements such as potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium, they are called "alkaline foods."

Other alkaline foods include winter melon, tomatoes, apples, peaches, strawberries, peas, kelp, and seaweed.

Acidic foods include pork, beef, peanuts, rice, wheat, bread, biscuits, desserts, etc.

In daily life, we should pay attention to the acid-base balance of the food we consume every day. Only when the acid-base balance is achieved can the body be in a healthy state.