Back to school with British Carrots

The bell has rung on summer and it's time to get back into the school routine. For many busy mums that means the dreaded dilemma of the lunch box - how to pack the necessary nutrition into something that the kids will actually eat. The simple carrot could just be mum's magic ingredient!

As the nation's favourite vegetable1 consumers crunch their way through an amazing 700,000 tonnes of carrot a year - that's around 100 carrots per person. Fortunately, their popularity extends to children, with many citing it as their favourite vegetable. However, for any awkward little darlings who refuse to eat carrot, the promise of the power of night vision might just sway it! There is scientific proof supporting the old wives' tale that carrots help you to see in the dark. Carrots are packed with Beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is vital for healthy vision as it is transformed into a purple pigment called rhodopsin in the retina, and this pigment is essential for vision in dim light.

Many of Britain's children are actually deficient in Vitamin A; the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People 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.2 This is worrying as vitamin A is not only necessary for healthy vision but it aids the growth of healthy bones and teeth and is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system.

In addition, carrots are packed with fibre, which helps to keep the digestive system healthy, they balance blood glucose (sugar) levels and keep your child feeling fuller for longer, making carrots a fantastic, healthy snack.

There are so many delicious ways to include carrot in a child's packed lunch and just half a medium sized carrot counts as one of their 5-A-DAY.

Carrot sticks are the obvious accompaniment to your child's favourite dip and are equally delicious grated into a sandwich to bolster their usual filling of houmous, cheese or tuna mayo but other scrumptious ideas to get your kids eating more carrots are:
· Fill jacket potatoes with a mixture of grated carrot and Red Leicester cheese.
· Add grated carrots to salad and toss with all the other ingredients.
· Add grated carrots into pasta sauce and serve for lunch as a cold pasta salad.
· If coleslaw is a hit, add extra grated carrot to your regular brand and pot up for lunch.
· Mix mashed carrots with mashed potato, then use to top cottage pie or fish pie.

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