Baby Carrots – Good or Bad?
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Baby Carrots—To Eat Or Not To Eat
Most of you might already know that baby carrots are not “real” baby carrots. They were originally shaped into these little sizes by a farmer named Mike Yurosek, who didn’t want to see “deformed”, broken and imperfect carrots go to waste. So he had them cut and shaped into “baby carrots”. That is why if you noticed, baby carrots are all perfectly uniform in size, shape and color.
Nowadays, baby carrots are no longer shaped from broken or imperfect carrots, but carrots are especially grown just for this—to be cut into baby carrots.
In the process of shaping them, the carrot skin is also shaved off, causing them to be without their protective skin that prevents them from premature rotting and bacterial attack.
Remember that most nutrients are derived from just under the carrot skin — now, you’ve just lost some nutrients from these carrots. And, now that it doesn’t have the protective layer, FDA requires that the baby carrots be dipped into CHLORINE to disinfect them from bacteria. So, are baby carrots a “healthy” choice?
I checked what both Dr Mercola and Dr Andrew Weil had to say. Both are renowned alternative health advocators whom I respect. I tend to agree more with Dr Mercola. Dr Mercola says that chlorine is dangerous and carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Dr Weil thinks that baby carrots are fine to eat.
Some people think that chlorine is no big deal. So what, you’re exposed to tap water and swimming pool water which are all chlorinated, why should you worry about this little chlorine? Chlorine content in drinking water and swimming pool water is about 2-4 ppm. For dipping these baby carrots, about 50-150 ppm chlorine is used.
What I Think About Baby Carrots
- Baby carrots have less nutrients than full-grown, “normal” carrots.
- They have been dipped and processed in chemical baths to preserve them from spoiling, and to maintain their color, therefore, I would prefer not to eat them.
- They cost more than “normal” carrots.
- They have less taste than “normal” carrots.
- I suggest, buy normal carrots (preferably organic) and cut them up yourself, into your desired convenient sizes.
Read about the health benefits of carrots here.
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