Carrots are a root vegetable and have been enjoyed for thousands of years. They help keep your eyesight keen, help your night vision, and even help with digestive problems! A half cup of cooked carrots only have 2g net carbs - and have 2g of fiber!

Back in the original days around year zero, carrots were not high on the flavor list, but they are FULL of nutritional benefits. People would cook them in a stew with meats and other items. Over time, carrots have been bred to be more colorful and more flavorful. In modern times you can even get "baby carrots" which are specifically bred to be tasty and nicely textured.

Carrots work perfectly in just about any meat stew you might make. You can also shred carrots over a salad to add both visual interest and a nice crunchy texture to the dish. Many soups can benefit from small carrot chunks added in.

Yes, it's great that they are relatively low carb - but the real benefit here is that they are extremely nutritious. Carrots are most famous for their Vitamin A - it is rather easy to get your full dose of Vitamin A by eating a reasonable sized portion of carrots. Beta-carotene is part of the Vitamin A family. You also get a nice dose of Vitamin C as well. Keep that scurvy at bay!

The fiber in the carrots is very nice for your digestive system, keeping your stomach working properly. There are antioxidants in carrots to keep your skin healthy. Heck, they even think that carrots might help fight breast cancer!

So the key here is really to include carrots in your weekly meal plans. There are numerous ways to include carrots in a variety of meals. Start each lunch and dinner with a salad, topped with carrot shavings. Incorporate soups into your meals - soups are great for you, filling, and tend to be very low carb. Stews in the crock pot are super easy to make, are ready the moment you get home for dinner, and carrots work wonderfully in them.

Don't forget to check out the relative of the carrot - the parsnip! They can be tasty as well.