Carrot is sweet, earthy and firm, and it holds its shape through long cooking. It goes into the soup bases for bone broth, daikon spare ribs and Italian wedding soup, into beef stew and cottage pie, and, shredded, into the pineapple carrot cake. Cut pieces to the same size so they finish together, and grate cake carrots finely.
Not a common allergen. It is not on the UK list of 14 foods that must be declared on labels.
How to serve Carrot to babies
6–8 months
Batons
Steam batons until soft enough to squash. Never raw.
9–11 months
Bite-size pieces
Soft-cooked pieces as the pincer grasp develops.
12–24 months
Batons
Still cooked soft. Raw carrot is a choking risk until about 3 years.
Watch out for
Prepare it rightunder 36 months
Hard raw fruit and vegetables are a choking risk. Grate, mash, steam or simmer them, or cut into slices rather than small chunks.
NHS Best Start in Life: preparing food safely for babies
Per 100 g from CoFID (13-140); USDA FDC (170393). Weaning guidance from NHS. Not medical advice.
TCM benefits of Carrot
胡蘿蔔 · hú luó bo
How carrot is seen in traditional Chinese food therapy. Traditional context, not medical advice.
The Bencao Gangmu classes carrot as sweet and pungent, slightly warm, and records that it reached China from the Hu lands beyond the frontier in Yuan times, hence the 胡 prefix.
The same entry links the root with the chest, stomach and intestines and, in general terms, with the five organs.
In Cantonese soup-making carrot is a gentle sweetener: it simmers with water chestnut, sugarcane and cogon root in light soups that cooks make by the potful.
Sources: 本草綱目 (Compendium of Materia Medica), 菜部, 胡蘿蔔 entry
Cooking with Carrot
Pairs well with
The ingredients that most often share a recipe with carrot on Nourishible.
Carrots cook evenly only when the pieces match, and roll chopping is the fastest way to get them there.
1Choose: Pick firm carrots that snap rather than bend, with no cracks or white dryness at the top.
2Store: Cut off any leafy tops and keep carrots in the fridge drawer.
3Prep: Trim both ends, halve the carrot lengthways, then halve each piece again. Cut across into small chunks with a roll chop, keeping the tip of the knife on the board and pushing down and forward.
4Cook: Cut to the same size and they finish together. Roasting at high heat browns the edges and concentrates the sweetness, while steaming keeps the colour bright.
Video: “Chopping a carrot - Jamie Oliver's Home Cooking Skills” by Jamie Oliver on YouTube.
Answers are drawn from the sources named on this page. Not medical or veterinary advice.
When can babies eat carrot?+
The earliest stage on this page is 6–8 months: Steam batons until soft enough to squash. Never raw.
How do I cut and serve carrot for my baby?+
6–8 months (Batons): Steam batons until soft enough to squash. Never raw.
9–11 months (Bite-size pieces): Soft-cooked pieces as the pincer grasp develops.
12–24 months (Batons): Still cooked soft. Raw carrot is a choking risk until about 3 years.
Is carrot a choking hazard for babies?+
Hard raw fruit and vegetables are a choking risk. Grate, mash, steam or simmer them, or cut into slices rather than small chunks. Source: NHS Best Start in Life: preparing food safely for babies.
