Make Sure You Don't Go Bump In the Night This Halloween

Tuesday 29th September 2009

Not only will carrots help you see in the dark, but they can be made into great party fare.

Guard yourself against "things that go bump in the night" with our spooky Halloween x-ray vision carrot party menu. Not only will carrots help you see in the dark, but they can be made into great party fare.

Why not get the kids to "give you a hand"� creating Frankenstein Fingers from baby carrots, using flaked almonds as finger nails and assembling them into a pot of slimy green guacamole. Sheep's eyes are a doddle too, simply top the sliced carrots with a blob of sour cream and then sliced grapes or olives and arrange the eyes in pairs on a serving plate. Kids will love decorating Spooky Carrot Muffins with iced spiders, pumpkins and ghosts and they'll be great for any trick or treaters too. Jacket potatoes with chilli lamb and carrot topping are another delicious party option for children and adults alike. And they're all dead easy to prepare.

What's more these devilish delights are packed with carrot goodness. They are brimming with the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. In fact, of all fruit and vegetables, carrots are actually the best source of beta-carotene - an 80g serving contains more than twice the recommended daily amount (RDA) needed by adults. Vitamin A aids the growth of healthy bones and teeth and is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Carrots are also high in fibre, naturally low in fat and saturates and count as one of your five-a-day.

So what are you waiting for? Hop on your broomsticks, don your pointy hats and get carrot crunching this Halloween.