International Carrot Day (April 4): For healthy eyes worldwide

Carrots are good for your eyes. But why, exactly?

“Carrots are good for your eyes.” Almost everyone has heard this saying and it’s true. Carrots contain important nutrients that support healthy vision.

But why is that?
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a substance that your body converts into vitamin A. This vitamin is essential for:

Seeing well, especially in low light
Keeping the cornea healthy
Supporting the function of the retina
Vitamin A helps your eyes convert light into images.

Carrots owe their orange color to beta-carotene, a so-called provitamin A, which plays a crucial role in the eye. It is needed for the proper functioning of the rods and cones in the retina and for the protein rhodopsin, which helps you see in low-light conditions.

A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to night blindness and, in severe cases, even blindness. That’s why a healthy diet including carrots and other fruits and vegetables is so important.

In short: vitamin A helps your eyes turn light into images.

But for millions of people worldwide, this is not a given.

Why International Carrot Day is so important to us

In countries like Cambodja, Vietnam, Laos, Nepal en Tanzania , we see the daily impact of limited access to eye care and proper nutrition. A lack of vitamin A can lead to:

Night blindness
Dry eyes
In severe cases: permanent blindness

Children are especially at risk. Through our work, we help ensure that people:

Gain access to eye care
Receive education about nutrition and health
Can preserve or regain their sight

International Carrot Day (April 4) is a moment for us to reflect on something simple with a powerful impact: nutrition can protect vision.

Because I Carrot: taste the world, support eye care

To celebrate International Carrot Day, we created the Because I Carrot recipe booklet.

In this booklet, you’ll find vegetarian and vegan carrot recipes from the countries where we work:

And a recipe from the Netherlands

The recipes range from soups to burgers and cake. They are easy to make and perfect to prepare together especially with children. All recipes are created by international (online) chefs, including The Vegan Effect and Feel Good by Food.

Would you like to contribute and enjoy delicious dishes at the same time?

Download Because I Carrot for free and discover flavors from around the world.

Celebrate International Carrot Day with us by:

Preparing a dish from the recipe booklet
Sharing your cooking creations on social media using the hashtags: #BecauseICarrot #carrotrecipes #EyeCareFoundation

Of course, you’re welcome to do this on any other day of the year too—please do! Enjoy your meal!

Downloadthe recipe booklet for free

Help restore sight

For many people, good vision is not a given. Millions are unnecessarily blind or visually impaired, even though this can often be treated with something as simple as a pair of glasses or cataract surgery.

With your support, we can:

Perform cataract and other eye surgeries.
Provide glasses.
Treat and prevent eye diseases.
Raise awareness about the importance of proper eye care.

Would you like to support our work with a donation? Donate today and help someone regain their sight.

donate here