New research from a UK university. has found that we can all save ourselves some valuable time in the kitchen by not chopping the vegetables – well, carrots at least. Apparently, carrots that are cooked whole rather than diced retain more of their nutritional value after cooking and can better protect us from a range of diseases.

One wonders if the researchers from the University of Newcastle had some spare time on their hands when they discovered this new gem of information. According to them, cooking a carrot whole allows it to retain 25% more of the compound falcarinol, which is an antioxidant thought to be a good cancer-fighter.

In addition to being healthier for you, cooking before cutting also keeps the carrot's sugar intact, making them taste even better.

Kirsten Brandt from the university team said: “Chopping up your carrots increases the surface area so more of the nutrients leach out into the water while they are being cooked. By cooking them whole and chopping them up afterwards you are locking in both taste and nutrients. We all want to try to improve our health and diet by getting the right nutrients and eating our five-a-day.”

The team presented their findings in Lille, France today and at a blind tasting, 80% of people said that the carrots that had been cooked whole tasted better than those that had been diced before boiling.