How Many Calories in a Carrot

Carrots are one of the lowest-calorie vegetables you can eat. On average, a medium raw carrot contains around 25 to 30 calories. That makes it an excellent snack for weight management, low-calorie diets, or clean eating plans. Carrots are naturally sweet, rich in nutrients, and low in energy density, which means you can eat a lot of volume without consuming many calories.

Calories by Size, Weight, and Type

The calorie content of a carrot depends on its size. A small carrot weighing around 50 grams contains about 20 calories. A medium-sized carrot (about 60 to 70 grams) comes in at 25 to 30 calories, while a large carrot over 100 grams can contain 40 to 50 calories. Baby carrots, often eaten as snacks, are typically around 4 calories each, depending on size and moisture content. Cooked carrots have a similar calorie content per gram as raw ones, but they are slightly more concentrated in sugars due to water loss during cooking. Purple, yellow, and white carrots have near-identical calorie values to orange varieties, with only minor differences based on sugar and fibre levels.

Nutritional Breakdown of Carrots

Carrots are low in calories and rich in complex carbohydrates, especially natural sugars like glucose and sucrose. A medium carrot typically provides around 6 grams of carbs, including 2 to 3 grams of sugar and 1.5 to 2 grams of fibre. Carrots contain no fat, a very small amount of protein, and are packed with vitamin A, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants like beta-carotene, which gives carrots their bright orange colour. These nutrients play vital roles in vision, immune function, and skin health.

Health Benefits of Carrots

Carrots support a wide range of health goals. Their high vitamin A content is essential for maintaining healthy eyesight, especially night vision. The antioxidants in carrots, including beta-carotene, help protect cells from oxidative damage and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The fibre in carrots aids digestion, supports gut health, and promotes satiety, making them effective for appetite control. Carrots also contribute to heart health due to their potassium content and ability to help lower blood pressure when included in a balanced diet.

Downsides of Carrots

There are few downsides to eating carrots, especially when consumed in reasonable quantities. Because they contain natural sugars, some people with very strict low-carb diets or advanced insulin resistance may want to moderate their intake but for the average person, this is not a concern. Eating extremely large quantities of carrots over time can result in carotenemia, a harmless condition that gives the skin a yellow-orange tint. This occurs because of excessive beta-carotene and is reversible. Cooked carrots, while healthy, can have a slightly higher glycemic effect than raw ones due to the breakdown of cell walls during cooking.

How Carrots Affect Your Diet

Carrots are ideal for weight loss and clean eating because they offer a high volume of food with low calorie content. They work well as snacks, in salads, or as part of a cooked meal. The fibre helps you feel fuller for longer, and the natural sweetness can help satisfy sugar cravings in a healthy way. For those trying to cut back on processed snacks or high-calorie side dishes, carrots offer a satisfying and crunchy alternative. They are also a great introductory vegetable for children due to their taste and texture.

Glycemic Index (GI) of Carrots

Carrots have a low glycemic index, with raw carrots averaging around 35 to 40, depending on variety and ripeness. This means they have a mild effect on blood sugar levels when eaten alone. Cooked carrots have a slightly higher GI, up to 50 to 60 because cooking breaks down the fibre structure, making the natural sugars more readily available. Even so, their glycemic load remains low due to their low overall carbohydrate content per serving.

How Carrots Are Grown

Carrots are root vegetables grown underground and thrive in well-drained, loose soil. They begin as seeds and mature over several weeks to months, depending on the variety and climate. Once harvested, they are washed, trimmed, and packaged for sale as whole carrots, baby carrots, or processed into ready-to-eat packs. They require minimal processing and have a long shelf life when stored properly in a cool, dry place.

Ingredients in Carrots

Carrots are a whole food with no added ingredients. A raw carrot contains only what nature provides, no sugar, fat, or preservatives unless added during cooking or packaging. Pre-cut or packaged carrots may contain small amounts of chlorine rinse for sanitation, but this is used at safe levels and does not affect calorie content. Flavoured or cooked carrot dishes, such as glazed carrots or carrot soup, will vary in calorie content depending on what else is added.

A Healthier Alternative (If Needed)

Carrots are already a healthy choice, but if you're looking for an option with even fewer sugars or a lower glycemic load, you might consider celery, cucumber, or leafy greens like spinach. These vegetables are even lower in calories and carbohydrates while still offering volume and crunch. That said, carrots offer a better balance of sweetness, nutrition, and satiety than most ultra-low-calorie vegetables, making them a standout option overall.

Calorie Count Doesn’t Change Much Between Raw and Cooked

Carrots retain roughly the same calorie content whether they’re raw, steamed, roasted, or boiled. What changes during cooking is water loss and digestibility. For example, roasting carrots may slightly concentrate their sugars and reduce water content, making them taste sweeter and feel more calorie-dense but the actual calorie difference is minimal unless oil or glaze is added during cooking. The key factor is what else you add to them. A raw carrot with hummus or a roasted carrot dish with olive oil will have a very different nutritional profile than a plain, steamed one.

Baby Carrots vs Regular Carrots

Baby carrots aren’t a different variety they’re typically regular carrots cut and shaped into smaller sizes. Because of this, they contain roughly the same calorie content per gram. However, people tend to eat more baby carrots in one sitting because they’re easy to snack on and don’t require peeling or chopping. A serving of baby carrots, such as a 100g snack pack, delivers around 40 calories, which makes them a great alternative to crisps or crackers, especially in weight-loss or clean-eating meal plans.

Carrots in Juices and Smoothies

Carrots are often added to juices or smoothies for natural sweetness and nutritional value. When juiced alone, a medium carrot contributes around 25 to 30 calories, but it loses nearly all of its fibre in the process. That makes the sugars more rapidly absorbed and the drink less filling compared to eating the whole vegetable. Blending carrots into a smoothie retains the fibre and keeps the calorie count roughly the same but the final total depends on what else is included. Pairing carrots with banana, oats, or nut butter can shift a light snack into a full 300-calorie meal.

How Carrots Fit into Low-Carb or Keto Diets

While carrots are higher in natural sugars than some vegetables, they’re still relatively low in total carbs and very low in calories. A medium carrot has around 6 grams of carbs, which fits within many moderate low-carb diets. However, for strict ketogenic eating (typically under 20g net carbs per day), large amounts of carrots might push intake over the limit. In those cases, smaller portions or combining carrots with higher-fat foods like avocado or tahini can balance the meal while keeping carbs in check.

Carrots and Satiety per Calorie

Carrots are one of the best foods for volume eating consuming large portions of food without consuming a lot of calories. Their high water and fibre content mean you can eat multiple carrots for fewer than 100 calories, which makes them effective for managing hunger. Compared to ultra-processed snacks that deliver hundreds of calories in small servings, carrots provide a strong feeling of fullness with minimal energy intake, making them a strategic option in any weight-loss plan.

Carrots in Different Culinary Forms

Carrots appear in many different formats beyond raw sticks. Grated carrots, for example, are often added to salads and slaws and are slightly more compact in volume than whole slices. You’ll get more carrot in a cup of grated carrot than in a cup of chopped pieces, so the calorie count increases slightly per volume, though per gram, it remains the same. Mashed carrots, often used in baby food or soft-texture dishes, retain all their calories unless diluted with other ingredients. If butter, cream, or oil is added during mashing, the calorie count can jump from 35 calories per 100g to 80 or more, depending on the recipe.

Carrot-Based Dishes and Hidden Calories

Carrots are often considered “healthy,” but their presence in a dish doesn’t guarantee a low-calorie outcome. Glazed carrots, for example, are simmered with butter, honey, or brown sugar. Even a modest portion can reach 150 to 200 calories, far above a plain steamed or raw carrot. Carrot cake is another key example despite being based on a vegetable, it’s one of the most calorie-dense desserts, with many slices delivering 300 to 600 calories due to flour, sugar, oil, and cream cheese frosting. This shows how important preparation and context are when estimating carrot calories in real meals.

Carrots and Calorie Tracking in Apps

Most calorie tracking apps estimate a medium carrot as 25 to 30 calories, but not all apps define "medium" the same way. Some base it on a weight of 61 grams, others use 70 or more, which can throw off your count. For accuracy, it’s always better to track carrots by weight per 100 grams, carrots contain roughly 41 calories. That allows you to portion correctly whether you’re slicing, grating, or weighing whole peeled carrots for a recipe or snack.

Comparing Carrots to Other Root Vegetables

Carrots are lower in calories than many other starchy root vegetables. For example, parsnips contain roughly 75 calories per 100 grams, while sweet potatoes come in at around 86 calories per 100 grams. Carrots provide a similar texture and mild sweetness but with half the calorie load, making them a smarter choice for anyone looking to reduce energy intake without sacrificing flavour or bulk in their meals.

Carrots and Blood Sugar: More Than Just Calories

While carrots are low in calories, some people worry about their natural sugars. However, the glycemic load of a typical serving is extremely low. A medium carrot only contributes about 3 to 5 grams of sugar, along with fibre that slows absorption. For people managing blood sugar levels, this means carrots are unlikely to cause any meaningful spike unless consumed in large quantities or in juice form. In fact, research shows that regular carrot consumption is associated with improved insulin sensitivity, likely due to the antioxidants and fibre content.

Raw Carrots as a Hunger Control Tool

In clinical nutrition and behaviour coaching, raw carrots are often used as a first-line appetite control strategy. Eating a raw carrot before a meal, even just one can physically take up space in the stomach, reduce the speed of eating, and blunt post-meal blood sugar. This works especially well because the crunch and chew time increase oral processing, which enhances satiety signals in the brain without adding more than 30 calories.

Summary

A carrot typically contains 25 to 30 calories, with slight variations based on size and preparation. It is low in fat, high in fibre, and rich in vitamin A and antioxidants. Carrots support eye health, digestion, and appetite control, and they work well in almost any dietary plan. Their low glycemic index, natural sweetness, and high water content make them one of the most accessible and nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat. Whether raw or cooked, carrots deliver real nutritional value with minimal calories, making them a staple for health-conscious eating.