Are Carrots Keto Friendly? Or are carrots for a low-carb diet only?

  • Date: May 13, 2021
  • Time to read: 5 min.

We all know that vegetables are a very important part of the keto diet. However, sometimes it can be hard to know which vegetables are and which vegetables are not keto-friendly. For example, are carrots keto-friendly? To answer this question, it’s important to know why people might classify a vegetable as not keto-friendly. For example, a vegetable might have too many carbs, not have enough protein or fat, or might not offer enough variety in its nutritional profile. Let’s take a look at how carrots measure up to these requirements. and decide whether carrots are keto-friendly, or whether they are only for a low-carb diet. 

What are the Health Benefits of Carrots? ?

The health benefits of carrots are numerous.

Carrots are one of the many vegetables that have many health benefits. Carrots are a fibre-rich food. Fibre helps promote a healthy digestive tract, helps heart health, and prevents constipation.

Carrots also have a high beta carotene content. Beta carotene is a nutrient that is converted to vitamin A in the body and it is important for eye health. Carrots also contain Vitamin C, which is important for immune health as well as promoting healthy gums and keeping teeth healthy. Carrots also have a high level of manganese. Manganese is important because it helps the body absorbs calcium and is important for bone health.

The health benefits of carrots include, but are not exclusive to;

  • promoting healthy bones
  • may help prevent diabetes
  • good for your vision
  • help to regulate blood pressure
  • can help reduce the risk of cancer
  • boost immunity
  • the fibre assists with digestion

How many carbs are in carrots?

Carrots contain around 10 grams of carbs per 100 grams. An average ‘medium’ size carrot weights anything between 50 – 75 grams; meaning a full medium size carrot will be between 5 and 7.5 grams of carbs.

Are carrots full of sugar?

The carbs in carrots consist of starch and sugars, these include sucrose and glucose. Although carrots contain some sugar, they can be enjoyed in moderation on a keto diet.

To understand more, and assess whether carrots are suitable for a keto diet, let’s look at the nutritional value of carrots.

Nutritional Value of Carrots

The nutrition value of 100 grams of carrots are:

  • Carbs: 10 grams.
  • Protein: 1 gram.
  • Fat: 0.2 grams.
  • Fibre: 3 grams.
  • Sugar: 5 grams.
  • Calories: 41 cal

Don’t forget that with keto we deduct the amount of fibre from the total carb count. This means that for 100 grams of carrots there are 7 grams of net carbs, (10 grams of Carbs – 3 grams of Fibre = 7 grams of Net Carbs)

Carrots are not high in fat (which is desirable for a keto diet), but let’s face it, there are not many vegetables that are.

If keto is new to you, why not check out our Keto Starters Guide?

SUMMARY: 100 grams of carrots there are 7 grams of net carbs

Can carrots be eaten on a keto diet?

Although carrots aren’t as low in carbs as some of the leafy green vegetables, like broccoli or spinach, they’re not as high in carbs as many other root vegetables, that are favoured on a keto diet.

A keto diet is focused on eating fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day.

For more on Keto macros, check out this article.

Normally, on a keto diet, a good rule of thumb is that if a vegetable grows below the ground; (vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other root vegetables) you should avoid them.

As we have seen above, a medium-size carrot contains between 3-5 grams of carbs, so if you are using a carrot sparingly and they fit within your macros, there is no reason that they cannot be eaten, in moderation, on a keto diet.

There is much debate in the keto community over carrots, and whether they are keto-friendly or not. For me, I do eat them occasionally and sparingly. They have never kicked me out of ketosis!

The simple answer is, make up your own mind! I know that is not helpful, but it really is up to you whether you want to eat carrots on a keto diet. We have laid on the facts for you here, now the decision is yours.

Check out some of our favourite keto recipes with carrots below.

Can carrots be eaten on a low-carb diet?

A low-carb diet will normally see a person eating fewer than 100 grams of carbs a day. 100 grams of carbs is considerably more than the 20 grams of carbs that people will eat on a keto diet.

With 100 grams of carbs to play with, you can be a lot more liberal with what carbs that you eat, therefore, carrots can be eaten on a low carb diet.

Does how carrots are cooked alter the carb content?

With some vegetables, how they are cooked can alter the carb content. However, with carrots, the difference between raw and cooked carrots is negligible. This means that it does not make a difference if they are eaten cooked or raw. 

Keto-friendly recipes which have carrots

I have a few favourite recipes that I will use carrots in.

  • Keto Beef Stew
  • Keto Chicken Chasseur
  • Chicken Skin Spring Rolls
  • As a base to soups (Keto Chicken Soup is a favourite!)
  • Keto Carrot Cake (yes, Keto Carrot Cake is a thing!)

These are just a few of my favourite keto recipes containing carrots. If you have a favourite keto recipe with carrots, let us all know in the comments below! ???

If the Carbs in Carrots are too much for you, why not try some of these alternatives?

If you decided that there are too many carbs in carrots for you, why not try some of these low carb, keto-friendly carrot alternatives for you;

  • Asparagus: 2.5 grams of net carbs per 100 grams
  • Broccoli: contains 4 grams of net carbs per cup per 100 grams
  • Brussels Sprouts: 5 grams of net carbs per 100 grams
  • Cabbage: 4 grams of net carbs per 100 grams
  • Cauliflower: contains 3 grams of net carbs per cup 100 grams
  • Celery: contains 1.5 grams of net carbs per 100 grams
  • Courgette: 3.5 grams of net carbs per 100 grams
  • Green Beans: 5 grams of net carbs per 100 grams

?In Summary; are Carrots Keto Friendly?

In comparison to other, leafy green vegetables, carrots do contain more carbs than the average keto vegetable. There is a lot of debate over whether carrots are keto or not. Here, we have outlined all of the health benefits of carrots, we have also been through the nutritional value of carrots. It’s safe to say that you won’t be eating carrots like Bugs Bunny and they won’t be the centre stage of your crudités, however, if you want to grate a little carrot into your favourite Keto Bolognese recipe, carry on!! In moderation, carrots are ok to eat on a keto diet.

Do you eat carrots on a Keto diet? What are your favourite keto-friendly vegetables? Let us know in the comments below!

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