Nutrition Nugget: Caring About Carrots 101
Bite Sized Reads for Your Health and Your Waistline
Picture this: you’re running late and rummaging through your fridge for a snack that’s healthy, yet quick. The clock is ticking, frustration boiling up and then you see them. In the back of the veggie drawer, on the bottom, the bright orange color of the baby carrots shines like a pot of gold. You put one right in your mouth, grab a handful, close the fridge and you’re off. While chewing and walking you notice their sweetness and wonder “Are these actually healthy for me? Or are they just convenient?”
For years, carrots have been a staple in many homes: a go-to snack when there’s nothing else around; a healthier alternative to the chip with your dip. But many have also heard if you’re trying to lose weight, or watch your sugar, avoid carrots. As a nutrition expert and a wellness industry guru, I hear many potential clients say “Oh, you’ll be proud of me, I stay away from carrots!” I can’t help but giggle to myself when I hear this because the myth around carrots being unhealthy for you is one of the first health and wellness myths I debunk with new clients. But I understand where the confusion comes from, so let’s clear it up!
On paper, carrots are technically high-glycemic. In case you’re unfamiliar, the glycemic index is used as an indicator to see which foods have a high likelihood of spiking your blood sugar. 100 is the highest rating a food can receive; the higher the number, the more likely the food will raise your blood sugar. Carrots have a glycemic index rating of 71, which makes them high and the root of the “avoid carrots myth.” The catch is, other factors come into play. With all foods, we also want to look at glycemic load which refers to the quantity of the food required to meaningfully impact your blood sugar. The glycemic load of carrots is 5, which is considered low. In other words, for carrots to actually have a negative effect on your blood sugar (and metabolic health and therefore overall health), you would have to eat around 3 cups of carrots per sitting; highly unlikely because generally, we eat about a cup at one time.
From a nutritional standpoint, carrots offer many beneficial nutrients and vitamins. Carrots are rich in carotenoids which give carrots their color, and are antioxidants in the body which help protect us from disease and support our immune systems. There is also research that they help prevent heart disease, specifically carotene and lutein, which are two types of carotenoids. Along with this, we also get vitamin K1, potassium, fiber, beta carotene and additional antioxidants from carrots. Vitamin K1 plays an important role in the clotting of our blood, whereas nutrients like potassium help our muscles and bones stay strong; thanks, carrots! Beta carotene converts into vitamin A in the body which promotes vision health and is important for growth and development and immune function too. In conjunction, carrots contain about 86% water, with only about 10% carbohydrates. On the fiber front, a medium sized carrot (not a genetically modified baby carrot!) gives us about 2 grams of fiber. If you often read my articles, you may remember we want to shoot for about 25 grams of fiber per day, so eating a handful of carrots here and there makes a dent!
Going back to that original question: is this orange, crunchy goodness really healthful? Yes. Since most of us aren’t eating three-plus cups at a time, carrots help us eat the rainbow and support our bodies with vital nutrition. So grab your hummus, Greek yogurt ranch, or natural peanut butter and dip away!
