Carrots have traditionally been considered a healthy diet food, but the South Beach Diet restricts them during some phases. Fortunately for carrot lovers, the restrictions on carrots are short-lived. These nutritious vegetables can quickly be reintroduced in small quantities once you have established the fat-burning metabolic processes of the South Beach Diet and entered into later phases of the diet.
Diet Basics
The South Beach Diet includes three phases, starting with an induction phase that restricts carbohydrates to about 10 percent of your daily calories and moving through a steady weight loss phase to a final maintenance phase. During the induction phase, all grain products and starchy vegetables, including carrots, are completely restricted. Dieters gradually reintroduce carbohydrates as the diet progresses.
Carrot Nutrition
One cup of chopped carrots contains about 128 calories and less than 1 g of fat. Carrots are mostly water, which makes up 113 g out of 128 g. A cup of carrots provides 3.6 g of dietary fiber. Carrots also contain high levels of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that helps boost eye health. Where carrots become a concern for the South Beach Diet is in their carbohydrate and sugar content. A cup of carrots has 12 g of carbohydrates, of which 6 g is sugar. The South Beach Diet maintains that carbohydrates and sugar can raise blood glucose levels and prevent weight loss.
When Carrots Are Allowed
During phase 1, carrots are not allowed because they can raise blood glucose. Even a small spike in blood glucose can lead to cravings and knock your body out of the fat-burning state induced by low carbohydrate consumption. While in previous incarnations of the South Beach Diet carrots were also disallowed on phase 2, the newer versions of the book and website allow small amounts of carrots in this phase. Dieters in phase 3, the maintenance phase, need not avoid carrots as long as they follow the general precepts of the diet for most meals.
How to Include Carrots
Because of their effect on blood sugar, the South Beach Diet maintains that you should consume carrots in moderation. This means you can have about 1/2 cup of carrots each day. You can eat them as an ingredient in dishes such as the White Bean Soup recipe from the South Beach Diet website, or as a snack, but dieters may want to consume a small amount of protein food along with the carrots to help mitigate any spikes in blood glucose.
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