As low-calorie foods go, carrots are among the best choices because they provide a multitude of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients in an extremely light package. While dishes that feature carrots can be fattening if they're prepared with a lot of rich, high-fat ingredients, snacking on fresh carrots definitely won't bust your diet.
Nutrition Facts
As the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrition database reports 1 cup of chopped raw carrots has about 50 calories, 1 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 12 g carbohydrates, 3.6 g fiber and 6 g natural sugar. A single medium carrot that weighs about 60 g has approximately 25 calories, 0.5 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber and 3 g sugar.
Nutritional Profile
Both raw and cooked carrots have a very low energy density value. MayoClinic.com states that foods with low energy density values are best for losing weight and keeping it off because they have low calorie counts but high fiber and water contents, which help you stay full for long periods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carrots are also one of the best food sources of vitamin A. Getting enough of this vitamin helps promote healthy growth, skin, eyesight and immunity. When cooked, a carrot's amount of vitamin A that can be absorbed by the body increases. While 1/2 cup of raw carrots fulfills 150 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A, 1/2 cup of cooked carrots fulfills 270 percent of the RDA.
Preparation
The way you prepare carrots makes a significant difference in whether they can make you gain weight. Whereas raw carrots are quite low in calories, "Cooking Light" magazine reports that a single slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting has more than 320 calories, 10 g fat and 40 mg cholesterol, and a slice of carrot soufflé has about 190 calories, 5 g fat and 90 mg cholesterol. Even sautéing plain carrots in oil can make a difference, since 1 tbsp. of olive oil adds about 120 calories and 13.5 g fat to a serving of carrots.
Considerations
If you're watching your weight, it's wise to be mindful of how many calories you're eating every day, as well as the foods you're choosing. For example, if you eat a big carrot salad as your dinner but then have a thick slice of chocolate cake, you could still end up consuming more calories than you would have with a typical meal and no dessert. Eating an extra serving of carrots is not likely to promote weight gain, but if you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight over time.
References
- NAL.USDA.gov: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- MayoClinic.com; Energy Density and Weight Loss - Feel Full on Fewer Calories; January 20, 2011
- FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov: Vegetable of the Month - Carrots
- MyRecipes.com; Carrot Cake Recipe; "Cooking Light"; Emma Olgard; April 2007
- MyRecipes.com; Carrot Soufflé Recipe; "Cooking Light"; November 2002
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