Carrots are versatile vegetables that can be used in sweet or savory dishes. Orange carrots dominate the market, but white, red, yellow and purple varieties are grown and sold in other parts of the world. Whether they’re canned or fresh, carrots are a healthy source of vitamin A and other essential minerals, vitamins and fiber.
Basic Nutrition
One cup of canned carrots, weighing 146 g, has 36 calories, 0.9 g of protein and 0.3 g of total fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database. Canned carrots provide 2.2 g of dietary fiber. Based on Institute of Medicine recommendations, men get 6 percent and women get 9 percent of their daily value of fiber from a cup of canned carrots.
Vitamins
The same serving of canned carrots has 16,308 IU of vitamin A. That means you’ll get an impressive 543 percent of the recommended daily intake of anti-oxidant vitamin A, which is critical for vision and a healthy immune system, according to Harvard Health Publications. Canned carrots have 14 mcg of vitamin K and 0.16 mg of vitamin B-6, which is 12 percent of your recommended daily intake for both vitamins. Vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting and bone mineralization, while vitamin B-6 helps synthesize niacin and nucleic acids and reduces your risk of heart disease by lowering levels of homocysteine. You’ll also gain 7 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E, 4 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 3 percent of thiamine, riboflavin and folate.
Minerals
Canned carrots are an especially good source of the trace minerals copper and manganese, with 0.15 mg, or 16 percent of your daily intake, of copper and 0.6 mg, or 26 percent, of manganese. Copper and manganese are both anti-oxidants, but copper also has a role in iron metabolism and nerve health, while manganese is needed for wound healing and the formation of cartilage. One cup of canned carrots provides 4 percent of the recommended dietary intake of zinc, which is essential for normal growth, neurological development and the immune system. You’ll also gain 261 mg, or 5 percent, of potassium, which keeps your muscles contracting and nerves communicating. Canned carrots have 3 to 5 percent of oxygen-carrying iron, as well as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, all of which are needed for strong bones.
Considerations
If you’re watching salt intake, purchase canned carrots with no salt added, but be aware that they still contain sodium. Carrots without added salt have 61 mg of sodium, which is only about 4 percent of the dietary intake. However, canned carrots processed with added salt have 353 mg of sodium, and that’s 123 percent of your daily intake.
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