Are Carrots Keto-Friendly? Find out when you can eat them on a Ketogenic Diet

Carrots are tubers which are starchy root vegetables which grow below ground. They are delicious and taste quite sweet when you are eating a low carbohydrate diet. A good use of carrots in terms of a ketogenic diet is as a small side dish to add flavor to your meals. Compared to other starchy vegetables like potatoes or parsnips, carrots are relatively lower in carbohydrates and so is a great way to add variety to your keto diet.

A single serving of carrot is a large sized carrot approximate 7 inches long, weighing 72 grams. Carrot is made up of approximately 88% water and a single serving contains 30 calories.

A single serving of carrots (1 large, 7 inches long, 72 grams) contains 4.9 grams net carbs. The total amount of carbohydrates is 6.9 grams with the fiber content at 2 grams. Total sugar is 3.41 grams.

On the ketogenic diet, carrots are a great choice for adding flavor, variety and enjoyment to your meals. It is unrefined, whole food which is generally a good choice on a keto diet as long as you are maintaining your carb intake of less than 25 grams of carbs per day (can be more depending on exercise and activity level). The fiber content of the vegetable binds and will slow down the absorption of sugars and helps keep your blood sugar level stable.

Although carrots contain insignificant amount of essential protein and fats, it does have a range of vitamins and minerals which when can help supplement your nutritional intake.

Carrots are high in beta-carotene and a good source of potassium. Carrots are a source of Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Choline and the full range of minerals.

The Vitamin A found in carrots are in the form of beta-carotene which we cannot use as a Vitamin and must be converted to retinol. We have a limited capacity to convert beta-carotene to retinol and only about 0-8% is converted. Unfortunately for some people, they may not be actually getting any Vitamin A from carrots.

Our bodies can also use beta-carotene as an antioxidant and can reactive oxygen species from damaging our cells.

Beta-carotene has also been shown in studies to boost immune function (r).

VItamins A and Vitamin K are fat soluble vitamins, therefore it is best to eat carrots together with good fats which help the body to absorb these vitamins. This is why we recommend always pairing your vegetables with a meaty main course.

Dietary intake of beta-carotene and other carotenoids found in carrots accumulates in our skin tissues and provides oxidative protection from sun damage. Studies have shown that beta-carotene in diet and supplementation can protect our skin against photodamage from the sun (r).

Interestingly, the studies that showed protective effects used treatment with carotenoids for at least 10 week and the studies showing no effects used 3-4 week treatments.

When trying to lose weight, your goal for doing a keto diet is to eat as little carbohydrates as possible. It is best to eat carrots restrictively as they will slow down your weight loss due to their sugar content. The best way to eat them is at most every few days or mix them in small amounts with other leafy vegetables for flavour. Alternately, you can also save your carb eating for the end of the day or after a workout session which would increase your insulin sensitivity allowing you to stay in ketosis even after eating a higher amount of carbs.

If you exercise frequently or have a lot of daily physical activity, then carrots is a great vegetable to eat to help replenish muscle energy stores, keep you hydrated and improve your body’s mineral status. Many keto dieters are able to maintain ketosis with an intake of up to 100g of carbohydrates with enough physical activity. Everyone is different so experiment with what works for you. The best time to eat carbohydrate foods are after an intense bout of exercise. Your body will be more insulin sensitive during this time which keep you metabolically flexible even with higher carb intake.

Carrots are delicious but unfortunate have a lower nutritional value compared to other foods and is higher in sugar.

For skin protection, a diet high in beta-carotene for an extended period of time is needed to gain protective effects for the skin.

When on a ketogenic diet, eat carrots after a workout session or only sparingly as a side dish to add variety and flavor to your meals. Minimize or avoid when trying to lose weight though.