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We know that carrots contain a fair amount of sugar. But are carrots bad for dieting? Find out now.

"Are carrots are bad for dieting?" Many folks who initiate a diet ponder this thought. This stems from the fact that carrots do contain a large percentage of their calories from sugar compared to some other foods. Well, I'm here to give you the skinny on whether or not you really have to worry about carrots while on your diet!

The Skinny on Carrots and Type of Diet

Part of the answer to the question, "Are carrots bad for dieting" depends on the type of diet you are following. If you are following a diet that doesn't allow any grams of sugar to be consumed - even from fruits and vegetables - then carrots won't be allowed on that type of diet. Also, certain very low carb diets such as keto diets may not allow enough carbohydrate or sugar in a day to accomodate including carrots, at least not in large quantities. However, for virtually all other diets, I see no reason why you can't have carrots - and I'll tell you why.

So What's the Deal with the Sugar in Carrots?

It's true that carrots provide around half of their calories from sugar - which seems like a lot! However, the first thing you need to know is that the total calories in carrots is still super low. One medium carrot is only 25 calories. For how filling it is, that's a great bargain! When knowing this, the question, "Are carrots bad for dieting?" sounds pretty silly :)

Furthermore, there is something called glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL). The first thing you need to know about those things is that they affect a food when it's eaten on it's own, so take that information into account when you read the following facts:

• Raw carrots have a GI of 16. The GI for boiled carrots ranges from 32 to 49. That puts carrots in the low glycemic food group: Low glycemic index: 1-55.

• Two small raw carrots have a glycemic load of about 8. That also puts carrots in the low glycemic load group: Low glycemic load: 1-10.

Take-away

What is the take-away from this? One is that the preparation of the carrots matters. Raw carrots will affect your blood sugar less than boiled. However, even boiled carrots have a low GI.

The next thing you need to know is that, every time you add a food that contains fat or protein, it's going to lower the GI of the entire meal or snack. However, every time you add a food that is high in refined carbohydrates or simple sugars, the GI of the entire meal or snack is lower.

What this means is that the carrots in and of themselves are not going to be the problem for your diet's GI. Even diabetics can usually afford to include carrots as part of a balanced meal. However, be sure to consult with your doctor or a nutritionist to be sure. We offer Ccnsultations with Certified Nutritionists here.

Hopefully by now you can see that carrots are very unlikely to be your problem when it comes to your diet!

Want to learn more scientifically sound dieting logic? Grab your copy of my new book, Change Your Weighs.

You can get it sent to your kindle for less than the cost of a carrot cake :)

Change Your Weighs: 199 Reasons Why It's Just Not Working Out.

If you'd like more personalized help on figuring out what you can or can't have with your diet, consider hiring me to help you with your health and fitness in person or virtually! I'm a Certified Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer.

Ready? Let's go! Learn more about booking a Nutrition Consultation. Or get a Price Quote for either in-person or video call sessions! You can also book a Free 15 minute Discovery Call with me where we can decide together what is the best next move for you to take in terms of your nutrition.

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