How many calories are in a carrot?

A medium carrot (approximately 80g) contains around 33 kcal. Per 100g, raw carrots provide about 41 kcal. This makes them one of the lowest-calorie vegetables, though they do contain more natural sugar (7.2g/100g) than many other vegetables like broccoli or spinach.

Does cooking carrots change their GI?

Yes, dramatically. Raw carrots have a GI of approximately 47 (medium), but boiling or roasting them raises the GI to around 85 (high). This is because cooking breaks down the plant cell walls and gelatinises the starch, making the sugars much more rapidly available for digestion. For the lowest blood sugar impact, eat carrots raw or only lightly steamed.

Are carrots high in vitamin A?

Carrots are one of the richest everyday sources of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. A single medium carrot provides well over 100% of the daily reference intake. Beta-carotene is also an antioxidant and gives carrots their characteristic orange colour. Cooking actually increases beta-carotene bioavailability, so there is a trade-off between GI impact and vitamin A absorption.

What is the glycemic index of carrots?

Carrots has a glycemic index of 47, which is classified as Low GI. Raw carrots have a medium GI of around 47, which is moderate for a vegetable. However, cooking carrots (especially boiling until soft) raises the GI dramatically to approximately 85 â€” one of the highest GI shifts of any vegetable. This happens because heat breaks down the cell walls and gelatinises the starch, making it rapidly digestible. For blood sugar management, raw or lightly steamed carrots are significantly better than boiled or roasted carrots.

Glucose: MediumNOVA 1

Nutritional Information for Carrots

Carrots are a low-calorie root vegetable at approximately 41 kcal per 100g, best known for their exceptionally high beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor) content. From a SpikeSaver perspective, carrots present a fascinating case: raw carrots have a medium GI of around 47, but cooking dramatically increases the GI to approximately 85 as heat breaks down the cell walls and makes the starches much more accessible. This is one of the biggest raw-vs-cooked GI jumps of any common vegetable.

Nutrition per 100g

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Energy	41 kcal / 171 kJ	33 kcal
Protein	0.5g	0.4g
Carbohydrates	7.7g	6.2g
of which sugars	7.2g	—
Fat	0.4g	0.3g
of which saturated	0.1g	—
Fibre	2.1g	—
Salt	0.07g	—

Serving size: 1 medium carrot (~80g) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Glucose impact

Glycemic Index

Medium

Glucose risk

Raw carrots have a medium GI of around 47, which is moderate for a vegetable. However, cooking carrots (especially boiling until soft) raises the GI dramatically to approximately 85 — one of the highest GI shifts of any vegetable. This happens because heat breaks down the cell walls and gelatinises the starch, making it rapidly digestible. For blood sugar management, raw or lightly steamed carrots are significantly better than boiled or roasted carrots.

Processing level

NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Fresh whole carrots are NOVA 1 — a completely unprocessed single-ingredient vegetable. This applies to loose carrots, bagged carrots, chantenay carrots, and organic varieties. Canned carrots in water are NOVA 2. The only processed variants are ready-meal side dishes that combine carrots with butter, glazes, or sauces, which move to NOVA 3.

Carrots at Tesco

Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Tesco Carrots Loose

£0.11*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Chantenay Carrots 400g

£1.00*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Organic Carrots 700G

£1.25*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Baby Carrots In Water 300G

£0.49*NOVA 2 (minimally processed)

Tesco Organic Bunched Carrots 400G

£1.80*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.

What to watch for when shopping

All plain fresh carrots at Tesco are NOVA 1 and nutritionally identical regardless of variety (chantenay, organic, bunched, loose). The biggest watch-out is not processing but cooking method: raw and lightly steamed carrots have a GI of ~47, while boiled or roasted carrots jump to ~85. If you are managing blood sugar, eat carrots raw (in sticks or grated in salads) or steam them briefly. Budget tip: Tesco Carrots Loose at £0.11 each is one of the cheapest vegetables in the entire store.

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