Vegetables

Carrot nutrition, raw, cooked and everything between.

1 medium carrot comes to 25 calories. Protein accounts for 0.6 g of what is there. The source is the USDA entry “Carrots, raw”. Preparation shifts it more than most tables admit, from 35 calories per 100 g at the low end to 41 at the top. The selector beneath handles other portions, and the nutrient table responds to it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

USDA FoodData Central records 170393, 170500, 170394 supply every value here. The calculation happens in this page.

How many calories are in carrot?

Count 25 calories for 1 medium carrot, or 41 for every 100 g. The portion weights in the table are USDA’s own measurements.

Protein in carrot, measured

Protein in 1 medium carrot comes to 0.6 g. Against the 50 g Daily Value, that covers 1 percent. Protein is close to absent in carrot. Its calories come from carbohydrate instead.

Energy-wise, protein contributes 8 percent, fat 5 percent and carbohydrate 87 percent, which makes it mostly a carbohydrate.

Carrot, method by method

USDA measured these preparations on different samples, and with carrot the variety matters as much as the method. Read the 17 percent spread below as a range, not as the effect of cooking.

The table holds the weight constant at 61 g, which leaves the preparation as the single variable.

Kitchen notes on carrot

This root vegetable is sold loose, in bags, or in bunches with their green tops still attached. You can find orange, purple, and yellow varieties. Choose roots that are firm and smooth. Avoid those with soft, blackened tips or a rubbery texture, which indicates they have dried out.

Heat softens the tough cell walls of this root, making it tender. Roasting coaxes out natural sugars, causing the edges to caramelise. The most common error is boiling them until they turn mushy and lose their bright colour. Steaming or sweating in butter preserves both the firm texture and the distinct sweet flavour.

Raw, grated carrot shines in French salads with lemon and herbs. Cooked, it forms the base of French mirepoix and Italian soffritto, alongside celery and onions. In Indian cookery, it is grated and simmered with milk and cardamom for sweet puddings. It pairs exceptionally well with coriander, cumin, and ginger.

Carrot: the full nutrient profile

What 1 medium carrot supplies most of: vitamin A (57 percent of the Daily Value). All rows below respond to the serving you chose.

There are 2.8 g of fibre in 100 g, roughly 10 percent of the daily figure.

Carrot against a daily budget

On a 2,000 calorie day, 1 medium carrot is 1 percent of the budget and 1 percent of the protein Daily Value. Whether that is a lot depends on your own numbers rather than on 2,000: the TDEE calculator gives you what you burn, and the macro calculator turns a target into grams.

Cooking with carrot: three recipes

Three recipes from the Calorie Counter Team, each costed ingredient by ingredient against USDA records, so the per-serving figures are sums, not guesses.

Side · British

Oven Roasted Carrots

Oven-roasted carrots seasoned with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

35 min · serves 3

100kcal

1.3gprotein

5.3gfat

13gcarbs

Ingredients

• Carrots 400 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Salt 3 g
• Black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C.
2. Cut the peeled carrots diagonally into 2cm slices.
3. Toss the carrot slices with the olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a roasting tin.
4. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until tender.

4 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Lunch · British

Carrot and Ginger Soup

A blended soup made with carrots, fresh ginger, and onions simmered in water.

30 min · serves 3

133kcal

2.1gprotein

5.9gfat

20gcarbs

Ingredients

• Carrots 500 g
• Onions 100 g
• Ginger root 15 g
• Butter unsalted 20 g
• Water 600 g
• Salt 5 g

Method

1. Chop the carrots, onions, and ginger.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Cook the onions and ginger in the butter for 5 minutes.
4. Add the carrots, water, and salt, then simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Blend the mixture with a hand blender until smooth.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 6 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Snack · French

Grated Carrot Salad

A raw salad of grated carrots and raisins dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

10 min · serves 2

153kcal

1.9gprotein

5.4gfat

27gcarbs

Ingredients

• Carrots 300 g
• Raisins 30 g
• Lemon juice 15 g
• Olive oil 10 g
• Salt 2 g

Method

1. Grate the peeled carrots into a bowl.
2. Add the raisins to the grated carrots.
3. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a small cup.
4. Pour the dressing over the carrots and stir to combine.

5 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

What a meal with carrot adds up to

To see how carrot adds up in a meal, here it is beside two ordinary companions, all three from USDA figures.

How carrot compares with similar foods

Each food is shown per 100 g, in the form named beside it.

Common questions on carrot

What is the calorie count for 1 medium carrot?

USDA measures 1 medium carrot at 25 calories, or 41 calories for each 100 g. The record used is “Carrots, raw” (FDC 170393).

Is there much protein in carrot?

0.6 g in 1 medium carrot, or 0.9 g per 100 g. That is 1 percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

Does carrot fit a calorie deficit?

It can fit any calorie target; no single food decides the outcome. What matters here is that 1 medium carrot costs 25 calories and returns 0.6 g of protein, so 9 percent of its energy is protein — useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

How much carbohydrate does carrot contain?

Expect 5.8 g of carbs from 1 medium carrot, including 1.7 g of fibre and 2.9 g of sugar.

Should carrots always be peeled before cooking?

Peeling is not strictly necessary if you wash them thoroughly. The skin can be slightly bitter, so peeling is best for delicate dishes. For rustic stews or stocks, scrubbing them with a stiff brush is sufficient.

How should fresh carrots be stored to keep them crisp?

Remove the green leafy tops immediately, as they draw moisture from the roots. Store the roots in a sealed container or bag in the fridge crisper. Keep them away from apples, which cause them to taste bitter.

Sources

• Carrots, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170393
• Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170394
• Carrot, dehydrated — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170500
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9