I discuss the question ‘are carrots low FODMAP?’, their nutritional benefits and how to incorporate them into your low FODMAP diet.
Origin of Carrots
Carrots are root vegetables, first grown in Afghanistan around the 7th Century AD in their original purple colour. They were not well known in Europe until around the 12th Century but are now one of our most popular vegetables with over 10 billion eaten every year in the UK. I love carrots, they are great as a snack, in meals and are bursting with nutrition. Let’s have a look at their nutritional and fermentable carbohydrate content in more detail.
Are Carrots Low FODMAP?
If you’re trying to manage your Irritable Bowel Syndrome on a plant-based diet, you may be wondering about which low FODMAP vegetables you can include on a low FODMAP diet.
The great news about carrots is that they are one of the low FODMAP foods and therefore IBS friendly. There are small amounts of fructose in some varieties, but you can still include all of them as long as you take into account the FODMAP portion sizes.
See my blog for more about Following a low FODMAP vegetarian or vegan diet.
The Nutritional Profile of Carrots
Carrots have an impressive nutritional profile; high in fibre and some vitamins and minerals, all whilst staying low in calories and fat.
Carrots are particularly high in the following vitamins:
Carrots are notorious for their vitamin A content. Vitamin A is the name of a group of fat-soluble compounds, including the carotenoid beta-carotene contained in high amounts in carrots. You can get all the vitamin A needed for one day in a single portion of carrots.
Vitamin A is very important for our bodies. It helps our immune system fight off illnesses, allows cells to talk to each other and is crucial for our growth and reproduction in men and women. It also makes sure parts of our body like the heart, lungs, and eyes grow properly and stay healthy. Plus, vitamin A is important for our vision; it helps a part of our eyes that responds to light work correctly and keeps the front part of our eye and the lining inside healthy and working well. So, carrots really can help you see in the dark!
Carrots also have impressive amounts of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body’s cells from damage. It is also crucial for the production of collagen, a protein that helps wound healing and maintains the health of our skin, teeth and bones. Vitamin C supports immune function and enhances iron absorption, so adding carrots to a meal can help to prevent iron deficiency. One portion of carrots gives you 12 % of your recommended daily intake.
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, which helps prevent excessive bleeding when you get an injury. It also plays a role in bone health by helping to regulate calcium levels. You can get an impressive 15 % of your recommended daily intake from one portion of carrots.
Carrots also contain some B vitamins in significant amounts, including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenate), B6 (pyridoxine) and B9 (folate). These water-soluble vitamins are important for metabolism of our food and energy production, cell function and DNA production and repair. One portion provides between just under 1 % and 10 % of your recommended daily intake, depending on the B vitamin.
Carrots also contain essential minerals like potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure, and smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium and iron.
| Old, raw (per 100 g) | Percentage of daily requirements in one 80 g portion (for adults aged 19-64 years; males, females) | |
| Energy (kcal) | 35 | 1 % |
| Protein (g) | 0.6 | 0.9, 1 % |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 7.9 | 1.9, 2.4 % |
| Fat (g) | 0.3 | 0.2, 0.3 % |
| Fibre (g) | 2.4 | 6.4 % |
| Vitamin A (ug) | 850 | 97, 113 % |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 6 | 12 % |
| Vitamin K (ug) | 13 | 15 % |
| Vitamin B1: Thiamine (mg) | 0.1 | 8, 10 % |
| Vitamin B2: Riboflavin (mg) | 0.01 | 0.6, 0.7 % |
| Vitamin B3: Niacin (mg) | 0.2 | 1, 1.2 % |
| Vitamin B5: Panthothenate (mg) | 0.25 | 4 % |
| Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine (mg) | 0.14 | 8, 9.3 % |
| Vitamin B9: Folate (ug) | 12 | 4.8 % |
| Potassium (mg) | 170 | 3.9 % |
| Calcium (mg) | 25 | 2.9 % |
| Magnesium (mg) | 3 | 0.8, 0.9 % |
| Iron (mg) | 0.3 | 2.8, 1.6 % |
Beyond vitamins and minerals, carrots are rich in antioxidants, including beta-carotene and polyphenols. Some other vitamins contained in carrots also function as antioxidants. Antioxidants have been found to be cancer protective, immunity enhancing and promote wound healing. Carrots can help protect you from diabetes, raised cholesterol, heart disease, hypertension, liver disease and kidney disease due to their remarkable nutritional profile.
Cooked vs. Raw Carrots
As well as making them easier to chew and eat, boiling carrots increases the availability of phytochemicals and some nutrients. Cooking breaks the hard cell walls and releases some nutrient, making them more available to us, including vitamins A, E and K.
Conversely, the level of other nutrients reduces during cooking. Total energy and carbohydrate content reduces due to the increase in water content. Additionally, some water-soluble vitamins and minerals will leach into the water, reducing their content in carrots and other vegetables. These include vitamin C, the B vitamins and potassium.
Cooking carrots also reduces the FODMAP content as carbohydrates and sugars are broken down under heat.
Therefore, to improve your nutrient intake from carrots, include them in your diet both raw and cooked.
How many carrots are low FODMAP?
The weight of one serving of fruit and vegetables is 80 g, which is the equivalent of one large carrot. Fortunately, orange carrots are low FODMAP up to a serving size of 500 g! So there is no need at all to limit them on a low FODMAP diet. Another low FODMAP carrot variety is the yellow carrot.
A low FODMAP serving of baby orange carrots is 120 g (5 small). They contain the FODMAPs sorbitol, mannitol, fructans and galactooligosaccharides. These fermentable carbohydrates reduce as they mature and develop into full sized carrots, explaining why you can have more of the mature carrots.
Purple carrots have not been tested by Monash but have been by FODMAP friendly and were found to contain some fructose, however are fine up to a maximum serving of 31.5 g (one small).
White carrots are also low FODMAP, however only up to a serving size of 100 g (2 medium), after which they were found to contain excess fructose.
Carrot variety and maximum serving on a low FODMAP diet summary:
- Orange: 500 g
- Yellow: 500 g
- Baby orange: 120 g (5 small)
- White: 100 g (2 small/medium)
- Purple: 31.5 g (1 small)
Incorporating Carrots into a Low FODMAP Diet
Here are a few ways you could incorporate carrots into your diet and benefit from their man health benefits. Remember to include a mixture of raw and cooked carrots due to the differences in nutrient availability.
Raw:
- Carrot sticks with a low FODMAP dip e.g. hummus (up to 40 g), guacamole, baba ganoush, yoghurt based dip (check for onion and garlic)
- Grated carrots added to a salad e.g. lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrots with small portion of beans or quinoa and your favourite low FODMAP salad dressing
- Mix grated carrots into veggie patties
- Carrot ribbons mixed into your pasta
- Juice and drink alone or as a base for a smoothie or mixed juice
- Grate and add to cakes
Cooked:
- Roasted carrots as a side to a meal
- Add carrots to soups for sweetness and a vibrant colour e.g. carrot, coconut and ginger soup, carrot and parsnip soup, carrot curry soup (anything goes with soup really!)
- Carrot chips: thinly slice carrots, mix with a small amount of oil and seasoning, them bake in the oven until crispy for a healthy alternative to crisps
Conclusion
Carrots are a vibrant and beneficial addition to a plant-based, low FODMAP diet. Including carrots in your diet can contribute to overall health and well-being without aggravating IBS symptoms. Whether enjoyed raw, or cooked, carrots provide flavour and nourishment.
Registered Dietitians play a crucial role in personalising the low FODMAP diet to meet individual needs. We can provide expert guidance on which foods to include in the diet to minimise IBS symptoms while ensuring nutritional balance and adequacy, making the process easy for you. We can also support you with meal plans, advice around serving sizes and delicious low FODMAP recipes.
The key to a balanced diet is variety, and carrots, with their versatility and health benefits, are a great example of how you can maintain dietary diversity even within the constraints of a low FODMAP diet.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you found it useful and interesting. Please comment below to ask any questions or to suggest more blog topics. Sign up to my newsletter to get weekly updates and tips on managing IBS on a plant-based diet: