Carrots Can Be Keto-Friendly, But There’s a Catch

Carrots have a great rep in the world of healthy eating. They’re filling, low-calorie (45 calories per cup), and rich in a number of vitamins and antioxidants like betacarotene, vitamin A, and lycopene, which all have healing and protective properties. But we must beg the question, are carrotsketo-friendly?

Since carrots are so healthy, we’d imagine that they are beneficial on the keto diet. Previously reported by Men’s Health, men who consume more betacarotene—the very reason carrots are orange—can significantly delay cognitive aging, thus improving memory.

Thanks to carrot’s supercharge of vitamin A, your eyes and skin can see improvements as well.

Carrots not only make you feel great internally, they can make you look tanner, all while protecting you from skin cancer.

“Certain orange and red fruits and veggies [like carrots] that are rich in carotenoids—beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lycopene—can give skin a natural glow,” Jessica Levinson, R.D., a New York-based nutritionist, previously told Men’s Health.

Since the carotenoids in carrots are fat-soluble, excess carotenoids are stored in the layer of fat right under the skin, which can help the color peek through on those with naturally lighter skin tones.

The National Cancer Institute researchers also found that those with a high intake of carotenoids found in carrots were six times less likely to develop skin cancer than those with lower intakes.

With all of these benefits, are carrots still okay to have on the keto diet? This is what our nutrition experts had to say.

Can you eat carrots on the keto diet?

“Carrots can be eaten on a keto diet, but in smaller quantities because they’re higher in sugar than leafy greens,” says Abby Langer, R.D., author of Good Food, Bad Diet. Since sugar counts as carbs on the keto diet, your average 1 cup of carrots has 12 grams of carbs, 4 of which are fiber.

Men’s Health

On the keto diet your goal is to enter a state of ketosis (a fat-burning state turned on by reducing your protein and carb intake), only 10 percent of your calorie intake should comes from carbs, keeping you between 20 to 30 grams of carbs per day to maintain it. If you stick to this limit, a 1 cup serving of carrots is already roughly half of your ideal carb intake.

“Depending on the keto plan, carrot intake is acceptable but needs to be moderated to help ensure overall carb intake is kept in a ketogenic range,” says Brian St. Pierre, R.D., a Men’s Health nutrition advisor. Rather than a full serving carrots, aim for half to still get some of those root vegetable benefits without going over your carb limits.

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