Just because it’s a vegetable, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have sugar. But what are the health benefits for something like carrots, which have high sugar content relative to many other vegetables? Read the article below for some information about the content of carrots…but then click on the link at the bottom to show a comparison between the sugar in carrots as compared to many other popular sugary foods. Pretty fascinating.
Carrots have more grams of sugar per serving than many other vegetables. Vegetables with naturally occurring sugars, such as carrots, have far more nutrients than foods with added sugars, such as pies, cakes, pastries, processed foods and refined grains, according to the CDC. Carrots provide many essential nutrients that can improve your health.
Sugar in Carrots
A serving of carrots, or one 7-inch long carrot, contains 30 calories and 7 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber and 5 g of sugar, according to nutrition information provided by the FDA. Other high-sugar vegetables include onions, with 9 g of sugar per serving, sweet potatoes, with 7 g of sugar per serving, sweet corn, with 5 g of sugar per serving. Asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, green beans, iceberg lettuce, radishes and summer squash all have 2 g of sugar per serving, and potatoes, leaf lettuce, green onions and cucumbers have only 1 g of sugar per serving.
Sponsored LinksFruit And Vegetable Nutrition Get Daily Veggie Servings w/ Tasty & Nutritious V8 V-Fusion® Juice. www.v8juice.com/100%-Real-Juice
Nutrients in Carrots
One serving of carrots provides 250 mg of potassium, 1 g of protein, 110 percent of your recommended daily vitamin A intake, 10 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake and 2 percent each of your recommended daily calcium and iron intake. Potassium can help reduce the impact of sodium on your blood pressure, and healthy diets rich in potassium-containing fruits and vegetables can slow bone loss and reduce your risk of developing kidney stones, according to the USDA. Vitamin A helps keep your eyes and skin healthy and assists in protecting against infections.
Health Benefits
Foods with high water content and low energy density can help you manage your caloric intake and control your weight, suggests MayoClinic.com. Vegetables have high water content and few calories, meaning you can eat a larger portion without exceeding your caloric limits. Carrots provide a nutrient-rich, low-energy-dense alternative to higher-calorie foods such as meat and cheese. Try substituting carrots for half the meat or cheese in your sandwich. Choose carrots over higher-calorie vegetables, such as potatoes. One medium potato contains about the same number of calories as 3-1/3 carrots. Following a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, according to the USDA.
Click here for a comparison of sugar in carrots to many other foods.
http://www.sugarstacks.com/carrots.htm
(Sources: www.livestrong.com, www.sugarstacks.com)