Sponsored: I have diabetes, can I eat carrots?
Question: I have diabetes – do carrots have too much sugar for me to eat?
Answer: First it’s important to remember that carrots have no added sugar like you’d find in a candy, a cookie or sugar-sweetened beverage – unless of course you add sugar when preparing them. Carrots do contain carbohydrates coming from naturally occurring sugars in carrots.
• 1 cup of raw carrots = 52 calories; 12 grams of carbohydrates (6 g sugar, 3.5 g fiber)
• 1 cup of cooked carrots (boiled): 54.5 calories; 13 grams of carbohydrates (4 g sugar; 4 g fiber)
Note: the nutrition information is going to vary slightly depending on how the carrots are cut (e.g. grated vs chopped vs whole)
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While carrots do contain carbohydrates, they also contain fiber, potassium, and beta carotene (a pre-cursor of vitamin A) and other vitamins and minerals, all of which have different health benefits. While monitoring carbohydrates is important for individuals with diabetes; focus first on foods with added sugar—don’t cut out fruits and vegetables!
Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN
Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian
facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian
800-334-4936
