Calories in a Carrot: By Size and Per Cup

One medium raw carrot (61 g) provides approximately 25 calories, per USDA FoodData Central (NDB 11124).

That number is easy to underestimate — a handful of carrots or a cup of chopped carrot can add up to 50 calories or more. Below we break down the exact figures by size and preparation so you always know what you are eating.

Calories in Carrots by Size and Serving

Serving	Weight	Calories	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)
1 small raw carrot	50 g	20	4.7	1.4	0.5	0.1
1 medium raw carrot	61 g	25	5.8	1.7	0.6	0.1
1 large raw carrot	72 g	30	6.9	2.0	0.7	0.1
1 cup raw chopped	128 g	52	12.3	3.6	1.2	0.3
1 cup baby carrots	122 g	50	11.7	3.4	1.1	0.3
1 cup sliced cooked	156 g	55	12.8	4.7	1.3	0.2

Source: USDA FoodData Central, NDB 11124 (raw) and 11960 (boiled, drained).

Macro Breakdown

The carbohydrate in carrots is a mix of natural sugars (mainly sucrose and glucose, about 4.7 g per 100 g) and dietary fiber (2.8 g per 100 g). Fat is negligible at 0.2 g per 100 g. Protein is modest at 0.9 g per 100 g — not a meaningful protein source, but not zero either.

Carrots are particularly rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. A single medium carrot delivers roughly 509 mcg RAE of vitamin A — over 50% of the daily reference intake — along with useful amounts of vitamin K1 and potassium.

Does It Fit Your Goals?

Weight loss. At 25 calories per medium carrot, carrots are one of the most volume-efficient foods you can eat. Their 1.7 g of fiber per medium carrot helps with satiety, and the crunchy texture means slower eating. You would need to eat roughly 12 medium carrots to consume 300 calories — a genuinely hard quantity to manage. If you are tracking a calorie deficit, carrots are one of the safest foods to eat freely without careful measuring.

Blood sugar and diabetes. Carrots have a glycemic index of roughly 35–39 (raw) and a glycemic load of only 2–3 per medium carrot — classified as low. This means they produce a modest and gradual rise in blood glucose. People managing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes can generally include raw carrots in their plan without concern. Cooking raises the glycemic index slightly (to around 47–49) because it breaks down cell walls and increases starch availability, so raw carrots are preferable if blood sugar response is a priority. Use the glycemic load calculator to model your specific portion.

Macro tracking. Carrots count toward net carbs but their fiber content keeps the net carb number low: a medium carrot has roughly 4.1 g of net carbs. For anyone counting net carbs, this makes carrots a sensible snack choice even on lower-carb plans.

Practical Notes

• Baby carrots are cut and peeled from larger carrots — their calorie density per gram is essentially identical to whole raw carrots.
• Carrots stored in the fridge retain nearly all their nutritional value for up to three weeks.
• Cooking in water with no added fat adds zero calories. Roasting with oil adds whatever oil you use — typically 40–120 calories per tablespoon depending on the amount.

Photograph your carrot snack or meal in CalEye and the app logs the calories and macros in seconds, no measuring required.