How many calories are in carrots?
Carrots has 25 calories per 1 medium (61 g) — that's 41 calories per 100 g, roughly 1% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from carbohydrate.
USDA FoodData Central · raw · FDC 170393
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium (61 g) | 25 | 0.5 g | 5.9 g | 0.1 g |
| 100 g | 41 | 0.9 g | 9.6 g | 0.2 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 12 | 0.3 g | 2.7 g | 0.1 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 8% Carbs 88% Fat 4%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 170393, SR Legacy). raw. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
A medium carrot has about 25 calories — that comes from USDA’s 41 calories per 100 g for a typical 61 g carrot. Nearly all of that tiny amount of energy is carbohydrate, including the natural sugar that gives carrots their faint sweetness and a generous helping of fiber. When people ask “how many calories are in carrots,” the answer is one of the most encouraging in the produce aisle: barely any. A whole carrot costs you about 25 calories, so you can crunch through a few of them for less than a single cookie.
Where the calories in carrots come from
Carrots are a carbohydrate food, but in the lightest, most fiber-rich way. Of those ~25 calories, roughly 88% come from carbohydrate — natural sugar plus a real dose of fiber — with about 8% from the carrot’s small protein content and only a trace from fat. The absolute total is so small that carrots barely register on a daily count, and a meaningful chunk of those carbs is fiber your body does not fully absorb for energy. What carrots lack in calories they make up in one standout nutrient: a single medium carrot covers a large share of the day’s vitamin A by way of beta-carotene, the pigment behind their color.
A very low-calorie, crunchy, filling snack
On calorie density, carrots sit near the very bottom — they are mostly water and fiber, which is exactly what makes them one of the hardest foods to overeat. That combination of crunch, fiber, and almost no calories is why carrots are a go-to for anyone watching their intake: a cup of carrot sticks (~52 calories) gives you something genuinely satisfying to chew on for the energy of a few bites of most other foods. The one place calories can sneak in is the dip — a heavy ranch or a thick layer of hummus can easily out-calorie the carrots. Keep the dip honest, and carrots are about as close to a free snack as whole food gets.
For the flip side of the macro picture, see protein in carrots — and treat a carrot’s calories as the rounding error they nearly are.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a carrot?
About 25 calories in one medium carrot (61 g), based on USDA's 41 calories per 100 g (FDC 170393). That makes a whole carrot one of the lowest-calorie snacks there is — you can crunch through several for the energy of a single cookie.
How many calories are in carrots per 100 g or per ounce?
41 calories per 100 g, which is about 12 calories per ounce (28 g). That is a very low calorie density — carrots are mostly water and fiber, so even a big serving barely moves a daily calorie total.
Where do the calories in carrots come from?
Almost entirely carbohydrate. Using standard Atwater factors, roughly 88% of a carrot's calories come from carbs — including its natural sugar and a healthy dose of fiber — with about 8% from its ~0.9 g of protein per 100 g and only ~4% from its trace of fat. Carrots are essentially water, fiber, and a little natural sweetness.
Are carrots good for weight loss?
Yes — they are close to an ideal snack. At about 25 calories a carrot with nearly 2 g of fiber, carrots add crunch, volume, and a feeling of fullness for almost no energy, which makes them perfect for satisfying the urge to chew without a calorie cost. The main thing to watch is what you dip them in — a heavy ranch or hummus can add more calories than the carrots themselves.
How many calories are in a cup of chopped carrots?
About 52 calories for a cup of chopped raw carrots (around 128 g), since carrots run 41 calories per 100 g. Even a full cup stays low — useful to know when you are snacking on carrot sticks or baby carrots straight from the bag.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 170393 (Carrots, raw; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when the underlying USDA entry changes.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.