Carrots for Weight Loss: Do They Help?- HealthifyMe

Everyone loves crunchy, sweet carrots. It is a spring-planted cool-season crop which makes meals more colourful due to its lovely orange colour. Their best advantage is that one can consume them both cooked and raw.

One can use carrots in salads, stews, pies, and a lot of other foods. Since they contain a lot of beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A) they can improve eye health and vision. Additionally, they are rich in carotenoids, antioxidants, and other bioactive substances. Together these components aid in weight loss, lower adiposity and avoid issues associated with obesity. Carrots also have a high fluid content which helps to curb hunger for a long time.

Carrots are superb as snacks. Eat some carrots instead of unhealthy or high-calorie snacks. Baked carrots with a hummus dip, a carrot salad, or a carrot soup are perfect weight loss snacks. 

How Carrots Help Lose Weight?

A calorie deficit is one of the best ways to lose weight. It implies that our body must lose more calories than it consumes. Many people find counting calories helpful, but it might not be necessary if you make appropriate dietary choices. You might lose weight automatically if your appetite decreases. It’s common knowledge that fibre can reduce hunger. 

According to research, the high fibre content facilitates the slow movement of food through the digestive tract. As a result, it gives the feeling of satiety for a long time. It eventually helps prevent overeating. 

Carrots are bright orange because of an antioxidant called beta-carotene, which the body readily converts to vitamin A. According to research, vitamin A can aid in weight loss. It assists in reducing belly fat, particularly visceral fat. Antioxidants like beta-carotene can promote fat loss and shield the body from obesity-related health problems, including hypertension. 

Foods that include antioxidants are nutritious, low in calories, and contain many other vitamins. Therefore, you will undoubtedly be consuming foods that are excellent for losing weight if you incorporate a diet that has a sufficient amount of antioxidants in it. 

Carrots help lose weight since they are naturally low in calories. One cup of raw carrot sticks contains 50 calories. However, mindful eating and portion control is the key to weight loss. Health professionals advise eating no more than one to two medium-sized carrots daily. Consuming too many carrots might cause skin discolouration.

The HealthifyMe Note

Carrots are a great, nutrient-rich vegetable. Not only do they have high quantities of various nutrients like vitamins A and C, but carrots are also extremely low in calories and high in fibre. As a result, they are an excellent weight loss food. In addition, the increased amount of beta carotene in carrots gets converted to vitamin A in the body, which helps reduce fat in the body, especially visceral fat.

Ways to Consume Raw Carrots

Carrot is a very versatile vegetable when it comes to being used in dishes. While carrots can get consumed in various ways, the best way to consume them with minimal effort is to eat them raw. 

• The simplest and best way to consume carrots for the maximum benefits would be to peel the carrot and eat it raw.  
• You can also cut it in dice and enjoy it with a healthy hummus dip. 
• You can also cut the carrots into sticks, bake them and drizzle them with honey. 
• Carrots can be shredded or chopped to get added to these dips, soups, or salads. 
• If chopping carrots seems like a task, one can use baby carrots. They make for an effortless and quick snack. Baby carrots can be consumed raw or baked. You can also eat them with dips and other sauces.

The HealthifyMe Note

Carrots are a very versatile food item. You can eat them raw or in cooked forms. Eating them in moderation is the key to a healthy life. Health experts suggest not to eat more than 1-medium-size carrot per day. Also, ensure you are not consuming it in fried forms or with unhealthy dips. Try to eat carrots whole rather than juicing them, as the juice will lose fibre and other essential minerals.

Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss

1. Carrot Soup

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil: 1 tbsp
• Onion: 1 cup, chopped
• Celery: 1 cup, chopped
• Garlic: 2 cloves, chopped
• Coriander: 1tsp, chopped (or parsley)
• Carrots: 5 cups, chopped
• Water: 2 cups
• Vegetable broth: 4 cups
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Ground pepper: To taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery and occasionally stir until softened.
• Add garlic and coriander and stir for about 10 seconds. 
• Stir in carrots. Add water and broth; bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until it’s tender, about 25 minutes.
• Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. 
• Add salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four equal parts.

2. Carrot Kheer

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Carrots: 3/4
• Water: ½ cup 
• Thin Coconut Milk: 1 cup
• Rock Salt: 1 pinch
• Stevia: 1 pinch 
• Raisins: 4 to 5
• Cashews: 4 to 5
• Cardamom Powder: ½ tsp

Method

• Boil the carrots till they become soft.
• Take a blender and add ¼ cup of water and blend the carrots when cooled.
• Mix the carrot puree, coconut milk and jaggery. Keep on low flame.
• Stir occasionally, and don’t bring the mixture to a boil.
• Steam vapours would now float on top above the kheer. Remove from flame and stir in the coconut milk.
• In it, add cashews, along with raisins and cardamom powder.
• To make it richer and healthier, garnish them with 5-6 pumpkin seeds.

Precaution

Health experts say eating carrots to lose weight can be a good idea. However, you should still pay attention to your portions and eat slowly. Carrots ultimately contain calories. When you consume too many carrots, the calories add up. Instead of depending on quick fixes for weight loss, it’s crucial to slowly incorporate carrots as a regular part of the balanced diet. Even the healthiest fruits and vegetables, when consumed in excess, can derail you from your weight loss journey. 

Carrot juice taken in large quantities can cause hypervitaminosis A, skin discolouration, and tooth decay. Symptoms of an excess of vitamin A include nose bleeding, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, tiredness, and nausea. Also, excessive carrots and low water intake can lead to constipation from a fibre overdose.

Conclusion

Carrots do not work as a magic fat burner to lose weight. You won’t get a new body in a day by eating carrots. Instead, this veggie will benefit your body’s antioxidant profile and diet. In addition, carrots can act as a low-calorie substitute for high-calorie appetisers like chips that can be served in mid-morning evenings or as a late-night snack.