The Nutritional Value of Boiled Carrots

Boiled carrots make the perfect side dish, either plain, lightly dotted with butter or even glazed in a combination of brown sugar and butter to make a dish children love. Even though some nutrients are lost into the water, boiled carrots still provide essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and vitamin A.

Basic Nutrition

One cup of boiled carrots, weighing 156 g, has 55 calories, 1.2 g of protein, 0.3 g of total fat and 13 g of carbohydrates, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database. Boiled carrots retain a good amount of dietary fiber. They have 5 g of fiber, which is 13 percent of the daily intake for men and 20 percent for women, based upon recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine.

 

Vitamins

Eating one cup of boiled carrots provides a big dose of antioxidants. You’ll get 26,571 IU of vitamin A, which is an amazing 885 percent of the recommended daily intake. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that’s essential for vision and healthy skin, according to Harvard Health Publications. Boiled carrots have 1.6 mg, or 11 percent, of the antioxidant vitamin E. Vitamin E protects structural lipids in cell membranes and other fat-soluble substances such as vitamin A from damage caused by free radicals. Carrots provide a third important antioxidant in the form of 5.6 mg, or 6 percent of the daily intake, of vitamin C. Vitamin K is needed for bone mineralization and clotting; you’ll get 21 micrograms, or 17 percent of the daily intake, of this important vitamin. You’ll gain 0.24 mg, or 18 percent, of vitamin B-6, which assists enzymes and reduces heart disease by lowering homocysteine. One cup of boiled carrots contains 5 to 8 percent of the recommended daily value of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.

Minerals

Boiled carrots contain 3 to 8 percent of the recommended daily intake of all the essential dietary minerals. They provide 47 mg of calcium, 16 mg of magnesium and 47 mg of phosphorus, which are all needed to build and maintain strong bones. You’ll get 0.5 mg of oxygen-carrying iron. Boiled carrots deliver 367 mg of potassium that’s needed for your muscles to contract and to keep a steady heart beat. They also provide 0.3 mg of zinc, which is critical for growth, neurological development and a healthy immune system. Boiled carrots have some salt: 90 mg, or 6 percent of the recommended daily intake. Carrots are a source of the trace mineral manganese, containing 0.24 mg, or 10 percent of the recommended intake. Manganese is an antioxidant essential for metabolism and the formation of cartilage and collagen.

Carotenoids

Carrots get their orange color from plant pigments called carotenoids. These substances also function as antioxidants. Boiled carrots contain 1,072 micrograms of two carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin, which are the only antioxidants found in the eye. They may reduce your risk of age-related cataracts or macular degeneration, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.