Apple vs. Carrots
Nutrition comparison of Apple and Carrots
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
apple
versus
carrots
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in apple and carrots:
- Both carrots and apple are high in dietary fiber.
- Carrot has 54% less sugar than apple.
- Carrot has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of calories - carrot has 41 calories per 100 grams and apple has 52 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, apple is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to carrots for fat. Apple has a macronutrient ratio of 2:95:3 and for carrots, 9:86:6 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Apple | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 95% | 86% |
| Fat | 3% | 6% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of carbs - carrot has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in carrots are made of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 81% sugar and 19% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both carrots and apple are high in dietary fiber. Carrot has 17% more dietary fiber than apple - carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and apple has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Carrot has 54% less sugar than apple - carrot has 4.7g of sugar per 100 grams and apple has 10.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of protein - carrot has 0.93g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both carrots and apple are low in saturated fat - carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and apple has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and apple has 4.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 277 times more Vitamin A than apple - carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and apple has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and apple has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and apple has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Carrot has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Apple | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.017 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.026 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.061 MG | 0.273 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | 0.138 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Carrot has 450% more calcium than apple - carrot has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
iron
Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of iron - carrot has 0.3mg of iron per 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.
potassium
Carrot is an excellent source of potassium and it has 199% more potassium than apple - carrot has 320mg of potassium per 100 grams and apple has 107mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds, both apple and carrots contain significant amounts of kaempferol.
| Apple | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.12 mg | 0.11 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.14 mg | 0.24 mg |
| Quercetin | 4.01 mg | 0.21 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.04 mg |
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Apple | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 27 UG | 8285 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 29 UG | 256 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 3477 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 1 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both apple and carrots contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Apple | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.009 G | 0.002 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, carrot has more linoleic acid than apple per 100 grams.
| Apple | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.1 G |
| Total | 0.043 G | 0.1 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Apple g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Carrots g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does carrots or apple contain more calories in 100 grams?Carrots and apple contain similar amounts of calories - carrot has 41 calories in 100g and apple has 52 calories.
Does carrots or apple have more carbohydrates?
By weight, carrots and apple contain similar amounts of carbs - carrot has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in carrots are made of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 80% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.
Does carrots or apple contain more potassium?
Carrot is a rich source of potassium and it has 200% more potassium than apple - carrot has 320mg of potassium in 100 grams and apple has 107mg of potassium.