Carrot skin doesn’t look as good as the inner area of the carrot underneath.
It’s generally lighter in color and is slightly more bitter.
The skin of carrots is not as visually appealing as peeled carrots so many people remove the skin, but is it OK to eat carrot skin?
It’s perfectly fine to eat carrot skin.
Carrot skin is generally more bitter than the rest of the carrot and is another reason that it’s removed.
A percentage of some nutrients are lost when peeling carrots such as vitamin C and Niacin.
But, the interior is higher in other nutrients such as calcium.
Today, I will provide a complete explanation of what nutrients are found in each part of the carrot, the skin, middle interior, and the core of the carrot.
That way you can have a really good idea of whether it’s best to peel carrots or leave the skin on.
Is Carrot Skin Good for You?
Peeling carrots is common, and the skins are typically discarded or kept to use as compost.
Some people eat carrots whole, whereas, others peel them and cut them into carrot sticks, or round flat pieces.
The skin of carrots is more bitter than the interior of the carrot, but is it healthier to leave the carrot skin, and is carrot skin good for you.
Carrot skin is good for you.
The skin of carrots is more concentrated than the interior of the carrot in vitamin C, and niacin.
The interior and the skin have equal amounts of beta-carotene another beneficial nutrient.
Eating carrots with the skin provides more vitamin C and niacin than peeling them.
To see this more clearly I’ve put together a table that shows the skin, inner part under the skin – not including the core, and the core, and then provided details of how they differ based on the nutrients they contain.
| Part of the carrot | Nutrients |
| Skin | ● Most concentrated in vitamin C and niacin.
● Has the same amount of beta-carotene (vitamin A) as the inner part. ● High in fiber |
| Inner part – not including the core | ● Has the same amount of beta-carotene (vitamin A) as the skin.
● High in fiber. |
| The core | ● Only 10% of the total beta-carotene (vitamin A)
● Contains most of the calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus ● High in fiber |
Next, here’s a table that shows how much of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of each of the different parts of carrots contain.
Bear in mind that these are not all of the nutrients that carrots contain.
These are the nutrients that have been found to differ based on the area of the carrot as found by Tufts University (source).
| Part of the carrot | Nutrients |
| Skin | ● 3.66% of RDI of fiber
● 150.3% of RDI of beta-carotene (vitamin A) ● 1.5% RDI Calcium, Ca ● 3.5% RDI Manganese, Mn ● 1.2% RDI Phosphorus, P ● 3.0% RDI Potassium, K |
| Inner part – not including the core | ● 3.66% of RDI of fiber
● 150.3% of RDI of beta-carotene (vitamin A) ● 0.75% RDI Calcium, Ca ● 1.75% RDI Manganese, Mn ● 0.60% RDI Phosphorus, P ● 1.50% RDI Potassium, K |
| The core | ● 3.66% of RDI of fiber
● 33.4% RDI of beta-carotene (vitamin A) ● 150.3% of RDI of beta-carotene (vitamin A) ● 1.5% RDI Calcium, Ca ● 3.5% RDI Manganese, Mn ● 1.2% RDI Phosphorus, P ● 3.0% RDI Potassium, K |
Carrots contain other nutrients that are found in high amounts.
I’ve compiled a list of all the nutrients found in carrots that are over 5% of the RDI in the table below:
| Nutrient per cup | Carrots, raw |
| Vitamin A | 334.00% |
| Sugars | 19.58% |
| Vitamin K | 16.00% |
| Fiber, total dietary | 11.00% |
| Vitamin C | 10.00% |
| Potassium, K | 9.00% |
| Manganese, Mn | 7.00% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 7.00% |
| Niacin | 5.00% |
For a full list of the nutrients found in carrots as well as how carrots differ based on how they are cooked, either raw, boiled, roasted, or friend see this article about whether cooked carrots have more sugar than raw carrots.
It shows a side-by-side comparison of the nutrients for each of the different ways they are prepared.
I personally prefer the taste of peeled carrots over unpeeled carrots there is a range of ways to use carrot peel.
Here’s a video that shows 8 ways that you can use the peel from fruits and veggies such as carrots.
It includes ways such as making chips out of carrot peels:
Why You Should Not Peel Carrots?
I’ve snacked on whole unpeeled carrots from time to time, and also used unpeeled grated carrots in stir-fries or salads because it’s fast to prepare.
Carrots sticks are also quite popular especially dipped in various sauces.
But, is there any drawback to peeling carrots and why is it a good idea not to peel carrots?
Interestingly, the core of carrots is high in calcium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium.
The core of a carrot is generally only about 30% of the carrot yet it contains 50% of the total calcium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium that the other 70% of the carrot contains.
Certain people have a negative reaction to carrots.
They have what’s known as intolerance.
It can give them gas, bloating, acid reflux, an upset stomach, or diarrhea.
If this is the case for you then try removing the peel, or cooking carrots to see if it makes a difference to how your body reacts to them.
I explained this in-depth in this article about whether carrots cause acid reflux .
Are Unpeeled Carrots Healthier?
For most fruits and veggies you can either choose to peel them or not peel them.
Peeling carrots is common, and the skin of carrots is more bitter than the interior of the carrot.
It’s somewhat common wisdom that the peel of fruits and vegetables contain more nutrient, but here’s whether this is the case for carrots.
For flavor reasons removing the outer few layers with the few strokes of a peeler can be a good idea depending on your specific preference.
But, it’s safe to say you will get more nutrients if you wash them instead and keep the peel on.
If you prefer the taste of peeled carrots then you should look into how much of each of the nutrients you are getting with your regular diet.
Based on the recommended daily intake of each.
This is the only way to know say for sure if it’s healthier for you to leave the peel on or remove the peel.
Because it can be the case you’re getting all the nutrients you need on a daily basis without leaving the peel on.
I’m Chris Watson & the Founder of EatForLonger.com. I’m a food and wellbeing enthusiast researching and sharing foodstuffs and simple food-based concepts, such as fasting and clean eating.
I hope it inspires you to make tiny changes to what you eat and when you eat while optimizing your healthspan and all-around well-being.
Read more About Me here.