Carrot Facts for Kids

A Picture of Carrots
  • Name: Carrot
  • Type of Food: Root Vegetable
  • Produced From: Daucus carota subsp. sativus
  • Total Calories: 25 (61g serving)
  • Total Fat: 0 grams (61g serving)
  • Total Protein: 1 gram (61g serving)
  • Total Carbohydrates: 6 grams (61g serving)

22 Carrot Facts for Kids

  1. Carrots are a root vegetable obtain from the carrot plant (Daucus carota subsp. Sativus).
  2. The domesticated carrot (Daucus carota subsp. Sativus) is a form of the wild carrot (Daucus carota).
  3. The wild carrot (Daucus carota) is native to Europe and Southwest Asia.
  4. Carrots are typically orange in color, however there are variants that can be black, purple, red, white or yellow.
  5. Carrots are grown from a seed and reach maturity between 70 and 120 days depending on the conditions.
  6. According to FAOSTAT, the world produced around 44 million tons of carrots and turnips combined in 2018.
  7. According to FAOSTAT, the largest producer of carrots and turnips in 2018 was China with over 19.8 million tons.
  8. The composition of a single carrot (raw) is 88% water, 9% carbohydrates, 0.9% protein, 2.8% dietary fiber, 1% ash and 0.2% fat.
  9. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains calories 25.
  10. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains no fats.
  11. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains no cholesterol.
  12. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains 42 milligrams of sodium.
  13. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains 6 grams of carbohydrates.
  14. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains 2 grams of dietary fiber.
  15. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains 3 grams of sugar.
  16. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains 20 milligrams of calcium.
  17. One medium carrot (61 grams) contains 193 milligrams of potassium.
  18. Carrots can be eaten in a wide variety of ways, including raw, boiled, roasted and steamed.
  19. A common myth is the consumption of carrots can help you see at night. This myth was created by the British Royal Air Force during World War 2. They created this myth to conceal the fact that radar technology was helping them shoot down German planes at night.
  20. Carotenosis is a medical condition caused by eating large quantities of carrots, which will cause your skin to have a yellowish-orange appearance.
  21. According to the Guinness World Records the longest carrot ever recorded was 20 feet and 5.86 inches long. This record was set on September 23rd, 2016 by Joe Atherton in the United Kingdom.
  22. According to the Guinness World Records the heaviest carrot ever recorded weighed 22.44 pounds. This record was set on September 9th, 2017 by Christopher Qualley in the United States of America.

Additional Resources about Carrots

  • Carrots Nutrition – Find out the nutrition of carrots on the USDA SNAP-Ed Connection website.
  • Carrots 101 – Learn all about carrots and their nutritional value on the Healthline website.
  • Carrot – Wikipedia – Discover more facts about carrots on the Wikipedia website.

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