Canned Carrots Vs. Fresh (What’s the Difference?)

Canned vegetables can be a useful store cupboard addition for those times when you don’t have any fresh or just want a quick alternative without the prep.

Canned vegetables sometimes have a bad reputation, and it’s thought they’re lacking when it comes to quality and nutrition, but is there really that much of a difference between canned and the fresh alternative?

The short answer is that fresh carrots are higher in most vitamins and minerals than canned. However, canned carrots are still a good source of many nutrients, and in most cases, the differences are small. Canned carrots are quicker to prepare and can be stored for longer.

Read on to find out much more about the calorific and nutritional differences between canned and fresh carrots and the differences in storage and use.

Canned Vs. Fresh Carrots Nutritional Comparison

In this section, I’ll be comparing the nutritional differences between canned and fresh carrots in various categories. To ensure the comparison is accurate, it will be weight for weight and based on data from the USDA.

The comparison is between canned carrots, canned without salt and drained, vs. cooked fresh carrots, boiled without salt. I’m comparing cooked carrots and not raw is because canned carrots are cooked in their cans as part of the canning process.

Calorie Comparison

Both canned and fresh carrots are low in calories, but USDA data confirms that canned carrots contain slightly fewer calories per 100g than fresh carrots.

The reason why canned carrots are lower in calories than the fresh version is that the water content is higher, and they’re lower in carbs, sugar, and fiber.

Canned carrots contain 93g of water per 100g, whereas fresh carrots contain 90g of water, which shows some absorption during the canning process.

Carrot Type	Calories Per 100g
Canned Carrots	25kcal
Fresh Carrots (cooked)	35kcal

Nutritional Comparison

Fresh (cooked) carrots retain more nutrients than canned carrots meaning they’re higher in carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and protein; however, in most cases, there’s not much difference between the two.

Nutrition Type	Canned Carrots	Fresh Carrots (cooked)
Carbohydrates	5.54g	8.22g
of Which are Sugars	2.48g	3.45g
Dietary Fiber	1.5g	3g
Fat	0.19g	0.18g
Protein	0.64g	0.76g
Sodium/Salt	42mg	58mg

Vitamins & Minerals Comparison

When you compare the vitamins and minerals of canned carrots and fresh carrots side-by-side, you can see that fresh carrots contain higher levels of nutrients in most categories, although in many cases, the difference is minimal.

Canned carrots still contain many vitamins and minerals and are a good source of vitamin A, potassium, vitamin C, and many more.

Vitamin/Mineral Type	Canned Carrots (per 100g)	Fresh Carrots (per 100g)
Calcium	25mg	30mg
Iron	0.64mg	0.34mg
Phosphorus	24mg	30mg
Potassium	179mg	253mg
Magnesium	8mg	10mg
Thiamin	0.018mg	0.066mg
Riboflavin	0.03mg	0.044mg
Vitamin B6	0.112mg	0.153mg
Vitamin C	2.7mg	3.6mg
Vitamin A	558mcg	852mcg
Vitamin E	0.74mg	1.03mg
Niacin	0.552mg	0.645mg
Zinc	0.2mg	0.2mg

*mcg = microgram (1000th of a milligram) / mg = milligram (1000th of a gram)

Canned Vs. Fresh Carrots Use Comparison

The primary use for canned carrots is an alternative to fresh carrots as a vegetable side dish, but they’re also perfect for adding to casseroles, curries, and soups where you don’t have much time for prep.

Canned carrots are pre-cooked, so they’re not so good in recipes where you need raw carrots; for example, in carrot cake where you need to grate or shred carrots, you can’t replace them with canned.

It’s also a good idea to check the ingredients of canned carrots because some contain added salt and sugar, which might impact the flavor of certain recipes.

Preparation Differences

Canned carrots are usually sliced, but in some cases, they’re whole baby carrots. They take little preparation and just require draining and heating by adding them directly to a casserole or soup, cooking in a pan of boiling water, or they can be microwaved.

Fresh carrots require a little more prep, and in most cases, the top and bottom need to be removed, the outer skin needs to be peeled away, and the carrot needs to be cut into pieces that are most appropriate for the dish that you’re making.

Storage and Availability

Both canned and fresh carrots are readily available in most grocery stores, although fresh carrots are more popular and generally sold in larger volumes.

Although fresh carrots can be stored for a few weeks or even a month in a refrigerator under the right conditions, canned carrots can be stored in a cool dark cupboard or pantry for up to three years (preferably before the use-by date).

Best for Flavor/Texture

Judging which kind of carrot tastes best is something best decided by completing a poll to get a general public opinion.

Please help us out by voting for your favorite kind of carrot (canned or fresh), and once you vote, the winner so far will be revealed (no personal information is required to vote).

Summary

We’ve now compared canned carrots against fresh carrots in various categories, and here’s a summary of the key differences:

• Canned carrots are slightly lower in calories because they contain more water and fewer carbs and sugars.
• Fresh cooked carrots are slightly higher in most vitamins and minerals.
• Canned carrots are pre-cooked and are quick to prepare and heat; however, they can’t be used as a replacement for a raw carrot.
• Canned carrots can be stored for much longer than fresh carrots.