Reviewed by The Mom Store editorial team, October 2026. See our editorial policy.
Yes, carrots are a good food to eat during pregnancy. They count towards the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day that the NHS guide to a healthy diet in pregnancy recommends, and like other vegetables they add fibre, which the NHS notes helps prevent constipation. They are cheap, keep well, and fit into almost any Indian meal.
Carrots and vitamin A
This is the part that confuses people. The NHS advice on vitamins and supplements in pregnancy is clear that you should not take cod liver oil or any supplement containing vitamin A (retinol) while pregnant, because too much vitamin A could harm your baby. It also advises avoiding liver and liver products.
Carrots are different. They contain beta carotene rather than retinol. The NHS page on vitamin A lists carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes and red peppers among the main food sources of beta carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A. Its pregnancy warnings are about liver and retinol, not about vegetables. In practice, what to check is the label on any multivitamin or supplement, and that you are not eating liver.
Can too many carrots turn your skin orange?
It can happen, but it is harmless. Cleveland Clinic describes carotenemia as a yellow or orange tint to the skin, mainly on the palms and soles, caused by eating large amounts of beta carotene, for example from a lot of carrots or carrot juice. It says there is no harm or danger in having it, and it usually fades within weeks or months once you eat less.
The important difference is the eyes. Carotenemia does not affect the whites of your eyes. If the whites of your eyes look yellow, or the colour does not fade after you cut back, see your doctor, because something other than carotenemia may be the cause.
Washing and preparing them
Scrub carrots under running water, or peel them, before eating. The NHS explains that soil on fruit and vegetables can carry toxoplasma, a parasite that can harm an unborn baby, so this matters more in pregnancy than usual. Raw and cooked carrots are both fine. If raw food is hard to face with nausea or heartburn, cooked carrots are softer and often easier.
Easy ways to eat them
- Gajar matar or mixed vegetable sabzi with rotis
- Grated carrot in poha, upma, parathas or idli batter
- Carrot and cucumber sticks with curd or hummus as a snack
- Carrots added to dal, khichdi or vegetable soup
- A carrot and beetroot kosambari or salad with lemon
Gajar ka halwa is a festive treat rather than a vegetable serving, given the sugar and ghee. A small bowl at a celebration is fine for most women; if you have gestational diabetes, ask your doctor or dietitian how it fits your plan.
The NHS recommends a variety of fruit and vegetables, so carrots work best as one of many rather than the main one. No vegetable replaces the folic acid and other supplements your doctor recommends.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.
