How many calories are in each vegetable?

November 16, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a diet rich in vegetables can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Understanding how many calories are in each vegetable is a key step for anyone looking to manage their weight or improve their health by eating more plant-based foods.

Quick Summary

This article explores the calorie content of common vegetables, distinguishing between low-calorie and starchy varieties. It covers how cooking methods affect nutritional value and provides a detailed comparison chart to help with meal planning.

Key Points

Categorize vegetables by calorie density: Non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens and cucumbers are low-calorie and high-volume, while starchy options like potatoes and corn are more calorie-dense.
Be mindful of cooking methods: While cooking itself doesn't add calories, preparing vegetables with oils, butters, or sauces will increase the total calorie count.
Understand changes in calorie density: Cooking can cause vegetables to lose water, which increases their calorie density (calories per gram), even if the total calories remain the same.
Leverage high-volume vegetables for weight management: Use non-starchy, low-calorie vegetables to fill your plate and promote a feeling of fullness, which can help reduce overall calorie intake.
Consider nutrient bioavailability: Cooking some vegetables can make certain nutrients, like lycopene in tomatoes and calcium in spinach, more available for your body to absorb.

Vegetable Calories: A Comprehensive Overview

Not all vegetables are created equal when it comes to calorie content. While most are naturally low in calories and high in water and fiber, starchy varieties contain more carbohydrates and, consequently, more energy. A deeper understanding of these differences can empower you to make more informed dietary choices, whether you're focused on weight management or simply optimizing your nutrition.

Low-Calorie Vegetables (Non-Starchy)

These vegetables are your best friends for adding volume and nutrients to meals with minimal caloric impact. Their high water and fiber content promote feelings of fullness without adding a significant number of calories.

Leafy Greens: Spinach and lettuce are exceptionally low in calories. A 100-gram serving of spinach has just 23-25 kcal, and iceberg lettuce is even lower.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli and cauliflower are nutrient powerhouses with moderate calorie counts. A 100-gram serving of broccoli contains around 34-35 kcal, while cauliflower is about 25-30 kcal.
Watery Vegetables: Cucumber, zucchini, and celery are among the lowest-calorie vegetables, primarily due to their high water content. Cucumber has approximately 15 kcal per 100 grams, zucchini around 10-16 kcal, and celery can be as low as 8-9 kcal.
Other Examples: Other non-starchy, low-calorie options include bell peppers (21-28 kcal per 100g) and mushrooms (7-8 kcal per 100g).

Higher-Calorie Vegetables (Starchy)

Starchy vegetables are a great source of complex carbohydrates and sustained energy. They are more calorie-dense than their non-starchy counterparts and are an important component of a balanced diet.

Potatoes: A medium potato contains a higher calorie count, with around 77-97 kcal per 100 grams, depending on the preparation.
Corn: Sweet corn is another starchy vegetable with approximately 54 kcal per 100 grams.
Peas: Garden peas are a legume with a higher calorie content, typically around 70 kcal per 100 grams.
Sweet Potatoes: Offering sustained energy, sweet potatoes come in at about 76-86 kcal per 100 grams.
Winter Squashes: Varieties like butternut squash are more calorie-dense than summer squashes, with around 36-40 kcal per 100 grams.

How Cooking Affects Calorie Counts

The way you prepare vegetables can significantly impact their final calorie count. While the caloric content of the vegetable itself doesn't change drastically (unless you char it), cooking methods often involve adding extra ingredients like oils, butters, and sauces, which can increase the total energy count.

For example, roasting vegetables in a generous amount of oil or covering them in a creamy sauce, as in a gratin, will add more calories than steaming or boiling them. Steaming is often considered one of the healthiest cooking methods because it retains more nutrients and doesn't require adding fats. Boiling can cause some water-soluble vitamins to leach into the water, but the core vegetable calories remain unchanged.

Another factor is the bioavailability of nutrients. Cooking can break down cell walls, making some nutrients easier for your body to absorb. For instance, the antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes is more bioavailable when cooked. Similarly, cooked spinach provides more accessible calcium, as heat breaks down the absorption-blocking oxalic acid. Conversely, some heat-sensitive vitamins, like Vitamin C, can be reduced during the cooking process.

Raw vs. Cooked Vegetable Calories


Vegetable	Raw (kcal per 100g)	Boiled/Steamed (kcal per 100g)	Change Explanation
Broccoli	34	~35	Negligible change; water loss concentrates nutrients.
Spinach	25	~41	Calories per weight increase due to water loss.
Carrots	41	~30	Can vary; minimal water gain may lower density slightly.
Green Beans	24	~35	Weight decreases due to water loss, increasing calorie density.
Brussels Sprouts	43	~36	Boiling can cause water absorption, reducing calorie density.
Sweet Potato	86	76	Some nutrients and water lost, minimal calorie difference.

Maximizing Satiety with High-Volume, Low-Calorie Vegetables

For weight loss or appetite management, incorporating high-volume, low-calorie vegetables is a strategic move. The high fiber and water content in these foods helps fill your stomach, signaling to your brain that you're full. This can help curb cravings and reduce your overall calorie intake. Think of a large salad with leafy greens, cucumber, and bell peppers, or a big bowl of steamed broccoli. You can eat a large quantity for a small caloric investment, which is a key principle of the calorie density approach. For example, 100 calories of spinach is a massive 14 cups, compared to a much smaller portion of starchy peas or potatoes for the same calorie count.

For more in-depth nutritional information on various foods, including vegetables, you can visit the USDA FoodData Central website.

Conclusion

Understanding the calorie content of different vegetables is a practical skill for anyone serious about nutrition. While all vegetables are beneficial, knowing the distinction between low-calorie, high-volume options and their more starchy, calorie-dense counterparts can help you tailor your diet to your specific health goals. Remember that cooking methods play a crucial role, and opting for steaming or minimal oil can preserve the low-calorie nature of many vegetables. Ultimately, variety is key. By incorporating a wide range of vegetables, prepared in different ways, you can ensure a diverse intake of nutrients to support overall health and wellness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Iceberg lettuce and mushrooms are among the vegetables with the lowest calorie counts, containing as few as 7-14 kcal per 100 grams.

No, the vegetable itself doesn't gain calories when cooked. However, cooking methods that involve added fats like oil or butter will increase the overall calorie count of the dish. Additionally, water loss during cooking can increase the calories per gram, making them denser.

No, starchy vegetables are not inherently bad for weight loss. They provide valuable complex carbohydrates and sustained energy. Portion control is key, as they are more calorie-dense than non-starchy varieties.

Calorie density is the number of calories in a food relative to its weight or volume. Low-calorie density foods, like most non-starchy vegetables, allow you to eat larger portions for fewer calories, which can help with weight management.

Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas are typically the highest in calories among common vegetables due to their higher carbohydrate content.

There is no single answer, as it depends on the vegetable and nutrient. Some nutrients are more available when cooked, while others are best when eaten raw. A combination of both raw and cooked vegetables is often the best approach.

No, the concept of 'negative calorie foods' is a myth. While your body does burn energy to digest food, the net calorie balance is still positive. However, many vegetables are so low in calories that the net effect is minimal.