Calories in Common Indian Vegetables: Bhindi, Lauki, Palak, Cauliflower, Brinjal and More, per 100 g (IFCT 2017)
"How many calories are in bhindi, lauki or palak?" has a solid answer for the raw vegetable and none for the sabzi. In the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017) of the National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), twelve common vegetables run from about 11 kcal per 100 g raw (bottle gourd) to about 33 kcal (carrot), and 5 of them are under 20 kcal. Below are the per 100 g and per 250 g figures, what ICMR-NIN says about vegetables, and what the raw table does not cover: oil, masala, paneer and every cooked dish. The kJ to kcal conversion and the portions are our arithmetic.
Per 100 g, raw: the IFCT 2017 figures
IFCT 2017, Table 1 (Proximate Principles and Dietary Fibre), per 100 g of raw edible portion (peeled, trimmed, without seeds or stalks where the table says so), average of the regions sampled. IFCT prints energy in kilojoules (kJ); we converted with 1 kcal = 4.184 kJ. Sorted by energy, lowest first. These are raw vegetables, not a cooked sabzi. Where IFCT lists several varieties we use one row and name it.
| Raw, per 100 g | Energy | Carbohydrate | Dietary fibre | Protein | IFCT code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottle gourd (lauki), elongate, pale green | 11 kcal (46 kJ) | 1.68 g | 2.12 g | 0.53 g | D007 |
| Ridge gourd (turai) | 13 kcal (55 kJ) | 1.72 g | 1.81 g | 0.91 g | D068 |
| Capsicum, green (shimla mirch) | 16 kcal (68 kJ) | 1.84 g | 2.06 g | 1.11 g | D033 |
| Tomato, ripe, hybrid | 19 kcal (79 kJ) | 3.20 g | 1.58 g | 0.76 g | D075 |
| Cucumber, green, elongate (kheera) | 20 kcal (82 kJ) | 3.48 g | 2.14 g | 0.71 g | D043 |
| Bitter gourd (karela), jagged, teeth ridges, elongate | 21 kcal (87 kJ) | 2.82 g | 3.78 g | 1.44 g | D004 |
| Cabbage, green (patta gobhi) | 22 kcal (90 kJ) | 3.25 g | 2.76 g | 1.36 g | C015 |
| Cauliflower (phool gobhi) | 23 kcal (96 kJ) | 2.03 g | 3.71 g | 2.15 g | D036 |
| Spinach (palak) | 24 kcal (102 kJ) | 2.05 g | 2.38 g | 2.14 g | C033 |
| Brinjal (baingan), all varieties | 25 kcal (106 kJ) | 3.52 g | 3.98 g | 1.48 g | D031 |
| Ladies finger (bhindi) | 27 kcal (115 kJ) | 3.62 g | 4.08 g | 2.08 g | D056 |
| Carrot, orange (gajar) | 33 kcal (139 kJ) | 5.55 g | 4.18 g | 0.95 g | F002 |
The range is narrow at the low end and wider at the top: bottle gourd is the lightest at 11 kcal per 100 g, carrot the heaviest of the twelve at 33 kcal. 5 of the 12 rows are under 20 kcal per 100 g. Protein is under 3 g per 100 g in every row; spinach has 2.14 g and the most fibre of the leafy rows is cabbage's 2.76 g.
What a day of vegetables adds up to
The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (DGI 2024) recommend at least 400 g of vegetables a day: 100 g of green leafy vegetables, 250 g of other vegetables and 50 g of roots and tubers (PDF page 66). IFCT files spinach and cabbage under group C (leafy), bhindi, lauki, karela and the other sabzi rows under group D, and carrot under group F (roots). Applying DGI's three amounts to those groups is our arithmetic, as an example weight, not DGI's own classification:
| 250 g, raw ("other vegetables") | Energy | Dietary fibre |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle gourd (lauki), elongate, pale green | ~27 kcal | 5.3 g |
| Ridge gourd (turai) | ~33 kcal | 4.5 g |
| Capsicum, green (shimla mirch) | ~41 kcal | 5.2 g |
| Tomato, ripe, hybrid | ~47 kcal | 4.0 g |
| Cucumber, green, elongate (kheera) | ~49 kcal | 5.4 g |
| Bitter gourd (karela), jagged, teeth ridges, elongate | ~52 kcal | 9.5 g |
| Cauliflower (phool gobhi) | ~57 kcal | 9.3 g |
| Brinjal (baingan), all varieties | ~63 kcal | 10.0 g |
| Ladies finger (bhindi) | ~69 kcal | 10.2 g |
The same arithmetic gives 100 g of raw spinach ~24 kcal and 50 g of raw carrot ~17 kcal. The DGI plate for a 2,000 kcal vegetarian day lists 400 g of vegetables and leafy greens at about 174 kcal and 10 g of protein (Table 1.2a, PDF page 24). For scale, one roti made from 30 g of atta is about 96 kcal (IFCT 2017, code A019; see the roti-size guide).
What ICMR-NIN says about energy in vegetables
DGI 2024 describes most vegetables as under 20 kcal per 100 g raw, and starchy roots and tubers such as potato, sweet potato, tapioca and yam as 70 to 100 kcal per 100 g raw (PDF page 64). In the rows above, 5 of 12 are under 20 on the unrounded values (bottle gourd, ridge gourd, capsicum, tomato and cucumber, which is 19.6 before rounding to the 20 in the table); bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, brinjal, bhindi and carrot are above it, carrot by a wide margin. That is a statement about these rows, not a ranking of what you should eat: your own calories come from your goal (see how many calories to lose weight).
What these numbers do not cover
- The cooked sabzi. Bhindi fry, lauki sabzi, palak paneer, brinjal bharta: IFCT lists the raw vegetable only. Oil, onion, masala, cream and paneer decide the katori, so we give no per 100 g or per katori figure for the cooked dish. Our oil guide covers the fat side.
- Juices and soups (lauki juice, karela juice, tomato soup). Not in the table; read the pack label or measure what goes in.
- Other varieties. IFCT lists many rows per vegetable (brinjal has 21 varieties, bitter gourd several); a different variety will differ a little.
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Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in bhindi (okra)?
IFCT 2017 gives raw ladies finger (code D056) 115 kJ per 100 g, about 27 kcal, with 4.08 g fibre and 2.08 g protein. A cooked bhindi sabzi is not in the table; oil and masala come on top.
How many calories are in lauki (bottle gourd)?
IFCT 2017 gives raw bottle gourd (elongate, pale green, code D007) 46 kJ per 100 g, about 11 kcal. At 250 g raw that is about 27 kcal, among the lightest rows in the table. Lauki juice or cooked sabzi is not in it.
How many calories are in palak (spinach)?
IFCT 2017 gives raw spinach (code C033) 102 kJ per 100 g, about 24 kcal, with 2.14 g protein and 2.38 g fibre. Palak paneer is a cooked dish with paneer and oil and is not in the table.
Which common vegetable has the fewest calories per 100 g?
Of the twelve IFCT 2017 rows we compare, bottle gourd is lowest at about 11 kcal per 100 g (46 kJ) and carrot is highest at about 33 kcal. This is raw weight; cooking and oil change a sabzi.
How many vegetables a day does ICMR-NIN suggest?
DGI 2024 recommends at least 400 g of vegetables a day: 100 g of green leafy vegetables, 250 g of other vegetables and 50 g of roots and tubers. It is a diet-wide guideline, not personal advice; ask a doctor or dietitian if you have a medical condition.
Sources (checked 21 October 2026)
- Longvah T., Ananthan R., Bhaskarachary K., Venkaiah K., Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad, Table 1 "Proximate Principles and Dietary Fibre" (energy kJ, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, protein; leafy vegetables C015 cabbage and C033 spinach, PDF pages 44 and 45; D004 bitter gourd and D007 bottle gourd, PDF page 45; D031 brinjal, D033 capsicum, D036 cauliflower, D043 cucumber, PDF pages 46-47; D056 ladies finger, D068 ridge gourd, D075 tomato, PDF page 48; F002 carrot, PDF page 52; A019 wheat flour, PDF page 42): IFCT 2017 (PDF, nin.res.in)
- ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (food groups: PDF page 22; Table 1.2a vegetarian plate, vegetables and leafy greens 400 g, ~174 kcal, ~10 g protein: PDF page 24; most vegetables under 20 kcal per 100 g raw, starchy roots and tubers 70-100 kcal: PDF page 64; at least 400 g of vegetables a day, 100 g leafy, 250 g other, 50 g roots and tubers: PDF page 66): full guidelines (PDF, nin.res.in)
- kJ to kcal (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ), the 250 g, 100 g and 50 g example weights, the mapping of DGI's three daily amounts onto IFCT groups C, D and F, and every per-portion figure: NYUS arithmetic on the IFCT 2017 rows.