Fruits · IFCT 2017
Apple: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, a big red apple gives 62 kcal, 13.1 g carbohydrate, 9.5 g sugars and 2.6 g dietary fibre, according to IFCT 2017. By the numbers it is a modest fruit: it ranks 43rd of 44 fruits for protein and last for folate. Its real strengths are a high water content, 83 g per 100 g, a fair amount of fibre and the ease of eating it raw.
About apple
India's apples come mainly from the hills of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. They are picked from late summer into autumn and then held in cold stores, so sev is on sale in every city market through winter and spring, with imported fruit filling the gaps. IFCT 2017 records it as sev in Hindi, Bengali and Odia, seb in Punjabi, saib in Urdu, sebu in Kannada and tsoonth in Kashmiri.
The tables list four kinds. The big apple, the everyday red fruit, is the reference form on this page. Green apple is the lightest at 51 kcal and 10.7 g carbohydrate per 100 g, with a sharper taste. The small apple and the small Kashmir apple both reach 64 kcal and carry slightly more vitamin C, at 4.0 mg and 4.2 mg, though none of the four is a serious source of that vitamin.
Most Indian homes eat apple raw, sliced into a tiffin box or tossed into fruit chaat. Cooked apple is rarer but not unknown: Kashmiri Pandit kitchens make tsoont wangun, a sour apple and brinjal curry, and many mothers stew apple soft for a baby's early meals.
What apple brings to a meal
- 01
Light and watery
At 62 kcal and 83 g water per 100 g, apple sits 16th of 44 fruits for energy, in the middle of the fruit table. It makes a light, crunchy snack between meals, though it is not the lowest-calorie fruit available.
- 02
Fibre, partly in the peel
Apple has 2.6 g dietary fibre per 100 g, ranking 27th of 43 fruits. A share of that fibre, including pectin, sits in and just under the skin, so peeling the fruit removes part of what it offers.
- 03
Sugars from the fruit itself
Of its 13.1 g carbohydrate per 100 g, 9.5 g is sugars. In a whole apple that sugar comes wrapped in water and fibre, which is why the fruit is a far better choice than a glass of apple juice.
- 04
Low in vitamins and minerals
100 g meets about 4 per cent of a man's and 6 per cent of a woman's daily vitamin C requirement, and 1 per cent or less of most minerals. Apple ranks 38th of 44 fruits for vitamin C, so guava, amla or orange do far more for that need.
Apple nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 62 kcal | 3% | 4% |
| Protein | 0.3 g | 1% | 1% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 13.1 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 9.5 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.6 g | ||
| Water | 83 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.15 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.28 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 33 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 14 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 0.26 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.09 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 8 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Phosphorus | 10 mg | ||
| Potassium | 116 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.04 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.5 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 3.6 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Beta-carotene | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.01 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.25 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Folate (B9) | 3 µg | 1% | 1% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.15 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 3.7 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Apple: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/apple/
Where apple sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 43 fruits and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fruits | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 3.6 mg | 38th of 44 | 114th of 130 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 33 mg | 22nd of 42 | 130th of 202 |
| Beta-carotene | 2 µg | 26th of 41 | 132nd of 160 |
| Dietary fibre | 2.6 g | 27th of 43 | 137th of 182 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.15 mg | 16th of 44 | 141st of 242 |
Every form of apple in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple, big (shown above) | 62 kcal | 0.3 g | 2.6 g | 0.26 mg | 14 mg |
| Green | 51 kcal | 0.5 g | 2.5 g | 0.2 mg | 7 mg |
| Small | 64 kcal | 0.3 g | 2.1 g | 0.25 mg | 5 mg |
| Small, Kashmir | 64 kcal | 0.3 g | 2.1 g | 0.21 mg | 5 mg |
How apple is eaten
- Fruit chaat: cubed apple with banana, pomegranate, chaat masala and a squeeze of lemon, which also stops the cut fruit browning.
- Tsoont wangun, the Kashmiri Pandit curry of sour apple and brinjal cooked with fennel and dry ginger powder.
- Apple kheer: grated apple stirred into cooled, thickened milk just before serving so the milk does not split.
- Stewed and mashed with a pinch of cinnamon as one of a baby's early fruits.
- A quick sweet chutney of grated apple, jaggery, raisins and dry red chilli for winter meals.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Before you plan around it
Apples coming out of cold storage are often given a thin coat of food-grade wax to hold in moisture. It is permitted, but washing the fruit in warm water and rubbing it with a cloth removes most of it, along with dust and surface residues. Keep the peel when the fruit is clean, since it carries part of the fibre. The seeds contain a compound that releases cyanide when crushed; swallowing a few whole seeds by accident does no harm, but there is no reason to blend them into a smoothie.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about apple
Is green apple healthier than red apple?
Not in any big way. Per 100 g, green apple has 51 kcal against 62 kcal for the big red apple, and 10.7 g carbohydrate against 13.1 g. Fibre is almost identical, at 2.5 g and 2.6 g. Green apple is slightly lighter and more sour, so pick whichever you will actually eat.
Does apple help with iron and haemoglobin?
Very little. IFCT 2017 lists 0.26 mg iron per 100 g of apple, ranking 34th of 43 fruits and meeting about 1 per cent of the daily requirement. The popular belief that apples build blood is not borne out by the numbers. Green leafy vegetables, pulses and meat are far better iron sources, and anaemia needs a doctor's assessment.
Should apple be eaten with the peel?
Yes, if it has been washed well. Part of the fibre and most of the coloured plant compounds sit in the skin. Rub the fruit under running water to remove wax and dust. Peel it only for very young children or older adults who find the skin hard to chew.
Which apple has the most vitamin C?
Among the four apples in IFCT 2017, the small Kashmir apple leads with 4.2 mg vitamin C per 100 g, followed by the small apple at 4.0 mg, the big apple at 3.6 mg and green apple at 2.9 mg. All four are low; a single guava or amla gives many times more.
Related foods and tables
Pear
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Peach
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Plum
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Guava
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Amla (Indian gooseberry)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Banana vs Apple
Side by side, per 100 g.
Calories in One Apple, and What Else It Gives You
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Omega-3 (ALA) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by omega-3 (ala) per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All fruits
44 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.