Fruits · IFCT 2017
Guava: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, white-fleshed guava gives 32 kcal, 8.6 g dietary fibre and 214 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. Its vitamin C ranks 2nd of 130 foods, behind only amla, and 100 g covers about 268 per cent of a man's and 329 per cent of a woman's daily requirement. It is also 3rd of 43 fruits for fibre, all for very few calories.
About guava
Guava, amrud in Hindi and Punjabi, peru in Marathi, peyara in Bengali, jama pandu in Telugu and koiyapazham in Tamil, is one of the cheapest and most widely grown fruits in India. Uttar Pradesh is the heartland, and the Allahabad safeda and red-skinned surkha are the best known names, with large crops also from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Trees fruit twice a year, but the winter crop, sweet and fragrant, is the one people wait for.
IFCT 2017 analysed two kinds. White-fleshed guava, the everyday fruit, is the reference here. Pink-fleshed guava has a little more energy and sugar, 47 kcal and 9.1 g carbohydrate per 100 g, slightly less fibre at 7.4 g, and marginally more vitamin C at 222 mg. Either way, guava is eaten mostly raw, often crunchy and just short of ripe, cut into wedges and dusted with salt and red chilli.
What guava brings to a meal
- 01
Vitamin C, second only to amla
At 214 mg per 100 g, white guava ranks 2nd of 130 foods for vitamin C; pink guava reaches 222 mg. One modest fruit covers a day's need several times over.
- 02
Fibre near the top of fruits
Guava has 8.6 g dietary fibre per 100 g, 3rd of 43 fruits and 51st of 256 foods. Much of it is in the seeds and the firm flesh around them.
- 03
Low energy, low sugar
With 32 kcal and 4.1 g sugars per 100 g, white guava ranks 36th of 44 fruits for energy. It is one of the most filling fruits for the fewest calories.
- 04
Beta-carotene and folate
White guava gives 298 micrograms of beta-carotene, 7th of 41 fruits, and 30 micrograms of folate per 100 g, about 10 per cent of a man's and 14 per cent of a woman's daily folate requirement.
Guava 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 | 32 kcal | 2% | 2% |
| Protein | 1.4 g | 3% | 3% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 5.1 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 8.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 4.1 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.3 g | ||
| Water | 83.8 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.18 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 11 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 19 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.32 mg | 2% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.23 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 15 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 24 mg | ||
| Potassium | 283 mg | ||
| Sodium | 3 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.16 mg | ||
| Selenium | 1.8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 214 mg | 268% | 329% |
| Beta-carotene | 298 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.05 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.6 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.11 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Folate (B9) | 30 µg | 10% | 14% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.06 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. Guava: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/guava/
Where guava 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 | 214 mg | 2nd of 44 | 2nd of 130 |
| Beta-carotene | 298 µg | 7th of 41 | 45th of 160 |
| Dietary fibre | 8.6 g | 3rd of 43 | 51st of 182 |
| Folate (B9) | 30 µg | 8th of 44 | 103rd of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.05 mg | 14th of 44 | 125th of 239 |
Every form of guava in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guava, white flesh (shown above) | 32 kcal | 1.4 g | 8.6 g | 0.32 mg | 19 mg |
| Pink flesh | 47 kcal | 1.2 g | 7.4 g | 0.4 mg | 14 mg |
How guava is eaten
- Cut into wedges and sprinkled with salt, red chilli powder and a squeeze of lime, the classic winter street snack.
- Guava chaat with chaat masala, roasted cumin and a little jaggery.
- Perad, the Goan guava cheese, slowly cooked with sugar until it sets firm enough to slice at Christmas.
- Amrud ki sabzi from Rajasthan: firm guava cooked with fennel, cumin and a touch of jaggery.
- Blended with green chilli, mint and salt into a tangy chutney for snacks.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Before you plan around it
Guava's hard seeds pass through the gut harmlessly for most people, but those with dental problems, or anyone told to avoid seeds, can scoop out the centre and eat the outer flesh. Very unripe guava is astringent and some people find it binding. Guava jelly and perad are mostly sugar, so the fresh fruit is the one to rely on. Wash the fruit well, since it is eaten with the skin, which is where fruit flies and dust settle.
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 guava
How much vitamin C is in guava?
IFCT 2017 lists 214 mg vitamin C per 100 g of white guava and 222 mg for pink guava. That is the 2nd highest of 130 foods in the tables, and 100 g covers about 268 per cent of a man's and 329 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
Is pink guava better than white guava?
The differences are small. Per 100 g, pink guava has 222 mg vitamin C against 214 mg, but also more energy, 47 kcal against 32, and slightly less fibre, 7.4 g against 8.6 g. Both are excellent fruits; pick by taste.
Can people with diabetes eat guava?
Guava is one of the easier fruits to fit in. White guava has 5.1 g carbohydrate and 4.1 g sugars per 100 g, with 8.6 g fibre. A whole fruit eaten with a meal or as a snack suits most plans, but anyone on diabetes medication should confirm portions with their doctor or dietitian.
When is guava in season?
Guava trees fruit twice a year in most of India, once in the rainy season and again in winter. The winter crop is sweeter, firmer and more fragrant, which is why guava is thought of as a winter fruit in the north.
Related foods and tables
Amla (Indian gooseberry)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Orange
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Papaya
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Apple
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Karonda
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Guava vs Orange
Side by side, per 100 g.
Guava Benefits: Vitamin C, Fibre, Diabetes and the Leaves
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.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre 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.