Fruits · IFCT 2017
Orange: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, orange pulp gives 37 kcal, 7.9 g carbohydrate, 6.9 g sugars and 42.7 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. The vitamin C covers about 53 per cent of a man's and 66 per cent of a woman's daily requirement, ranking 14th of 44 fruits. Orange is also 10th among fruits for iron, at 0.81 mg, and its own vitamin C helps that iron absorb.
About orange
In India, the orange of winter is the loose-skinned mandarin, santra in Hindi, Gujarati and Punjabi, santre in Marathi, kamala lebu in Bengali, komola in Assamese and suntala in Nepali. Nagpur in Vidarbha is the best known orange district, with Coorg, the Khasi and Garo hills of Meghalaya, Darjeeling and Sikkim also famous for their fruit, and Punjab's kinnow, a juicy hybrid, filling north Indian markets. The main season runs from late autumn through winter.
The pulp IFCT 2017 analysed includes the juice sacs and segment walls, which is why it carries 1.3 g fibre per 100 g. Note that the tables give the Latin name of the bitter orange and record saathukudi as the Tamil name, a word most Tamil speakers use for mosambi; the figures themselves match the everyday sweet orange.
What orange brings to a meal
- 01
Reliable vitamin C
At 42.7 mg vitamin C per 100 g, orange pulp ranks 14th of 44 fruits and 37th of 130 foods. A 100 g serving supplies roughly 53 per cent of the daily need for men and 66 per cent for women.
- 02
Iron with its own helper
Orange gives 0.81 mg iron per 100 g, 10th of 43 fruits. Its vitamin C helps the body absorb that iron and the iron from other foods in the same meal.
- 03
Light and juicy
With 89.6 g water and 37 kcal per 100 g, orange is a light fruit. Of its 7.9 g carbohydrate, 6.9 g is natural sugar.
- 04
Thiamine and folate
Its 0.07 mg thiamine ranks 9th among fruits, and 19 micrograms of folate per 100 g meets about 6 per cent of a man's and 9 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
Orange 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 | 37 kcal | 2% | 2% |
| Protein | 0.7 g | 1% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 7.9 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 1.3 g | ||
| Free sugars | 6.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Water | 89.6 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 11 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 20 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.81 mg | 4% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.04 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Magnesium | 11 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Phosphorus | 13 mg | ||
| Potassium | 164 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.03 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 42.7 mg | 53% | 66% |
| Beta-carotene | 32 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.07 mg | 4% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.28 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Folate (B9) | 19 µg | 6% | 9% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.03 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 2.5 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. Orange: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/orange/
Where orange 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 | 42.7 mg | 14th of 44 | 37th of 130 |
| Beta-carotene | 32 µg | 13th of 41 | 84th of 160 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.07 mg | 9th of 44 | 90th of 239 |
| Folate (B9) | 19 µg | 14th of 44 | 135th of 197 |
| Iron | 0.81 mg | 10th of 43 | 150th of 242 |
How orange is eaten
- Peeled and eaten segment by segment in the winter sun, a north Indian ritual.
- Fresh orange juice, ideally drunk at once and not strained too fine.
- Orange peel candied or sun-dried and added to cakes, cookies or a cup of tea.
- Segments in a winter fruit chaat with guava, pomegranate, chaat masala and black salt.
- Nagpur's santra barfi, an orange-flavoured milk sweet made with khoa.
Before you plan around it
A glass of juice takes several oranges and leaves most of the fibre behind, so whole segments fill you better and raise blood sugar more gently. Packaged orange drinks often contain more added sugar than fruit. Citrus can trigger heartburn in people with acid reflux. Oranges in markets are sometimes waxed or coloured to look brighter, so wash them before peeling, especially if you plan to use the peel.
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 orange
How much vitamin C is in an orange per 100 g?
IFCT 2017 lists 42.7 mg vitamin C per 100 g of orange pulp, about 53 per cent of a man's and 66 per cent of a woman's daily requirement. Amla and guava carry several times more, but orange is a reliable winter source.
Is orange juice as good as eating an orange?
Not quite. Juice keeps much of the vitamin C if drunk fresh, but it loses most of the 1.3 g fibre per 100 g found in the pulp, and a glass concentrates the sugar of several fruits. The whole fruit is the better everyday choice.
Can people with diabetes eat oranges?
Yes, in sensible portions. Orange pulp has 7.9 g carbohydrate and 6.9 g sugars per 100 g. A whole orange with or after a meal suits most plans better than juice. People on diabetes medication should confirm portions with their doctor or dietitian.
Is santra the same as orange?
Santra usually means the Indian mandarin, a loose-skinned orange easy to peel by hand, like the Nagpur and Coorg fruit. Kinnow is a mandarin hybrid. Mosambi is a different citrus, the sweet lime, with its own entry in IFCT 2017.
Related foods and tables
Sweet lime (mosambi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Lemon (juice)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Pomelo
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Amla (Indian gooseberry)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Guava
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Amla vs Orange
Side by side, per 100 g.
Guava vs Orange
Side by side, per 100 g.
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.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) 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.