Green leafy vegetables · IFCT 2017
Pumpkin leaves: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, tender pumpkin leaves give 44 kcal, 4.2 g protein, 271 mg calcium and 5.58 mg iron, according to IFCT 2017. The iron ranks 6th of 26 green leafy vegetables and covers 29 per cent of a man's daily requirement. Vitamin E, at 1.24 mg, ranks 3rd in the group. These are the young leaves and shoots of the pumpkin vine, a free extra from any kitchen garden.
About pumpkin leaves
Pumpkin vines sprawl over roofs, fences and backyards across India, and in the east and north-east the tender leaves, shoots and tendrils are picked through the season as a vegetable. Bengal calls them kumra shak, Odisha khakaru saga, Assam rongalao paat, Manipur mairen mana, and Kerala mathan ila. IFCT 2017 records names in 15 languages, including kumhra sag in Hindi, gummadi akulu in Telugu, parangi ilai in Tamil and kaddu ka patta in Urdu.
Only the top few leaves of each runner are used: they are soft, slightly fuzzy and taste mildly of the gourd. Bengali cooks make kumro shaker chorchori with potato and pumpkin, or wrap the leaves around a spiced posto or fish filling and steam or fry them. In Kerala, mathan ila thoran is a monsoon side, and in Nagaland and Mizoram the leaves are boiled into simple broths with a little chilli and fermented soybean.
What pumpkin leaves brings to a meal
- 01
Iron ranks 6th among greens
Pumpkin leaves carry 5.58 mg iron per 100 g, 40th of 242 foods. Pumpkin leaves thus cover 29 per cent of a man's iron need and 19 per cent of a woman's. Their own vitamin C is low, so add lemon or tomato to help absorption.
- 02
Calcium in a vine leaf
At 271 mg calcium per 100 g, pumpkin leaves rank 25th of 242 foods, about 27 per cent of the adult requirement. That is several times the calcium in the pumpkin fruit itself.
- 03
Vitamin E ranks 3rd in its group
The 1.24 mg vitamin E per 100 g places pumpkin leaves 3rd of 26 leafy vegetables and 38th of 242 foods. Vitamin E helps protect cell membranes from damage.
- 04
Protein, niacin and omega-3
100 g supplies 4.2 g protein, 1.49 mg niacin and 298 mg of the plant omega-3 fat ALA, the last ranking 29th of 203 foods. Niacin helps the body turn food into energy.
Pumpkin leaves 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 | 44 kcal | 2% | 3% |
| Protein | 4.2 g | 8% | 9% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 4.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.2 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.1 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.7 g | ||
| Water | 85.8 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.27 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.31 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 298 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 271 mg | 27% | 27% |
| Iron | 5.58 mg | 29% | 19% |
| Zinc | 0.9 mg | 5% | 7% |
| Magnesium | 84 mg | 19% | 23% |
| Phosphorus | 65 mg | ||
| Potassium | 423 mg | ||
| Sodium | 12 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.29 mg | ||
| Selenium | 1.4 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 12.3 mg | 15% | 19% |
| Beta-carotene | 1,455 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.07 mg | 4% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.13 mg | 5% | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.49 mg | 8% | 11% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.17 mg | 7% | 9% |
| Folate (B9) | 34 µg | 11% | 15% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.24 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 243 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. Pumpkin leaves: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/green-leafy-vegetables/pumpkin-leaves/
Where pumpkin leaves sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 25 green leafy vegetables and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In green leafy vegetables | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 5.58 mg | 6th of 26 | 40th of 242 |
| Calcium | 271 mg | 9th of 26 | 25th of 242 |
| Beta-carotene | 1,455 µg | 18th of 26 | 26th of 160 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 298 mg | 6th of 26 | 29th of 202 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.24 mg | 3rd of 26 | 38th of 242 |
How pumpkin leaves is eaten
- Kumro shaker chorchori in Bengal: leaves and tender stems cooked with pumpkin, potato and panch phoron.
- Khakaru saga in Odisha: leaves fried with garlic and dried chilli, eaten with pakhala or dal and rice.
- Mathan ila thoran in Kerala: chopped leaves stir-fried with coconut, shallots and green chilli.
- Leaf-wrapped bhapa: leaves wrapped around a mustard and poppy seed paste with fish or potato, then steamed.
- Boiled pumpkin shoots with fermented soybean and chilli, as cooked in Nagaland and Manipur.
Before you plan around it
Pumpkin leaves and stems are covered in fine bristles that can feel scratchy if cooked as they are. Peel the thin, stringy skin off the stems by snapping and pulling, and rub the leaves gently between your palms under running water to soften the hairs. Pick only the tender top leaves; older leaves are tough and bitter. Their vitamin C is low, 12.3 mg per 100 g, so the meal needs another source such as lemon or tomato.
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 pumpkin leaves
Are pumpkin leaves edible?
Yes. Tender pumpkin leaves and shoots are a traditional vegetable in Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Kerala and the north-east, and IFCT 2017 lists them with 5.58 mg iron and 271 mg calcium per 100 g. Use the young tips, peel the stem strings and cook them well.
Are pumpkin leaves high in iron?
For a vegetable, yes. They carry 5.58 mg iron per 100 g, ranking 6th of 26 leafy vegetables in IFCT 2017. Since the leaves have little vitamin C, a squeeze of lemon on the finished dish helps the body absorb the iron.
How do you clean pumpkin leaves?
Snap each stem near the leaf and pull downwards to strip off the stringy outer skin, then do the same on the leaf veins. Rub the leaves gently between your palms under running water to soften the bristles, and chop them for cooking.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All green leafy vegetables
26 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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