Roots and tubers · IFCT 2017
Tapioca (cassava): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw tapioca root gives 80 kcal, 17.8 g carbohydrate, 4.6 g dietary fibre, 15.5 mg vitamin C and only 1.0 g protein, according to IFCT 2017. It ranks 2nd of 10 roots and tubers for fibre and 3rd for folate and iron. Tapioca is a starchy staple that needs a protein partner, and it must always be peeled and cooked properly.
About tapioca (cassava)
Tapioca, or cassava, is kappa to Keralites, maravalli kizhangu in Tamil, kathakonda in Odia and simla alu in Hindi and Bengali. The long, brown, bark-skinned root came to India from South America and became a staple in Kerala, where kappa with fish curry is almost a national dish. Tamil Nadu, especially around Salem, grows it on a large scale for starch and sago, and the North East grows it in home gardens.
Most Indians outside Kerala meet tapioca as sabudana, the pearls made from its starch, cooked into sabudana khichdi and sabudana vada during Navratri and other fasts. Those pearls are almost pure starch, a very different food from the fresh root on this page. IFCT 2017 also records aararoot as the Gujarati name, though arrowroot is a separate plant.
What tapioca (cassava) brings to a meal
- 01
Good fibre for a staple
Fresh tapioca has 4.6 g dietary fibre per 100 g, 2nd of 10 roots and tubers. Sabudana pearls lose almost all of it in processing.
- 02
Starch, with little protein
Of 17.8 g carbohydrate per 100 g, only 2.1 g is sugars, and protein is just 1.0 g. As a staple, tapioca must be paired with fish, egg, dal or meat.
- 03
Vitamin C and folate
100 g gives 15.5 mg vitamin C, about 19 per cent of a man's and 24 per cent of a woman's daily requirement, and 26 micrograms of folate, 3rd among roots.
- 04
Some iron
Tapioca carries 0.81 mg iron per 100 g, 3rd of 10 roots and tubers, a small but useful amount for a staple food.
Tapioca (cassava) 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 | 80 kcal | 4% | 5% |
| Protein | 1 g | 2% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 17.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 4.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 2.1 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Water | 75.2 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.06 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.01 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.09 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 13 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 26 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 0.81 mg | 4% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.17 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 23 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 43 mg | ||
| Potassium | 255 mg | ||
| Sodium | 11 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.19 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.1 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 15.5 mg | 19% | 24% |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.07 mg | 4% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.45 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.09 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Folate (B9) | 26 µg | 9% | 12% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.19 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 2.8 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. Tapioca (cassava): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/roots-and-tubers/tapioca/
Where tapioca (cassava) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 9 roots and tubers and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In roots and tubers | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary fibre | 4.6 g | 2nd of 10 | 89th of 182 |
| Iron | 0.81 mg | 3rd of 10 | 151st of 242 |
| Folate (B9) | 26 µg | 3rd of 10 | 116th of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.07 mg | 3rd of 10 | 94th of 239 |
How tapioca (cassava) is eaten
- Kappa and meen curry, Kerala's boiled tapioca with a fiery red fish curry.
- Kappa puzhukku: boiled tapioca mashed with coconut, green chilli, shallots and curry leaves.
- Kappa biryani, tapioca cooked with beef or chicken in central Kerala.
- Sabudana khichdi and sabudana vada, made from tapioca pearls, for fasting days.
- Thin tapioca chips fried in coconut oil, a Kerala tea-time snack.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Before you plan around it
Raw tapioca contains natural compounds that release cyanide. Never eat it raw. Peel off the thick skin and the pink inner layer, cut it, soak or boil it in plenty of water and throw that water away; this is exactly what Kerala's kappa recipes do. Bitter varieties are more toxic than the sweet ones sold for the table. Because the root has so little protein, families who rely heavily on it need fish, eggs, meat or pulses at every meal.
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 tapioca (cassava)
Is tapioca poisonous?
Raw tapioca contains compounds that release cyanide, so it is unsafe raw. Peeling, chopping, soaking or boiling in plenty of water and discarding that water makes it safe, which is how it is always cooked in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Is sabudana the same as tapioca?
Sabudana is made from tapioca starch, pressed into pearls and dried. It is almost pure starch, with little of the fresh root's 4.6 g fibre per 100 g or its vitamin C. It is an energy food for fasting days, not a vegetable.
Can people with diabetes eat tapioca?
Tapioca has 17.8 g carbohydrate per 100 g, so treat it as the starch of the meal, not a side vegetable. A moderate portion with fish curry or dal is better than a large plate on its own. Plan portions with your doctor or dietitian.
Is tapioca good for weight gain?
Tapioca and sabudana are energy-dense and easy to eat, so they can help someone underweight gain weight, especially with milk, peanuts or ghee. The root itself is moderate at 80 kcal per 100 g; fried chips are much higher.
Related foods and tables
Sweet potato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Potato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Yam (suran)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Colocasia root (arbi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Coconut
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
All roots and tubers
10 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.