Roots and tubers · IFCT 2017
Water Chestnut: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, water chestnut gives 96 kcal, 21.5 g carbohydrate, 3.0 g dietary fibre, 57 mg magnesium and 382 mg potassium, according to IFCT 2017. It ranks 1st of 10 roots and tubers for magnesium and zinc, and 100 g covers about 13 per cent of a man's and 15 per cent of a woman's daily magnesium requirement. It is starchy and filling, which is why singhara flour carries so many fasts.
About water chestnut
Water chestnut, singhara or shingara in Hindi and Marathi, shingoda in Gujarati, pani phal in Bengali, pani singhara in Odia and goer in Kashmiri, is the horned, dark green or maroon nut of a floating pond plant. It is harvested from ponds and lakes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal and Kashmir's Wular lake as the monsoon ends, and boiled singhara is a familiar winter street snack across north India.
Dried and ground, it becomes singhare ka atta, one of the main flours for Navratri and other fasts, used for puris, pakoras, halwa and kadhi. A note on the data: IFCT 2017 gives the Latin name of the Chinese water chestnut, Eleocharis dulcis, while the regional names it records belong to the Indian singhara, a different water plant. The two are similar starchy, crunchy foods.
What water chestnut brings to a meal
- 01
Magnesium leader among roots
At 57 mg magnesium per 100 g, water chestnut ranks 1st of 10 roots and tubers and 84th of 242 foods, about 13 per cent of a man's and 15 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
- 02
Zinc and potassium
It carries 0.67 mg zinc, the most of any root, and 382 mg potassium per 100 g, 5th among roots.
- 03
Starchy and filling
With 96 kcal and 21.5 g carbohydrate per 100 g, water chestnut ranks 2nd among roots for both. Only 1.9 g is sugars; the rest is starch.
- 04
Calcium and fibre
100 g gives 37 mg calcium, 3rd of 10 roots and tubers, and 3.0 g dietary fibre, so a bowl of boiled singhara adds a little to both.
Water Chestnut 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 | 96 kcal | 5% | 6% |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 2% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 21.5 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 3 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.4 g | ||
| Water | 73.3 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.09 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 6 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 37 mg | 4% | 4% |
| Iron | 0.77 mg | 4% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.67 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Magnesium | 57 mg | 13% | 15% |
| Phosphorus | 63 mg | ||
| Potassium | 382 mg | ||
| Sodium | 13 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.19 mg | ||
| Selenium | 2.4 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 5.3 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.74 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.13 mg | 5% | 7% |
| Folate (B9) | 10 µg | 3% | 5% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.09 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 3.5 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. Water Chestnut: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/roots-and-tubers/water-chestnut/
Where water chestnut sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 9 roots and tubers and every food in the tables.
How water chestnut is eaten
- Boiled singhara, peeled warm and eaten with salt, a north Indian winter street snack.
- Singhare ke atte ki puri, the fasting flour kneaded with mashed potato and fried for Navratri.
- Singhare ka halwa, the flour roasted in ghee and cooked with sugar and water.
- Raw, crisp young singhara peeled and eaten fresh in the early weeks of the season.
- Singhara flour pakoras with potato and green chilli for vrat.
Before you plan around it
Water chestnuts grow in pond water, and peeling raw ones with the teeth is a known way to pick up intestinal flukes. Always peel them with a knife, wash well and boil before eating, especially if the pond source is unknown. Singhara flour dishes for fasts are often fried and rich in ghee, which turns a modest food into a heavy one. Anyone with kidney disease on a potassium limit should account for its 382 mg potassium per 100 g.
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 water chestnut
Why is singhara eaten during fasts?
Many Hindu fasts exclude grains, and singhara is considered a fruit of the water, not a grain. Its flour, at 96 kcal and 21.5 g carbohydrate per 100 g of the fresh nut, gives filling energy on Navratri and Ekadashi.
Is water chestnut good for people with diabetes?
It is starchy, with 21.5 g carbohydrate per 100 g, so count it as the carbohydrate of a meal. Boiled singhara in a small portion fits better than fried puris and pakoras made from its flour. Plan portions with your doctor or dietitian.
Is it safe to eat raw water chestnut?
It is safest boiled. Pond plants can carry parasites, and biting the shell off is a known route of infection. Peel with a knife, wash well and cook, especially when the source pond is unknown.
Is singhara the same as Chinese water chestnut?
Not quite. Singhara is the horned nut of a floating Indian pond plant, while the Chinese water chestnut is the corm of a sedge. Both are crunchy, starchy and mild, and IFCT 2017 mixes their names in one entry.
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Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by magnesium 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.