Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Baby corn: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, fresh baby corn gives 73 kcal, 2.7 g protein, 11.7 g carbohydrate and 6.1 g fibre, according to IFCT 2017. It ranks 3rd of 39 vegetables for both calcium, 77 mg, and zinc, 1.13 mg, and 5th of 39 for energy, which makes it one of the more substantial vegetables. Baby corn is the whole young cob, eaten before the kernels fill out.
About baby corn
Baby corn is the tiny, pale ear of a maize plant picked within a few days of the silks appearing, so the cob is still soft enough to eat whole. It is a different food from the mature sweet corn roasted as bhutta or sold as buttered cups of kernels, which is starchier and sweeter. IFCT 2017 records names in 4 languages: makai in Kashmiri, chujaak in Manipuri, riewhadem lung in Khasi and shoti shalli in Punjabi, a name meaning small cob.
Baby corn reached Indian kitchens through restaurants and is now grown widely around Delhi and in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, often as a quick extra crop for small farmers. It keeps its crunch in cooking, which makes it popular in baby corn masala, kadai vegetables, chilli baby corn, pakoda and vegetable pulao. For the grain and for tender sweet corn kernels, IFCT has separate maize entries.
What baby corn brings to a meal
- 01
A filling vegetable
At 73 kcal and 11.7 g carbohydrate per 100 g, baby corn ranks 5th of 39 vegetables for both energy and carbohydrate, while its 6.1 g fibre ranks 6th. It eats more like a light starch than a leafy vegetable.
- 02
Calcium and zinc rank 3rd
Baby corn carries 77 mg calcium and 1.13 mg zinc per 100 g, both 3rd among vegetables. The zinc covers 7 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 9 per cent of a woman's.
- 03
Thiamine and folate
Each 100 g supplies 0.15 mg thiamine, 5th of 39 vegetables, and 46 micrograms of folate. Thiamine helps the body turn carbohydrate into energy.
- 04
Little beta-carotene or vitamin C
Pale baby corn has almost no beta-carotene, 2 micrograms per 100 g, and only 8.6 mg vitamin C. Pair it with capsicum, carrot or greens for colour and vitamins.
Baby corn 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 | 73 kcal | 3% | 4% |
| Protein | 2.7 g | 5% | 6% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 11.7 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 6.1 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.5 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.3 g | ||
| Water | 75.4 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.21 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.39 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.46 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 26 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 77 mg | 8% | 8% |
| Iron | 1.45 mg | 8% | 5% |
| Zinc | 1.13 mg | 7% | 9% |
| Magnesium | 25 mg | 6% | 7% |
| Phosphorus | 9 mg | ||
| Potassium | 260 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.12 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 8.6 mg | 11% | 13% |
| Beta-carotene | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.15 mg | 8% | 9% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.53 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Folate (B9) | 46 µg | 15% | 21% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.13 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 75 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. Baby corn: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/baby-corn/
Where baby corn sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 38 vegetables and mushrooms and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In vegetables and mushrooms | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.15 mg | 5th of 39 | 60th of 239 |
| Dietary fibre | 6.1 g | 6th of 39 | 66th of 182 |
| Folate (B9) | 46 µg | 12th of 39 | 69th of 197 |
| Calcium | 77 mg | 3rd of 39 | 75th of 242 |
| Zinc | 1.13 mg | 3rd of 39 | 83rd of 243 |
How baby corn is eaten
- Baby corn masala: sliced baby corn cooked in an onion, tomato and cashew gravy with kasuri methi.
- Kadai vegetable: baby corn tossed with capsicum, onion and paneer in a freshly ground coriander and chilli masala.
- Chilli baby corn: lightly coated baby corn stir-fried with garlic, green chilli, soy sauce and spring onion.
- Vegetable pulao or biryani: baby corn rounds added with peas and carrots for crunch.
- Tawa-roasted baby corn: whole cobs charred on a hot tawa and rubbed with lemon, salt and chilli powder.
Before you plan around it
Restaurant favourites such as baby corn manchurian and crispy baby corn are battered and deep-fried, so they absorb a lot of oil and carry far more energy than the vegetable itself; stir-frying or adding it to a curry keeps it light. Tinned baby corn is packed in brine, so rinse it before use to remove some of the salt; fresh baby corn has only 1 mg sodium per 100 g. Choose fresh cobs that are pale, firm and snap cleanly, and use them within a few days.
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 baby corn
Is baby corn healthy?
Yes. Fresh baby corn has 73 kcal, 6.1 g fibre, 77 mg calcium and 1.13 mg zinc per 100 g in IFCT 2017, and almost no sodium or fat. It is filling and crunchy. Stir-fried or added to a curry, it is a good vegetable; deep-fried, it becomes a snack.
Is baby corn the same as sweet corn?
They come from the same species, but baby corn is picked very young and eaten whole, cob and all, while sweet corn is left to mature and only the kernels are eaten. IFCT 2017 lists them separately, and this page covers baby corn.
How many calories are in baby corn?
IFCT 2017 lists 73 kcal per 100 g of fresh baby corn, with 2.7 g protein, 1.3 g fat and 11.7 g carbohydrate. That is more than most vegetables but far less than the grain form of maize.
Related foods and tables
Maize (corn)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Capsicum
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Green peas (fresh)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
French beans
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Button mushroom
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
All vegetables and mushrooms
39 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.