Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Capsicum: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw green capsicum gives 16 kcal and 123 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. That vitamin C ranks 1st of 36 vegetables and 6th of 130 foods, covering 154 per cent of a man's daily requirement. The colours are closer than most people think: yellow capsicum has 127 mg and red 112 mg per 100 g, so the cheaper green one is no poorer choice.
About capsicum
Capsicum, or shimla mirch, is the large, mild, bell-shaped pepper that came to India through colonial hill gardens, which is why it carries the name of Shimla. Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Jharkhand now grow most of it, and polyhouse farms supply red and yellow ones year-round. IFCT 2017 records names in 14 languages: shimla mirch in Hindi, bhoplimirchi in Marathi, koda milagai in Tamil, donnmena-sinakayi in Kannada, undamulagu in Malayalam and kashmiri jalakia in Assamese.
IFCT analyses three colours. Green, on this page, is the unripe fruit, with 16 kcal and 123 mg vitamin C per 100 g. Yellow has 19 kcal, 127 mg vitamin C and the most iron, 0.69 mg. Red, the fully ripe fruit, is sweeter, at 20 kcal and 112 mg vitamin C. In Indian kitchens capsicum turns up in aloo shimla mirch, besan wali shimla mirch, kadai paneer, pav bhaji, uttapam, bisi bele bath and every Indo-Chinese stir-fry.
What capsicum brings to a meal
- 01
First vegetable for vitamin C
Green capsicum carries 123 mg vitamin C per 100 g, ranking 1st of 36 vegetables. For a man, 100 g of green capsicum covers 154 per cent of his requirement, and for a woman 189 per cent. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from dal and greens in the same meal.
- 02
Very low in calories
At 16 kcal and 93.9 g water per 100 g, capsicum is one of the lightest vegetables in the tables. Even the sweeter red one has only 20 kcal.
- 03
Beta-carotene and folate
Green capsicum has 328 micrograms of beta-carotene per 100 g, 8th of 31 vegetables with a value, and 52 micrograms of folate, ranking 9th of 39 vegetables.
- 04
Little else in minerals
Capsicum is low in protein, 1.1 g, calcium, 15 mg, and iron, 0.48 mg per 100 g. Its value lies in vitamin C, colour and crunch rather than minerals.
Capsicum 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 | 16 kcal | 1% | 1% |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 2% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 1.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.1 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.3 g | ||
| Water | 93.9 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.08 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.01 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.17 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 37 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 15 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.48 mg | 3% | 2% |
| Zinc | 0.15 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 12 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Phosphorus | 23 mg | ||
| Potassium | 154 mg | ||
| Sodium | 2 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.06 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 123 mg | 154% | 189% |
| Beta-carotene | 328 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.05 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.03 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.56 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.15 mg | 6% | 8% |
| Folate (B9) | 52 µg | 17% | 24% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.07 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 24.7 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. Capsicum: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/capsicum/
Where capsicum 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 123 mg | 1st of 36 | 6th of 130 |
| Beta-carotene | 328 µg | 8th of 31 | 44th of 160 |
| Folate (B9) | 52 µg | 9th of 39 | 61st of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.05 mg | 12th of 39 | 122nd of 239 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 37 mg | 14th of 36 | 127th of 202 |
Every form of capsicum in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capsicum, green (shown above) | 16 kcal | 1.1 g | 2.1 g | 0.48 mg | 15 mg |
| Red | 20 kcal | 1.5 g | 2.2 g | 0.38 mg | 16 mg |
| Yellow | 19 kcal | 1.4 g | 2.2 g | 0.69 mg | 19 mg |
How capsicum is eaten
- Besan wali shimla mirch: diced capsicum cooked with roasted gram flour, cumin and red chilli until dry and crumbly.
- Kadai paneer: capsicum and paneer tossed in a freshly ground coriander and red chilli masala.
- Bharwan shimla mirch: capsicums stuffed with spiced potato or paneer and roasted in a covered pan.
- Pav bhaji: capsicum mashed with potato, tomato and cauliflower into a buttery, spiced bhaji.
- Raw strips in a salad or kathi roll, where they keep all their vitamin C.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Calories in Chicken Chowmein
521 kcal in 1 plate of chicken chowmein.
Calories in Egg Fried Rice
424 kcal in 1 plate of egg fried rice.
Calories in Kadai Paneer
344 kcal in 1 bowl of kadai paneer.
Calories in Paneer Kathi Roll
424 kcal in 1 paneer kathi roll.
Calories in Paneer Tikka
412 kcal in 1 plate of paneer tikka.
Calories in Vegetable Chowmein
389 kcal in 1 plate of vegetable chowmein.
Before you plan around it
Vitamin C breaks down with heat, water and time, so a capsicum simmered for half an hour in a gravy keeps much less than the 123 mg in raw capsicum. Add it near the end of cooking, stir-fry it quickly, or eat some raw. Capsicum is often sprayed during growing, so wash it well under running water and wipe it dry. People who find capsicum hard to digest often tolerate it better with the skin charred and peeled.
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 capsicum
Which colour capsicum is healthiest?
They are close. Per 100 g, IFCT 2017 lists 123 mg vitamin C in green capsicum, 127 mg in yellow and 112 mg in red. Red and yellow are riper and sweeter and carry more carotenoid pigments. Green is cheaper and just as rich in vitamin C, so any colour is a good choice.
Is capsicum high in vitamin C?
Yes. Green capsicum has 123 mg vitamin C per 100 g, the highest of 36 vegetables in IFCT 2017 and 6th of 130 foods. A single medium capsicum, eaten raw or lightly cooked, can meet a day's need.
Is capsicum spicy?
No. Capsicum is the sweet, mild member of the chilli family and has almost none of the compound that makes chillies hot. Its flavour is fresh and slightly grassy when green and sweet when red or yellow.
Why is capsicum called shimla mirch?
Capsicum was grown in the Shimla hills during the colonial period and supplied to the plains from there, so the name stuck. Himachal Pradesh is still a major grower, though Karnataka, Maharashtra and polyhouse farms elsewhere now produce much of India's crop.
Related foods and tables
Tomato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Chillies (green and red)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cauliflower
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Raw mango
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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.
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.