Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Cauliflower: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw cauliflower gives 23 kcal, 2.1 g protein, 2.0 g carbohydrate, 3.7 g fibre and 47.1 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. The vitamin C ranks 5th of 36 vegetables and covers 72 per cent of a woman's daily requirement. Cauliflower also carries 46 micrograms of folate, and its omega-3 ALA ranks 3rd among vegetables, unusual for a white vegetable.
About cauliflower
Cauliflower is India's favourite winter vegetable. Grown across the plains from October to March and in the hills through summer, it fills markets so cheaply in December that it goes into almost every meal. IFCT 2017 records names in 17 languages, nearly all a version of phul gobi, the flower cabbage: phul kopi in Bengali, fulawar in Gujarati, hukosu in Kannada, pookosu in Tamil, kauli in Nepali and phoolgobi in Kashmiri.
Its mild taste and firm florets make it endlessly useful. Punjab has aloo gobi and gobi paratha, Bengal has phulkopir dalna with potatoes and peas and the richer phulkopir roast, and Mumbai's pav bhaji depends on it. It goes into veg biryani, navratan korma and Kolhapuri vegetable curry, and Indo-Chinese gobi manchurian has made it a street-food staple. The green leaves around the head are edible too, and IFCT lists them separately with more protein and calcium than the florets.
What cauliflower brings to a meal
- 01
Vitamin C ranks 5th of 36
Cauliflower carries 47.1 mg vitamin C per 100 g, 32nd of 130 foods. Eaten in a quick stir-fry, 100 g provides 59 per cent of a man's daily vitamin C requirement. Long simmering in a gravy keeps less.
- 02
Folate and fibre
Each 100 g supplies 46 micrograms of folate, 21 per cent of a woman's need, and 3.7 g dietary fibre. Both help make cauliflower more than just a filler vegetable.
- 03
Omega-3 ALA, 3rd of 36
Cauliflower has 117 mg of the plant omega-3 fat ALA per 100 g, 3rd among vegetables with a value. Its fat is still tiny, 0.4 g per 100 g.
- 04
Light, with some sodium
At 23 kcal per 100 g, cauliflower is light. Its natural sodium, 31 mg per 100 g, ranks 2nd of 39 vegetables, though that is still a small amount next to added salt.
Cauliflower 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 | 23 kcal | 1% | 1% |
| Protein | 2.1 g | 4% | 5% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 3.7 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.5 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.4 g | ||
| Water | 90.8 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.12 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.22 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 117 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 25 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 0.96 mg | 5% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.31 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 23 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 47 mg | ||
| Potassium | 329 mg | ||
| Sodium | 31 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.05 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.5 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 47.1 mg | 59% | 72% |
| Beta-carotene | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.31 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.13 mg | 5% | 7% |
| Folate (B9) | 46 µg | 15% | 21% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.02 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 14.3 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. Cauliflower: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/cauliflower/
Where cauliflower 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 | 47.1 mg | 5th of 36 | 32nd of 130 |
| Folate (B9) | 46 µg | 13th of 39 | 71st of 197 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 117 mg | 3rd of 36 | 71st of 202 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 9th of 39 | 104th of 241 |
| Dietary fibre | 3.7 g | 16th of 39 | 112th of 182 |
How cauliflower is eaten
- Aloo gobi: florets and potatoes cooked dry with cumin, ginger, turmeric and garam masala.
- Phulkopir dalna in Bengal: cauliflower, potato and peas in a light ginger and cumin gravy with a pinch of sugar.
- Gobi paratha: grated cauliflower mixed with green chilli and ajwain, squeezed dry and stuffed into wheat dough.
- Pav bhaji: cauliflower mashed with potato, peas, capsicum and tomato into a spiced bhaji.
- Gobi in veg biryani or navratan korma, where it holds its shape in long cooking.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Before you plan around it
Cauliflower heads often hide small caterpillars and insects between the florets. Cut the head into florets and soak them in warm salted water with a pinch of turmeric for ten minutes, then rinse; anything hidden floats out. Deep-fried dishes such as gobi manchurian and gobi pakoda soak up a lot of oil, so treat them as occasional snacks. Like other cabbage-family vegetables, cauliflower can cause wind in some people; a pinch of hing or ajwain in the tempering is the traditional answer.
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 cauliflower
Is cauliflower good for weight loss?
Cauliflower is low in energy, 23 kcal per 100 g in IFCT 2017, with 3.7 g fibre, so it adds volume to a meal with few calories. Cooking method matters: a dry sabzi with little oil suits weight loss, while gobi manchurian or butter-rich dishes do not.
Is cauliflower high in vitamin C?
Yes, for a vegetable. IFCT 2017 lists 47.1 mg vitamin C per 100 g, ranking 5th of 36 vegetables. A short cooking time, steaming or a quick stir-fry keeps more of it than boiling.
How do you remove worms from cauliflower?
Separate the head into florets, soak them in warm water with salt and a little turmeric for about ten minutes, and rinse under running water. Insects and caterpillars float out. Check the stem end of each floret before cooking.
Does cauliflower cause gas?
It can for some people, because it contains fibres and sulphur compounds that gut bacteria ferment. Cooking it well, eating moderate portions and adding hing, ajwain or ginger to the tempering usually helps.
Related foods and tables
Cauliflower leaves
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cabbage
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Potato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Green peas (fresh)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Knol-khol (kohlrabi)
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.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
Omega-3 (ALA) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by omega-3 (ala) 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.