Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Pumpkin: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw green cylindrical pumpkin gives 25 kcal, 0.9 g protein, 4.2 g carbohydrate and 2.5 g fibre, according to IFCT 2017. It carries 363 micrograms of beta-carotene, 6th of 31 vegetables, and 0.86 mg vitamin E, 4th of 38. The round orange pumpkin is similar, at 23 kcal per 100 g. Cheap and long-keeping, pumpkin turns up in sambar, shukto and khatta meetha kaddu.
About pumpkin
Pumpkin vines grow almost anywhere in India, and a whole pumpkin keeps for weeks in a cool corner, which has made it a reliable vegetable in every region. IFCT 2017 records names in 17 languages: kaddu in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, kumro in Bengali, rongalao in Assamese, kohlu in Gujarati, lal bhopla in Marathi, mathan in Malayalam, parangikkai in Tamil, gummadi kaya in Telugu, kakharu in Odia and farsi in Nepali. The tables analyse two types: green cylindrical, on this page, and orange round, with 23 kcal, 2.6 g fibre and 8.0 mg vitamin C per 100 g.
North India cooks khatta meetha kaddu with amchur and jaggery and serves it with puri. Bengal makes kumror chhokka with potato and chickpeas and puts pumpkin in shukto. Kerala's erissery combines pumpkin with red cowpeas and roasted coconut, Tamil Nadu adds it to sambar and kootu, Maharashtra makes sweet lal bhoplyache gharge, and Manipur mashes it into eromba with chilli and fermented fish.
What pumpkin brings to a meal
- 01
Beta-carotene ranks 6th of 31
Pumpkin carries 363 micrograms of beta-carotene per 100 g, 41st of 160 foods. Cooking pumpkin with a little oil or ghee, as most Indian recipes do, helps the body absorb it and turn it into vitamin A.
- 02
Vitamin E ranks 4th of 38
With 0.86 mg vitamin E per 100 g, pumpkin ranks 54th of 242 foods, high for a watery vegetable. Vitamin E protects cell membranes.
- 03
Light and gently sweet
At 25 kcal and 91.7 g water per 100 g, pumpkin is light. Its 2.9 g sugars give it a natural sweetness that lets cooks use less jaggery or sugar in sweet-sour dishes.
- 04
Vitamin K1 and folate
Each 100 g supplies 80.8 micrograms of vitamin K1 and 32 micrograms of folate. Its protein, 0.9 g, and iron, 0.29 mg, are low, so pair pumpkin with dal or chickpeas.
Pumpkin 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 | 25 kcal | 1% | 2% |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 2% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 4.2 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.5 g | ||
| Free sugars | 2.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Water | 91.7 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.07 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 27 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 24 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.29 mg | 2% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.14 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 13 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 25 mg | ||
| Potassium | 186 mg | ||
| Sodium | 5 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.04 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.3 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 7.3 mg | 9% | 11% |
| Beta-carotene | 363 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.44 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Folate (B9) | 32 µg | 11% | 15% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.86 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 80.8 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. Pumpkin: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/pumpkin/
Where pumpkin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 363 µg | 6th of 31 | 41st of 160 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.86 mg | 4th of 38 | 54th of 242 |
| Vitamin C | 7.3 mg | 27th of 36 | 95th of 130 |
| Folate (B9) | 32 µg | 20th of 39 | 99th of 197 |
| Dietary fibre | 2.5 g | 26th of 39 | 142nd of 182 |
Every form of pumpkin in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin, green, cylindrical (shown above) | 25 kcal | 0.9 g | 2.5 g | 0.29 mg | 24 mg |
| Orange, round | 23 kcal | 0.8 g | 2.6 g | 0.36 mg | 23 mg |
How pumpkin is eaten
- Khatta meetha kaddu: pumpkin cooked with fenugreek seeds, amchur and a little jaggery, served with puri.
- Erissery in Kerala: pumpkin and red cowpeas cooked with a roasted coconut and cumin paste.
- Kumror chhokka in Bengal: pumpkin, potato and black chickpeas cooked with panch phoron.
- Parangikai sambar or kootu in Tamil Nadu: pumpkin simmered with toor dal and tamarind, or with moong dal and coconut.
- Lal bhoplyache gharge in Maharashtra: pumpkin puree kneaded into wheat flour with jaggery and fried as sweet puris.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Avial (Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry in Coconut-Yoghurt Sauce)
South Indian · Main course
Bajra Khichdi (Pearl Millet & Lentil Khichdi)
North Indian · Main course
Bengali Shukto (Mixed Vegetable Bitter Curry)
East Indian · Main course
Kootu
South Indian · Side dish
Manipuri Eromba (Fermented Fish & Vegetable Mash)
Northeast Indian · Main course
Sambar (Lentil & Vegetable Stew)
South Indian · Main course
Before you plan around it
Pumpkin is light, but several of its best-known dishes add sugar: khatta meetha kaddu, pumpkin halwa and gharge can carry a lot of jaggery or sugar, so taste the pumpkin's own sweetness before adding more. Its protein is very low, so a meal of pumpkin needs dal, chickpeas, curd or meat alongside. A whole pumpkin keeps for weeks, but cut pieces spoil within a few days; wrap them and refrigerate. The skin of young pumpkin can be cooked, and Bengali cooks fry it with poppy seeds rather than throwing it away.
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 pumpkin
Is pumpkin good for health?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists pumpkin at 25 kcal per 100 g, with 363 micrograms of beta-carotene, 0.86 mg vitamin E and 2.5 g fibre. It is light and easy to digest, and it pairs well with dal and chickpeas, which add the protein it lacks.
Is pumpkin good for diabetes?
Pumpkin is low in carbohydrate, 4.2 g per 100 g in IFCT 2017, so a vegetable portion fits a diabetes diet. Sweetened dishes such as halwa, gharge and khatta meetha kaddu with lots of jaggery are a different matter. Plan portions with your doctor or dietitian.
Which is better, green or orange pumpkin?
In IFCT 2017 they are close: green cylindrical pumpkin has 25 kcal and 7.3 mg vitamin C per 100 g, the orange round one 23 kcal and 8.0 mg. Use the type your recipe calls for; orange pumpkins are usually sweeter and softer when cooked.
Related foods and tables
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Sweet potato
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cowpea (lobia)
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Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
Vitamin E content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin e per 100 g.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c 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.