Vegetable Nutrition Calculators

Your Vegetable Nutrition Questions, Answered

Which vegetable in this list has the fewest calories per 100g?

Radish has the lowest calorie density at just 16 kcal per 100g raw (red radish) or 18 kcal (daikon). Broccoli follows at approximately 35 kcal per 100g boiled. Beetroot raw is 43 kcal. Among the starchy root vegetables, colocasia (taro) is highest at 112 kcal raw, water chestnut at 97 kcal, and lotus root at 74 kcal. Sweet corn at approximately 96 kcal cooked is still lower than most grain servings.

Does cooking vegetables destroy their vitamins?

Some vitamins are heat-sensitive — particularly vitamin C and folate, which can lose 15–55% of their content during boiling. Beetroot loses ~34% of its folate when boiled (109mcg raw to 80mcg boiled). Lotus root vitamin C drops from 44mg raw to 27.4mg boiled. However, cooking also increases the bioavailability of other nutrients: beta-carotene absorption from carrots increases 6-fold when cooked, and cooking is essential for colocasia (taro) due to calcium oxalate in the raw form. Our calculators include raw and cooked variants so you can compare the exact trade-offs.

Are potatoes healthy or should they be avoided for weight loss?

Plain boiled or baked potatoes are among the most satiating foods per calorie, according to the University of Sydney's Satiety Index research — scoring 323% relative to white bread. A medium boiled potato provides approximately 87 kcal, 1.9g protein, 20g carbs, and 1.8g fiber. The health concern arises from preparation methods: frying adds 150–250% more calories, and toppings like butter, cheese, and sour cream can double the calorie count. The potato itself is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie food.

What makes sweet potatoes different from regular potatoes nutritionally?

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) and regular potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are botanically unrelated. The key nutritional difference is beta-carotene: a medium baked sweet potato provides approximately 11,509μg — over 100% of the daily vitamin A requirement. Regular potatoes have negligible beta-carotene but provide more potassium (421mg vs. 337mg per 100g baked). In terms of calories, fiber, and protein, the two are remarkably similar.

Is frozen broccoli as nutritious as fresh broccoli?

Flash-frozen broccoli retains 80–95% of the vitamin C, folate, and mineral content present at harvest. Fresh broccoli that has been stored for 5–7 days in a refrigerator can lose 50% or more of its vitamin C due to post-harvest respiration. For most consumers, frozen broccoli is nutritionally equivalent or superior to fresh broccoli that has been in the supply chain for several days.

How do these calculators account for different cooking methods?

Each vegetable calculator includes multiple variants for common cooking methods — raw, boiled, steamed, roasted, baked, and sometimes microwaved or fried. For example, beetroot has raw, boiled, and canned variants; water chestnut has raw and canned; lotus root has raw and boiled. The nutrient values differ because (1) water absorption or loss changes the weight, (2) heat degrades certain vitamins, (3) leaching into cooking water removes water-soluble nutrients, and (4) added ingredients like oil change the fat and calorie content. Select the variant matching your actual preparation method for accurate tracking.