Bitter Gourd Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Raw bitter gourd contains 84mg vitamin C per 100g — providing 93% of the 90mg daily recommended intake. This places bitter gourd among the highest vitamin C vegetables, surpassing raw broccoli (89mg but at twice the calories), raw kale (93mg), and approaching the vitamin C content of an orange (53mg per 100g). A single cup of raw bitter gourd pieces (93g) delivers 78mg vitamin C ^[1].

Cooking reduces vitamin C significantly: boiled bitter gourd retains 33mg per 100g — a 61% loss. This is typical for water-soluble vitamins exposed to heat. However, even the cooked value of 33mg is substantial — exceeding the vitamin C in raw tomatoes (14mg), cooked spinach (10mg), and many other common vegetables ^[2].

For food journaling, if vitamin C tracking matters, note the raw vs. cooked distinction carefully. A 200g stir-fry serving of bitter gourd provides approximately 66mg vitamin C (using the cooked value) — still 73% of the daily value from the vegetable alone, before accounting for any accompanying ingredients.

Raw bitter gourd has just 17 kcal per 100g with 94% water content — placing it alongside cucumber (15 kcal), celery (16 kcal), and lettuce (14 kcal) as one of the lowest-calorie vegetables. But unlike those mild-flavored vegetables, bitter gourd packs dramatically more micronutrient density: 84mg vitamin C, 72mcg folate, and 296mg potassium per 100g ^[1].

Cooked bitter gourd is 19 kcal per 100g — a minimal increase. One entire medium bitter gourd (124g) cooked has approximately 24 kcal before any oil or seasoning. The calorie contribution of the gourd itself is so low that it's virtually irrelevant in most dishes — the oil, stuffing, or batter dominates the calorie total.

For food journaling, the critical insight is that bitter gourd preparations vary enormously in calories. Plain boiled karela: ~19 kcal/100g. Stir-fried with 1 tablespoon oil: ~139 kcal/100g. Deep-fried karela chips: 200+ kcal/100g. The gourd never changes; the cooking fat determines the calorie count.

Raw bitter gourd provides 72mcg folate per 100g — 18% of the 400mcg daily recommended intake. This puts bitter gourd in elite company among vegetables: raw asparagus has 52mcg, raw beets have 109mcg, and raw broccoli has 63mcg per 100g. Cooked bitter gourd retains 51mcg per 100g (13% DV), a 29% reduction ^[1][2].

One cup of cooked bitter gourd pieces (124g) provides approximately 63mcg folate — a meaningful contribution to daily intake. Combined with the vitamin C content, bitter gourd contributes to two frequently under-consumed nutrients simultaneously.

For nutrition journaling, bitter gourd's folate content is especially relevant for individuals tracking B-vitamin intake. The folate is entirely from natural food folate (not folic acid), which has different bioavailability characteristics. Log the cooked weight and use the 51mcg/100g value for most preparations.

Bitter gourd juice (blended raw, strained) has approximately 8–10 kcal per 100ml — among the lowest-calorie vegetable juices. A 200ml glass provides roughly 16–20 kcal with substantial vitamin C. At the other extreme, deep-fried karela chips absorb oil to reach 200–250 kcal per 100g — a 12–15x calorie increase over the raw vegetable ^[1].

Stuffed bitter gourd (bharwa karela) sits in the middle: the besan, masala, and oil stuffing typically adds 100–150 kcal per gourd on top of the 20–25 kcal from the gourd itself. Each stuffed karela piece (one medium gourd) totals approximately 120–175 kcal depending on the stuffing recipe and oil used.

For food journaling, logging bitter gourd by preparation method is more important than by weight. The gourd's own nutrition is consistent (17–19 kcal/100g), but the total dish calories swing from near-zero (juice) to substantial (stuffed, fried). Track the oil and filling separately from the gourd for accurate entries.

Raw bitter gourd has 296mg potassium per 100g, and boiled bitter gourd has 319mg per 100g — an 8% increase after cooking. This is unusual: most vegetables lose 10–30% of their potassium to cooking water. The slight concentration occurs because bitter gourd loses more water and soluble carbohydrates than potassium during boiling ^[1][2].

One cup of cooked bitter gourd (124g) provides approximately 396mg potassium — 8% of the 4,700mg adequate daily intake. This is comparable to a small banana (~360mg) but with only 24 kcal instead of 89 kcal. For potassium-per-calorie efficiency, cooked bitter gourd is exceptional: 16.8mg potassium per calorie.

For food journaling, bitter gourd is a reliable potassium source in both raw and cooked forms. The potassium-to-sodium ratio is also excellent: 53:1 in cooked form. Unlike canned vegetables, fresh bitter gourd adds negligible sodium (5–6mg per 100g) while contributing meaningful potassium to the daily total.