Litchi (Lychee) Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Fresh litchi delivers 71.5mg vitamin C per 100g — 79% of the daily value. This exceeds orange (53.2mg), lemon (53mg), mango (36.4mg), and banana (8.7mg). Among common fruits, only guava (228mg), blackcurrant (181mg), and kiwi (92.7mg) significantly surpass litchi's vitamin C density ^[1].

Ten litchi (approximately 100g edible portion) provide 71.5mg vitamin C — nearly the full daily value from a casual handful of fruit. A single litchi (~10g edible) has approximately 7.2mg vitamin C. Because litchi is small, sweet, and easy to eat rapidly, consuming 15-20 fruits (150-200g, 107-143mg vitamin C) in one sitting is common during season.

Vitamin C degrades with storage and processing. Canned litchi in syrup retains some vitamin C but at reduced levels. Dried litchi retains surprisingly high vitamin C (183mg/100g) due to concentration — though you consume much less by weight. For food journaling, fresh litchi in season is the optimal vitamin C form.

Litchi's sugar content of 15.23g per 100g places it among the sweetest fresh fruits — virtually tied with grapes (15.5g), and higher than banana (12.2g), cherry (12.8g), mango (13.7g), and apple (10.4g). Only dates (63.4g, but they are semi-dried) significantly exceed litchi among commonly consumed fruits ^[1].

The sugar profile is nearly equal glucose (7.9g) and fructose (7.6g) with minimal sucrose — similar to grapes. This balanced profile is part of what makes litchi taste intensely sweet. At 66 kcal per 100g, sugar accounts for 92% of litchi's calories (15.2g × 4 = 60.8 kcal out of 66 total).

For food journaling, litchi's small size and extreme sweetness make it easy to overconsume sugar. Twenty litchi (~200g edible) = 30.5g sugar and 132 kcal. A full bowl at a restaurant or during season snacking can reach 300g (45.7g sugar, 198 kcal) — approaching the sugar content of a large soda.

Litchi provides 0.15mg copper per 100g — 16% of the daily value. This is notably high for a fruit: apple has 0.03mg, banana 0.08mg, orange 0.04mg, and grape 0.13mg. Only avocado (0.19mg) and cashew fruit (if available) commonly exceed litchi's copper content among fruits ^[1].

One cup of litchi (190g) delivers 0.28mg copper — 31% of the daily value. This makes litchi one of the more meaningful fruit-based copper contributors. Copper is an essential trace mineral involved in iron metabolism and connective tissue formation, with a daily value of 0.9mg.

For food journaling, copper is rarely tracked unless specifically monitoring for deficiency or excess. However, if you do track trace minerals, litchi is worth noting — especially during its brief season. Most tracking apps include copper data from USDA, so litchi should register correctly if the correct food entry is selected.

Drying litchi concentrates its nutrients dramatically: calories from 66 to 277 kcal/100g (4.2x), sugar from 15.2g to 66g (4.3x), potassium from 171mg to 1110mg (6.5x, 24% DV), and vitamin C from 71.5mg to 183mg (the concentration more than compensates for processing losses) ^[1].

Dried litchi is less commonly available than raisins or dates but appears in Asian grocery stores and specialty shops. A quarter-cup serving (25g) has 69 kcal and 16.5g sugar — roughly equivalent to 5 fresh litchi in calories but in a fraction of the volume.

For food journaling, dried litchi is a calorie-dense snack that is easy to overconsume. Like raisins, it looks small but packs concentrated energy. If substituting dried for fresh in recipes or snacking, reduce portion size by approximately 75% to maintain similar calorie intake.

A single litchi weighs approximately 15-20g whole (with shell and seed) but yields only 10g edible flesh — roughly 40% waste. One peeled litchi has 6.6 kcal and 1.5g sugar. Ten litchi = 66 kcal, 15.2g sugar. Twenty litchi = 132 kcal, 30.5g sugar. The count-based tracking is straightforward ^[1].

Litchi season in most of Asia (India, China, Southeast Asia) runs from May to July — approximately 8-10 weeks. During this window, consumption of 20-40 fruits per day is common in producing regions. At 40 fruits (400g edible, 264 kcal, 60.9g sugar), litchi becomes a significant caloric and sugar contributor.

For food journaling, the simplest tracking rule: 1 litchi ≈ 7 kcal and 1.5g sugar. Count the peels/shells after eating for accurate portion tracking. Remember that whole-fruit weight (15-20g) versus edible weight (10g) matters — if weighing with shell, use 60% of total weight as edible portion.