Palm Fruit (Palmyra Palm) Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Tender palm fruit — known as nungu in Tamil, tadgola in Marathi, and thaati munjalu in Telugu — contains 43 kcal per 100g with approximately 87% water content. Each translucent, jelly-like piece weighs about 50g and provides just 22 kcal. Three pieces (150g, a typical serving) deliver only 65 kcal while providing substantial hydration ^[1].

For context, coconut water has 19 kcal per 100g at 95% water. Nungu is slightly more calorie-dense but also provides minerals: 128mg potassium, 27mg calcium, and 22mg magnesium per 100g. This mineral profile makes nungu an effective natural hydration source during hot weather, which is exactly when it's seasonally available (April–July).

For food journaling during summer months, nungu represents one of the lowest-calorie fruit options available. Five pieces (~250g) still amount to only 108 kcal — less than a single banana. The combination of high water content, mild sweetness, and electrolyte minerals makes it a unique seasonal food.

The palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) produces two distinct edible forms from the same fruit at different maturation stages. Tender endosperm (nungu): 43 kcal, 87% water, translucent jelly, eaten raw as a coolant. Ripe mesocarp pulp: 87 kcal, 74-77% moisture, bright orange, strong aroma, used in cooking and confections ^[1][2].

The nutritional contrast extends beyond calories: ripe pulp has 300mcg vitamin A (RAE) per 100g (33% DV) from beta-carotene — the orange pigment that is completely absent in the translucent nungu (just 5mcg). Ripe pulp also has 1.7mg iron per 100g (9% DV) versus 0.5mg in nungu. The carbohydrate content doubles: 21.2g in ripe pulp versus 10g in nungu.

For food journaling, always specify which form you consumed. Logging 'palm fruit' without distinguishing between nungu and ripe pulp could create a 2x calorie error and completely misrepresent your vitamin A intake. The calculator provides both variants.

Ripe palm fruit pulp's deep orange color signals its beta-carotene content: approximately 300mcg vitamin A (RAE) per 100g (33% DV). This puts it in the same category as mango (54mcg), papaya (47mcg), and cantaloupe (169mcg) — but higher than all three. Among fruits, only a few tropical species rival this concentration ^[2][3].

The iron content is equally notable: 1.7mg per 100g (9% DV). For fruit, this is very high — most fruits have 0.1-0.5mg. One cup of ripe pulp (160g) provides 2.7mg iron (15% DV). The pulp also provides 16mg vitamin C per 100g alongside the iron — both nutrients present in the same food.

The ripe pulp is not commonly eaten raw due to its fibrous texture and strong flavor. It's typically used in punatoo (sun-dried fruit leather), kheer, or mixed with jaggery. The dried form (punatoo) concentrates the nutrients by removing water, approximately tripling the calorie density to ~280 kcal per 100g.

Nungu provides 27mg calcium per 100g — higher than most common fruits: apple (6mg), banana (5mg), orange (40mg), and mango (11mg). While orange has more calcium, nungu's calcium density per calorie is better: 0.63mg calcium per kcal for nungu versus 0.85mg for orange. Both are excellent fruit-based calcium contributors ^[1].

Potassium at 128mg per 100g is moderate. A serving of 3 pieces (150g) provides 192mg potassium (4% DV). Magnesium at 22mg per 100g adds to the electrolyte profile — a serving delivers 33mg magnesium (8% DV). Together, these three minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium) make nungu a natural electrolyte source.

For food journaling, nungu's mineral profile is its strongest nutritional feature. The vitamins are modest (5mg vitamin C, minimal vitamin A), but the electrolyte minerals at such low calorie cost make it a unique entry in any food log, particularly during hot weather.

Palm fruit is not in USDA FoodData Central or most international food databases. The nutritional data here is compiled from Indian Food Composition Tables, published analyses, and peer-reviewed studies. Values may vary by variety, region, and maturity stage. This makes accurate food journaling challenging — but this calculator provides the best available estimates ^[2][3].

Nungu is approximately 40% edible by weight — the hard outer shell and fibrous casing account for 60% of the fruit. When buying by count, each raw nungu fruit yields about 50g of edible jelly. A purchase of 6 fruits yields approximately 300g edible portion (~129 kcal). The ripe fruit has a similar yield: about 35-40% edible pulp by whole fruit weight.

Both forms are strictly seasonal: nungu appears in markets from April to July (coinciding with peak summer heat), while ripe fruits follow in July to September. Outside these windows, availability is limited to dried products like punatoo. For food journaling, log the edible portion weight only — not the whole fruit weight with shell.