Raisins Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Raisins have 299 kcal per 100g with 59.19g sugar — compared to fresh grapes at 69 kcal and 15.5g sugar. The 4.3x calorie multiplication happens because drying removes about 80% of the water, concentrating everything — calories, sugars, and minerals alike ^[1].

The sugar profile is split between fructose and glucose with minimal sucrose — similar to fresh grapes. At 59.19g sugar per 100g, raisins are among the highest-sugar common foods, comparable to dates (66.5g) and higher than most candy bars per weight.

For food journaling, the key insight is that raisins are calorie-dense but typically consumed in small portions. A small box (28g) has only 84 kcal and 16.6g sugar — a modest snack. The issue arises when raisins are eaten by the handful from a bulk container without weighing.

Raisins provide 749mg potassium per 100g — 16% of the daily value. Fresh grapes have 191mg (4% DV). Banana, often cited as the potassium benchmark, has 358mg (8% DV). Raisins deliver more than 2x banana's potassium per 100g ^[1][2].

However, the potassium-per-calorie ratio tells a different story: raisins deliver 2.51mg potassium per kcal, while banana delivers 4.02mg/kcal and cantaloupe 7.85mg/kcal. Raisins are calorie-dense, so the mineral concentration comes with significant calories.

For food journaling, a quarter-cup of raisins (36g) provides 270mg potassium (6% DV) at 108 kcal. A medium banana provides 422mg potassium at 105 kcal. Both are similar snack portions, but the banana delivers 56% more potassium at nearly identical calories.

Dark seedless raisins provide 1.88mg iron per 100g — 10% of the daily value. This is high for a fruit or fruit product: prunes have 0.93mg, dates 0.90mg, and most fresh fruits have less than 0.5mg. A quarter-cup of dark raisins (36g) provides 0.68mg iron (4% DV) ^[1][2].

Golden raisins have significantly less iron: 0.98mg per 100g (5% DV) — roughly half the dark raisin value. This difference is attributed to processing: dark raisins are sun-dried, while golden raisins are treated with sulfur dioxide and oven-dried, which may affect mineral content.

For food journaling, raisins contribute meaningfully to daily iron totals — especially when combined with vitamin C sources that support iron absorption. A small box of dark raisins (28g) adds 0.53mg iron — a small but consistent contribution when eaten regularly.

The 299 kcal per 100g figure can be misleading because typical raisin servings are much smaller than 100g. A standard small box is 28g = 84 kcal. A quarter-cup is 36g = 108 kcal. A tablespoon is 9g = 27 kcal. These are reasonable, manageable snack portions ^[1].

The issue is mindless eating from bulk containers. A packed cup of raisins (165g) = 494 kcal — equivalent to a full meal. Without measuring, it's easy to consume 100-200g while snacking, which represents 299-598 kcal of mostly sugar.

For food journaling, always weigh raisins or count them. A small box (28g) contains approximately 60 raisins — a helpful visual benchmark. When adding raisins to oatmeal, salads, or trail mix, measure by the tablespoon (9g = 27 kcal) for precise logging.

Dark raisins and golden raisins both come from Thompson seedless grapes but differ in processing. Dark raisins are sun-dried over 2-3 weeks. Golden raisins are treated with sulfur dioxide to prevent browning and oven-dried at lower temperatures ^[1][3].

Key differences per 100g: Iron: dark 1.88mg vs golden 0.98mg (dark has 92% more). Sodium: dark 11mg vs golden 24mg (golden has 2.2x more from processing). Sugar: dark 59.19g vs golden 65.70g (golden has 11% more). Calcium: dark 50mg vs golden 64mg. Calories are similar (299 vs 302).

For food journaling, the choice between dark and golden raisins matters primarily for iron tracking (choose dark) and sodium tracking (dark is lower). Calorie and sugar differences are minor. The calculator allows selecting either variant for accurate logging.