Calories in Vegetables – A Chart of 20 Everyday Vegetables
Most non-starchy vegetables have under 60 calories per cup, and leafy greens have under 10. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, peas and sweet potatoes have more, and cooking fat often adds more than the vegetable itself.
Vegetables are the food group where calorie counting matters least and cooking matters most. A cup of most non-starchy vegetables is somewhere between 5 and 60 calories. A tablespoon of olive oil is about 120. If you roast a tray of vegetables in three tablespoons of oil, the oil is most of the calories.
Calories in common vegetables
| Vegetable | Serving | Weight | Calories | Carbs | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach, raw | 1 cup | 30 g | 7 | 1 g | 0.7 g |
| Spinach, cooked | 1 cup | 180 g | 41 | 7 g | 4.3 g |
| Romaine lettuce | 1 cup, shredded | 47 g | 8 | 2 g | 1.0 g |
| Kale, raw | 1 cup, chopped | 21 g | 8 | 1 g | 0.9 g |
| Cucumber, with peel | 1 cup, sliced | 104 g | 16 | 4 g | 0.5 g |
| Tomato | 1 medium | 123 g | 22 | 5 g | 1.5 g |
| Carrot, raw | 1 medium | 61 g | 25 | 6 g | 1.7 g |
| Bell pepper, red | 1 medium | 119 g | 31 | 7 g | 2.5 g |
| Broccoli, raw | 1 cup, chopped | 91 g | 31 | 6 g | 2.4 g |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1 cup, chopped | 156 g | 55 | 11 g | 5.1 g |
| Cauliflower, raw | 1 cup | 107 g | 27 | 5 g | 2.1 g |
| Cabbage, raw | 1 cup, shredded | 89 g | 22 | 5 g | 2.2 g |
| Zucchini, cooked | 1 cup, sliced | 180 g | 27 | 5 g | 1.8 g |
| Mushrooms, raw | 1 cup, sliced | 70 g | 15 | 2 g | 0.7 g |
| Asparagus, cooked | ½ cup | 90 g | 20 | 4 g | 1.8 g |
| Green beans, cooked | 1 cup | 125 g | 44 | 10 g | 4.0 g |
| Brussels sprouts, cooked | 1 cup | 156 g | 56 | 11 g | 4.1 g |
| Onion, raw | 1 medium | 110 g | 44 | 10 g | 1.9 g |
| Green peas, cooked | 1 cup | 160 g | 134 | 25 g | 8.8 g |
| Potato, baked with skin | 1 medium | 173 g | 161 | 37 g | 3.8 g |
| Sweet potato, baked with skin | 1 medium | 114 g | 103 | 24 g | 3.8 g |
Values are approximate, rounded from USDA FoodData Central, for plain vegetables with no added fat or salt.
Raw against cooked
Cooking does not add calories to a vegetable, but it changes how much fits in a cup. Spinach is the extreme case: a cup of raw leaves weighs about 30 g, while a cup of cooked spinach is the wilted result of six times as much. That is why cooked spinach has about six times the calories per cup. When you log, match the entry to the form you measured.
Starchy and non-starchy
Dietitians often split vegetables into two groups:
- Non-starchy: leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, onions and most others. Typically 10 to 60 calories a cup.
- Starchy: potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, parsnips and winter squashes. Typically 100 to 180 calories a cup, closer to grains.
Both are nutritious. The distinction matters for counting because starchy vegetables are where portion size starts to make a real difference.
What actually adds the calories
| Addition | Amount | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil for roasting | 1 tablespoon | 120 |
| Butter on vegetables | 1 tablespoon | 100 |
| Ranch dressing | 2 tablespoons | 130–145 |
| Grated cheddar | ¼ cup (28 g) | 114 |
| Sour cream on a potato | 2 tablespoons | 60 |
Log these as separate entries. A plate of roasted vegetables is easy to under-count by 200 calories if the oil is forgotten.
Counting vegetables quickly
- Use the cup or the fist. A fist is roughly a cup; that is close enough for non-starchy vegetables.
- Log a mixed salad as its parts: the leaves (tiny), the toppings (often the real calories) and the dressing.
- Measure the oil once when you roast a tray, and divide by the portions you serve.
- Weigh potatoes occasionally; they vary a lot in size.
How much to eat
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest about 2 to 3 cup-equivalents of vegetables a day for most adults, and most people eat less. In cup-equivalents, 2 cups of raw leafy greens count as 1 cup. For anyone counting calories, vegetables are the cheapest way to make meals bigger.
Related
See the fruit calorie chart, and our explainer on the most common counting mistakes, several of which are about cooking fat.
Other calorie charts
- How many calories are in a cup of broccoli?
- A cup of chopped broccoli has about 31 calories raw and about 55 calories cooked. The cooked cup holds more broccoli because it shrinks when cooked.
- Do I need to count calories in vegetables?
- For non-starchy vegetables, roughly is fine; even large errors are small numbers. Count starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas more carefully, and always count the oil, butter, cheese or dressing that goes on them.
- Are potatoes high in calories?
- A plain medium baked potato has about 160 calories, similar to a cup of cooked pasta. Potatoes become high in calories when fried or topped with butter, sour cream and cheese.