Food · Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Balsam-pear nutrition facts
A typical portion of balsam-pear (1 cup; 93 g, pods, raw) has 15 calories and less than 1g of protein (USDA FoodData Central). USDA lists 6 descriptions of it: per 100 g they range from 17 calories (pods, raw) to 34 (leafy tips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt).
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Protein % DV here is not corrected for protein quality.
USDA values per 100 g for Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, raw, scaled to the portion. Check the USDA record.
- Protein per 100 g
- 1g
- more than 16% of 8,218 USDA reference foods
- Calories per 100 g
- 17
- more than 2% of reference foods
- Sodium per 100 g
- 5mg
- more than 12% of reference foods
1 cup weighs 93 g in USDA's record for Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, raw (FDC 168393).
Where the calories come from: 73% carbohydrate, 8% fat and 20% protein (4 calories a gram of protein or carbohydrate, 9 of fat).
Also rich in
Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC 168393), every nutrient the record reports; FDA Daily Values, 21 CFR 101.9.
Every form of balsam-pear USDA describes
Without salt (FDC 168392) has the most calories per 100 g (34); the fewest: Raw (FDC 168393) (17)
| USDA description | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, raw | 17 | 1 g | 0.2 g | 5 mg |
| Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), leafy tips, raw | 30 | 5.3 g | 0.7 g | 11 mg |
| Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), leafy tips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 34 | 3.6 g | 0.2 g | 13 mg |
| Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), leafy tips, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt | 32 | 3.6 g | 0.2 g | 249 mg |
| Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | 19 | 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 6 mg |
| Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt | 19 | 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 242 mg |
Every nutrient in this record (36)
The portion is 1 cup (93 g); % DV is for that portion.
Energy, macronutrients and sugars (9)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 0.93 g | 1.00 g | 2% |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.16 g | 0.17 g | 0% |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 3.44 g | 3.70 g | 1% |
| Ash | 1.02 g | 1.10 g | |
| Energy | 15.8 kcal | 17.0 kcal | |
| Water | 87.4 g | 94.0 g | |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2.60 g | 2.80 g | 9% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0% |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0 g | 0 g |
Minerals (10)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium, Ca | 17.7 mg | 19.0 mg | 1% |
| Iron, Fe | 0.40 mg | 0.43 mg | 2% |
| Magnesium, Mg | 15.8 mg | 17.0 mg | 4% |
| Phosphorus, P | 28.8 mg | 31.0 mg | 2% |
| Potassium, K | 275 mg | 296 mg | 6% |
| Sodium, Na | 4.65 mg | 5.00 mg | 0% |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.74 mg | 0.80 mg | 7% |
| Copper, Cu | 0.032 mg | 0.034 mg | 4% |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.083 mg | 0.089 mg | 4% |
| Selenium, Se | 0.19 µg | 0.20 µg | 0% |
Vitamins (17)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 22.3 µg | 24.0 µg | 2% |
| Carotene, beta | 177 µg | 190 µg | |
| Carotene, alpha | 172 µg | 185 µg | |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0% |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 158 µg | 170 µg | |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 78.1 mg | 84.0 mg | 87% |
| Thiamin | 0.037 mg | 0.040 mg | 3% |
| Riboflavin | 0.037 mg | 0.040 mg | 3% |
| Niacin | 0.37 mg | 0.40 mg | 2% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.20 mg | 0.21 mg | |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.040 mg | 0.043 mg | 2% |
| Folate, total | 67.0 µg | 72.0 µg | |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0% |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Folate, food | 67.0 µg | 72.0 µg | |
| Folate, DFE | 67.0 µg | 72.0 µg | 17% |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC 168393: every value the record reports, per 100 g as USDA gives it and scaled to the portion; Daily Values: 21 CFR 101.9.
Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, Foundation Foods and Survey foods), April 30, 2026 release.
Questions
How many calories are in balsam-pear?
15 in 1 cup (93 g) of pods, raw; 17 to 34 per 100 g across USDA's descriptions.
How much protein is in balsam-pear?
less than 1g in 1 cup; 1 g per 100 g.
How much sodium is in balsam-pear?
0mg in 1 cup; 5 mg per 100 g. Salt added in cooking changes it: USDA lists salted and unsalted forms separately where it measured both.
Sources for this page
- USDA FoodData Central
- the food and product records, April 30, 2026 release. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- FoodData Central documentation
- what each data type is and how branded records are submitted. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies
- the survey foods and their portions. ars.usda.gov
- 21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food
- the label format, rounding and Daily Values. ecfr.gov
- FDA, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- the 5% and 20% Daily Value rule. fda.gov