Food
Bitter melon nutrition facts
A typical portion of bitter melon (1 cup; 130 g, cooked) has 50 calories and 1g of protein (USDA FoodData Central). USDA lists 2 descriptions of it: per 100 g they range from 41 calories (cooked) to 56 (horseradish, jute, or radish leaves, cooked).
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 Bitter melon, cooked, scaled to the portion. Check the USDA record.
- Protein per 100 g
- 0.8g
- more than 14% of 8,218 USDA reference foods
- Calories per 100 g
- 41
- more than 11% of reference foods
- Sodium per 100 g
- 127mg
- more than 62% of reference foods
1 cup weighs 130 g in USDA's record for Bitter melon, cooked (FDC 2709878); across 2 records of bitter melon USDA weighs it at 128 to 130 g, so a linked record can show a different gram weight for the same measure.
Where the calories come from: 38% carbohydrate, 55% fat and 7% protein (4 calories a gram of protein or carbohydrate, 9 of fat).
Also rich in
Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC 2709878), every nutrient the record reports; FDA Daily Values, 21 CFR 101.9.
Every form of bitter melon USDA describes
Horseradish, jute, or radish… has the most calories per 100 g (56); the fewest: Cooked (41)
| USDA description | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter melon, cooked | 41 | 0.8 g | 2.7 g | 127 mg |
| Bitter melon, horseradish, jute, or radish leaves, cooked | 56 | 3.5 g | 2.7 g | 134 mg |
Every nutrient in this record (65)
The portion is 1 cup (130 g); % DV is for that portion.
Energy, macronutrients and sugars (12)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 1.07 g | 0.82 g | 2% |
| Total lipid (fat) | 3.54 g | 2.72 g | 5% |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 5.45 g | 4.19 g | 2% |
| Energy | 53.3 kcal | 41.0 kcal | |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | |
| Water | 119 g | 91.3 g | |
| Total Sugars | 2.46 g | 1.89 g | |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2.47 g | 1.90 g | 9% |
| Cholesterol | 2.60 mg | 2.00 mg | 1% |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.88 g | 0.68 g | 4% |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 1.22 g | 0.94 g | |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.05 g | 0.81 g |
Minerals (9)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium, Ca | 11.7 mg | 9.00 mg | 1% |
| Iron, Fe | 0.48 mg | 0.37 mg | 3% |
| Magnesium, Mg | 20.8 mg | 16.0 mg | 5% |
| Phosphorus, P | 45.5 mg | 35.0 mg | 4% |
| Potassium, K | 402 mg | 309 mg | 9% |
| Sodium, Na | 165 mg | 127 mg | 7% |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.97 mg | 0.75 mg | 9% |
| Copper, Cu | 0.042 mg | 0.032 mg | 5% |
| Selenium, Se | 0.26 µg | 0.20 µg | 0% |
Vitamins (23)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retinol | 14.3 µg | 11.0 µg | |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 22.1 µg | 17.0 µg | 2% |
| Carotene, beta | 92.3 µg | 71.0 µg | |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.68 mg | 0.52 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0% |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 1,665 µg | 1,281 µg | |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 41.5 mg | 31.9 mg | 46% |
| Thiamin | 0.064 mg | 0.049 mg | 5% |
| Riboflavin | 0.066 mg | 0.051 mg | 5% |
| Niacin | 0.35 mg | 0.27 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.073 mg | 0.056 mg | 4% |
| Folate, total | 63.7 µg | 49.0 µg | |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0% |
| Choline, total | 13.9 mg | 10.7 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 8.71 µg | 6.70 µg | 7% |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Folate, food | 63.7 µg | 49.0 µg | |
| Folate, DFE | 63.7 µg | 49.0 µg | 16% |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg |
Fatty acids (19)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFA 4:0 | 0.023 g | 0.018 g | |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.017 g | 0.013 g | |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.0091 g | 0.0070 g | |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.022 g | 0.017 g | |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.026 g | 0.020 g | |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.083 g | 0.064 g | |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.49 g | 0.37 g | |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.18 g | 0.14 g | |
| MUFA 18:1 | 1.17 g | 0.90 g | |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.94 g | 0.72 g | |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.11 g | 0.081 g | |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.0013 g | 0.0010 g | |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.018 g | 0.014 g | |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.016 g | 0.012 g | |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC 2709878: 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 bitter melon?
50 in 1 cup (130 g) of cooked; 41 to 56 per 100 g across USDA's descriptions.
How much protein is in bitter melon?
1g in 1 cup; 0.8 g per 100 g.
How much sodium is in bitter melon?
170mg in 1 cup; 127 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