Calories In Red Bell Pepper, How Many Calories In a Red Bell Pepper?

Calories in red bell pepper may be an interesting subject if you mind about the amount of calories you give to your body. Red or sweet peppers are one of the least known low calorie and nutritious snacks you should include in your daily diet. Red bell pepper calories are low…I guess you are asking yourself how low is low in this case. Read on to learn more about;

• Calories in a red bell pepper (general)
• What determines how many calories in a red bell pepper
• Calories in a large red bell pepper
• Calories in red bell pepper slices
• Calories in red bell pepper 100g
• Calories in cooked red bell pepper

Calories in a Red Bell Pepper

Generally, red bell peppers are low in glycemic index (GI), a measurement carried out on carbohydrate-containing foods and their impact on your body blood sugar, making them an ideal snack for the dieter. Calories in red bell peppers are mostly from Carbohydrates (approximately 89%), proteins (11%) and about 2 to 3 grams of fiber per medium sized red bell pepper. A medium sized red bell pepper contains about 30 to 40 Kilocalories.

Given that the largest part of calories in red bell pepper are carbohydrates, the major carbohydrate sources in red bell pepper are dietary fiber (0.5g) and sugars (1.2 g). The most abundant sugars are Sucrose (16.8mg), Glucose (535 mg) and Fructose (647 mg).

Fats contribute very minimally to calories in red bell peppers by providing 3.6g of total fat (5 % DV-Daily Value). This fat comprises; saturated fat (0.4g), monounsaturated fat (0.6g), polyunsaturated fat (1.6g), Omega 3 fatty acids (217 mg) and Omega 6 fatty acids (1384mg)

According to fatsecret.com Calories in a large, small, slices and 100g red bell pepper are as follows

Calories in red bell pepper slices

• 1 slice or ring (3″ dia, 1/4″ thick)    has 3 calories
• 1 cup sliced red pepper has 24 calories

Calories in red bell pepper 100g

100 g sweet pepper yields 26 calories

Calories in 1 large red bell pepper

1 large red pepper (approx 3-3/4″ long, 3″) contains 43 calories

Calories in 1 medium, small and cup chopped red bell pepper

• 1 small red pepper contains 19 calories
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper (approx 2-3/4″ long, 2-1/2″)   yields 31calories
• 1 cup chopped red peppers contains 39 calories

What determines how many calories in red bell pepper

The amount of calories in red bell pepper depends on following factors

Size

– Well, this may sound quite obvious but it deserves a mention. Put in the simplest form, large sized red peppers contain more calories than small or medium sized red peppers. In other words, how big or small a red bell pepper is, determines its carbohydrate content and hence the calorie content in the red bell pepper is as follows;

• A large red bell pepper will contain about 43 – 60 Kilo calories
• A medium one about 32 – 40 Kilo calories
• A small one will contain about 15 – 20 Kilo calories

Maturity and Sweetness

-The ripening process makes the red peppers sweeter. The creation of more sugars boosts the calorie content of the peppers. In simple terms, the sweeter the bell peppers the more calories in the red bell pepper.

In addition, the process of ripening boosts the sweet pepper health benefits i.e. Lycopene and carotenoids increase with maturity. This makes mature red bell peppers more potent in preventing infection, anti-inflammatory properties, maintaining regular bowel function, assisting in lowering cholesterol, improving blood pressure and also assists in the neutralization of free radicals, which are carcinogenic)

Calories in cooked red bell pepper-How cooking affects calories in sweet

– Does cooking affect how many calories in red bell pepper? Further, the amount of calories in cooked red bell pepper is also determined by the method of cooking. Various methods of cooking affect the calories in red bell pepper as follows;

Freshness; Buying and storage

-Not fresh and low-quality red bell peppers are generally not recommended. In order to get the most out of red bell pepper, it is important to select red bell peppers that are bright and shiny, plump and with a tight skin. They should be free from blemishes, heavy and firm. This ensures that the calories in red bell pepper are optimal and the other nutrient benefits remain intact. Freezing can increase the shelf life of red bell pepper and also help to protect the nutritional value. Peppers stored in cold storage must be consumed within two to five days as they may lose up to 20% of the nutrient value with extended refrigeration. Blanched peppers last longer though they may lose some nutrients during the blanching process.

If you are looking forward to lose weight, red bell peppers should be included in your weight loss program since, as we have seen, calories in red bell pepper are minimal. In addition, red bell peppers are rich in a variety of phytochemicals (flavonoids, carotenoids and Hydroxycinnamic Acids) making them an excellent source of antioxidants. Thy have abundant Vitamin A (4666 IU – 93% DV) with additional lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin which help prevent eye disease, cataracts, boost immunity and lower cancer risk. The Vitamin C content is 190 mg (317% DV), Vitamin E is 2.4 mg (12 %), Vitamin K is 7.3 mcg (9% DV), Thiamine is 0.1 mg (5% DV), Riboflavin is 0.1 mg (7% DV), Niacin is 1.5 mg (7% DV), Vitamin B6 is 0.4mg (22% DV) and Folate is 68.5 mcg (17% DV).

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