Zucchini is one of the lowest-calorie vegetables you can add to a meal, but the exact number of calories on your plate still depends on how much you serve and how it's prepared. This zucchini calories per serving calculator takes the guesswork out of portioning: enter your amount in grams, ounces, cups, or whole zucchini, choose raw or cooked, and instantly get the calories per serving plus the main macronutrients.
Whether you're tracking calories for weight management, meal-prepping a summer pasta, or building a low-energy-density plate, this tool gives you a reliable estimate in seconds. You can divide the total by the number of servings in a recipe, and even expand the result to show vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. It's a handy companion for anyone logging food in apps like MyFitnessPal or planning balanced vegetable-based meals.
🥔 Serving Details
📊 Results
Micronutrients (per serving)
Vitamin C: —Potassium: —
Magnesium: —
Step-by-step
- Your amount: —
- Energy density: —
- Total calories: —
- Divided by —
How to Use This Tool
Follow these steps to get an accurate zucchini calorie estimate:
- Enter the amount of zucchini you plan to eat or use in a recipe in the first field.
- Select the unit that matches how you measured it — grams, ounces, chopped cups, or whole medium zucchini.
- Choose raw or cooked/boiled. Boiled zucchini has slightly fewer calories per 100 g because some water is absorbed during cooking.
- Set the number of servings. If you are calculating one bowl or one plate, leave it at 1. If you are making a batch, enter how many people it serves.
- Press Calculate. The result shows calories per serving, total calories, and the main macronutrients. Tick the micronutrient box if you also want vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.
How the Calories Are Calculated
This calculator uses USDA nutrition data for summer squash, zucchini, with skin. The baseline value is 17 kcal per 100 g for raw zucchini and about 15 kcal per 100 g for boiled zucchini. The calculation is simple:
For example, if you eat 250 g of raw zucchini: (250 ÷ 100) × 17 = 42.5 kcal. Divide that by the number of servings to get the per-serving value. The same weight-based logic is used for carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Zucchini is about 94% water, which is why its calorie yield is so low.
Reference: Nutrition Per 100g
| Nutrient | Raw zucchini | Boiled zucchini |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 17 kcal | 15 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 3.1 g | 2.7 g |
| Protein | 1.2 g | 1.1 g |
| Fat | 0.3 g | 0.4 g |
| Fiber | 1.0 g | 1.0 g |
| Vitamin C | 17.9 mg | 12.3 mg |
| Potassium | 261 mg | 234 mg |
Values are rounded to one decimal and based on standard USDA reference portions. Actual values can vary by variety, growing conditions, and cooking method.
Worked Examples
A medium zucchini weighs about 196 g. If you eat it raw: (196 ÷ 100) × 17 ≈ 33 kcal. In this calculator, enter 1 with the unit set to medium zucchini, leave servings at 1, and you'll see about 33 kcal, 6.1 g carbs, 2.4 g protein, and 0.6 g fat.
You spiralize 500 g of raw zucchini for a noodle dish that makes 4 servings. Total calories = (500 ÷ 100) × 17 = 85 kcal. Per serving = 85 ÷ 4 ≈ 21 kcal. Enter 500 g and 4 servings to get the same result instantly.
Accuracy Notes and Limitations
- Calorie values are estimates from reference databases. A real zucchini can differ by 10–15% depending on size, variety, and ripeness.
- Chopped cup measurements are approximate. One cup of loosely packed chopped raw zucchini is estimated at about 113 g; packed pieces can weigh more.
- Boiled zucchini values assume it was cooked without added oil, butter, or salt. If you sauté in oil, add those calories separately — oil adds about 120 kcal per tablespoon.
- Micronutrient values, especially vitamin C, decrease with heat and prolonged cooking. The numbers in the micronutrient panel are best treated as general estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is zucchini really only 17 calories per 100 g?
Yes. Raw zucchini has one of the lowest calorie densities of any vegetable because it is roughly 94% water and contains only small amounts of carbohydrate and protein. One hundred grams is about three-quarters of a cup of chopped squash.
Does cooking change the calories?
Boiling can slightly lower the calorie density per 100 g because zucchini absorbs water, so a boiled cup weighs more for the same number of calories. Frying or roasting with oil adds significant calories from the fat, not from the zucchini itself.
Can I use this for yellow squash or other summer squash?
Yes. Yellow summer squash has a very similar nutrient profile. For a direct comparison, see the squash calories per serving calculator. For a broader look at vegetable energy, try the vegetable nutrition calculator.
For the full nutrient profile, search zucchini, raw in the USDA FoodData Central database at fdc.nal.usda.gov.