Cucumber, peeled, raw
Whole food · Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Photo: Wikipedia
The peeled cucumber is a crisp, hydrating vegetable with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a satisfying, watery crunch. With only 10 calories per 100g, it's a low-energy-density food packed with water. Its modest sugar and carb content make it a refreshing, guilt-free snack.
💚 Why it's loved
People love it for its clean, refreshing taste and unparalleled crunch, which adds a cool contrast to spicy or rich dishes. Its incredible versatility allows it to be sliced, diced, pickled, or blended into countless salads, drinks, and sauces.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
While generally benign, cucumbers can cause digestive bloating or gas in some individuals due to their fiber and cucurbitacin content. To minimize this, start with smaller portions or try peeling and seeding them, as the seeds and skin contain more fiber and potential irritants. They are also a common ingredient in high-sodium pickles, so those monitoring salt intake should opt for fresh or low-sodium varieties.
Key benefits
- Excellent source of hydration due to high water content.
- Very low in calories, aiding in weight management.
- Provides a small but useful amount of dietary fiber.
- Contains vitamin K, important for bone health.
- Offers antioxidant compounds like cucurbitacins.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Cucumbers are botanically classified as a fruit, specifically a berry, and are over 95% water by weight.
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Water | 96.7 g |
| Energy | 10.0 kcal |
| Energy | 44.0 kj |
| Protein | 0.59 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.16 g |
| Ash | 0.36 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 2.2 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.70 g |
| Total Sugars | 1.4 g |
| Sucrose | 0.00 g |
| Glucose | 0.63 g |
| Fructose | 0.75 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.00 g |
| Starch | 0.08 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 14.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.22 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 12.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 21.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 136 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 2.0 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.17 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.07 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.07 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.10 ug |
| Fluoride, F | 1.3 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 3.2 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.03 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 mg |
| Niacin | 0.04 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.24 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.05 mg |
| Folate, total | 14.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 14.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 14.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 5.7 mg |
| Betaine | 0.10 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 4.0 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 31.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 8.0 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 18.0 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 72.0 iu |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 16.0 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.03 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.02 mg |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0.04 mg |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0.00 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 7.2 ug |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0.00 ug |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.08 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.06 g |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.01 g |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.01 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.02 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.01 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.00 mg |
| Tryptophan | 0.01 g |
| Threonine | 0.01 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.01 g |
| Leucine | 0.03 g |
| Lysine | 0.03 g |
| Methionine | 0.01 g |
| Cystine | 0.01 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.03 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.00 g |
| Valine | 0.01 g |
| Arginine | 0.03 g |
| Histidine | 0.00 g |
| Alanine | 0.03 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.04 g |
| Glutamic acid | 0.20 g |
| Glycine | 0.03 g |
| Proline | 0.01 g |
| Serine | 0.03 g |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
FAQ
Is the skin of a cucumber nutritious?
Yes, the skin contains a significant portion of the cucumber's fiber, vitamin K, and antioxidants. Peeling it reduces some of these nutrients but is done for texture or to remove potential wax or pesticide residues.
Why do some cucumbers taste bitter?
The bitterness comes from natural compounds called cucurbitacins, which are more concentrated in the stem end and skin. Peeling and trimming the ends can reduce bitterness.
How should I store a peeled cucumber?
Once peeled, a cucumber should be wrapped tightly in plastic or placed in an airtight container and refrigerated. It will lose moisture quickly and should be consumed within a day or two for best quality.