Peppers, sweet, green, raw
Whole food · Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Photo: Wikipedia
A crisp, hollow bell-shaped fruit with a vibrant green skin and a fresh, slightly grassy flavor. Its satisfying crunch and mild sweetness make it a staple for raw snacking and cooking. Nutritionally, it's a low-calorie powerhouse, packed with more than a day's worth of vitamin C per serving.
Calorie split: 15% protein · 79% carbs · 7% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love it for its unparalleled crunch and versatility—it can be a snack, a salad component, or a cooked vegetable. Its mild, sweet flavor acts as a perfect canvas for dips, seasonings, and other bold ingredients.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
Some find the raw flavor too grassy or bitter, and its high vitamin C content can trigger heartburn in sensitive individuals. To counteract bitterness, try sautéing or roasting to caramelize its natural sugars. For heartburn, pair with low-acid foods and avoid consuming it on an empty stomach.
Key benefits
- Excellent source of immune-supporting vitamin C
- Very low in calories and fat
- Provides dietary fiber for digestive health
- Contains antioxidants like capsanthin
- High water content aids hydration
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Green bell peppers are simply unripe red, yellow, or orange peppers; they contain the same nutrients but have a more bitter, grassy taste due to higher chlorophyll content.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 93.9 g |
| Energy | 20.0 kcal |
| Energy | 84.0 kj |
| Protein | 0.86 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.17 g |
| Ash | 0.43 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 4.6 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.4 g |
| Sucrose | 0.11 g |
| Glucose | 1.2 g |
| Fructose | 1.1 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.00 g |
| Starch | 0.00 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 10.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.34 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 10.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 20.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 175 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 3.0 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.13 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.07 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.12 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.00 ug |
| Fluoride, F | 2.0 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 80.4 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.06 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 mg |
| Niacin | 0.48 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.10 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.22 mg |
| Folate, total | 10.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 10.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 10.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 5.5 mg |
| Betaine | 0.10 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 18.0 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 208 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 21.0 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 7.0 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 370 iu |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 341 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.37 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.00 mg |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.00 mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0.00 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) | 7.4 ug |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0.00 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.06 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 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.05 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 | 0.06 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.05 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 |
| Phytosterols | 9.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
| Tryptophan | 0.01 g |
| Threonine | 0.04 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.02 g |
| Leucine | 0.04 g |
| Lysine | 0.04 g |
| Methionine | 0.01 g |
| Cystine | 0.01 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.09 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.01 g |
| Valine | 0.04 g |
| Arginine | 0.03 g |
| Histidine | 0.01 g |
| Alanine | 0.04 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.21 g |
| Glutamic acid | 0.19 g |
| Glycine | 0.03 g |
| Proline | 0.02 g |
| Serine | 0.05 g |
FAQ
Are green peppers just unripe red peppers?
Yes, they are the same fruit picked at an earlier stage of maturity. As they ripen on the plant, they turn yellow, orange, or red, becoming sweeter and losing their green, bitter notes.
How do I store them to keep them crisp?
Store unwashed peppers whole in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator, where they can last 1-2 weeks. Once cut, wrap tightly and use within a few days.
Why do my cooked peppers get mushy?
Overcooking breaks down their cell walls. For a crisp-tender texture, add them to stir-fries or sautés near the end of cooking, or roast them at high heat for a short time to char the outside while keeping some bite.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 0.20 kcal/g · 17% calories from protein · 1.7 g fiber · 2.4 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 0.02 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.