How Many Calories In Cucumber? | Crisp Facts Guide

Cucumber Calories Per Serving (Quick Math)

Cukes are low-energy and mostly water. With peel, 100 grams sits at around 16 calories; without peel, 100 grams drops near 12. A typical cup of slices lands near 16, while a half cup is roughly 8. These figures come from nutrient datasets that pull directly from U.S. agricultural analyses.

Calories By Common Portions

Serving	Calories	Notes
100 g, with peel	16	USDA-derived, water-rich produce
100 g, peeled	12	Lower due to less fiber from the skin
1 cup slices, with peel	16	Roughly 104 g; tiny swing by slice thickness
1 cup slices, peeled	14	Similar weight; slightly fewer calories
1/2 cup slices, with peel	8	Simple half-portion math

Because cucumber is about 96% water, the calorie count stays tiny while volume looks generous on a plate. That makes it handy for plate-building, meal prep, and hydration during hot days.

Hydration targets vary by person, so it helps to set your how much water per day baseline first, then slot produce like cucumbers around it.

What Changes The Numbers?

Peel On Or Off

The skin carries a touch of fiber and color pigments. Leave the peel on and the calorie line nudges a hair higher per 100 grams compared with peeled flesh. The difference is tiny in day-to-day meals, but it’s measurable in datasets.

English Vs. Slicing Types

Long, greenhouse types trend seed-light and mild. Classic garden types can be seedier and slightly denser. In the lab, both clock nearly identical energy values because water dominates the weight either way.

Serving Size Reality

“One cup sliced” sounds simple, but cups change with slice thickness and how tightly the cup is packed. Weights remove that guesswork. When you want a sure number, weigh 50–150 grams of raw slices and use the per-100-gram figures shown above.

Why Cucumbers Fit Weight Goals

Low Energy Density

Energy density looks at calories per gram. With values in the teens per 100 grams, cucumbers sit at the low end of the produce spectrum. You get crunch and volume for minimal energy, which helps meals feel generous without loading calories.

Water And Satiety

Water-rich foods add bulk, slow bite pace, and can reduce the urge to overfill on calorie-dense items at the same meal. That’s useful at lunch buffets, backyard grills, or any place where sauces and sides can add up fast.

Micronutrients In The Mix

You’ll see small amounts of vitamin K, potassium, and trace antioxidants in the skin and flesh. None of these push the calorie total up in a meaningful way.

Government pages list cucumbers near ninety-six percent water and confirm the tiny energy numbers for both peeled and unpeeled forms. You can also view a transparent nutrient breakout per 100 grams on public databases that mirror those government tables.

Serving Ideas That Keep Calories Low

Slice And Salt-Rinse

Toss thin rounds with a pinch of salt, let them shed a little moisture, then rinse and pat dry. The texture turns crisp and snack-worthy with essentially the same calorie line.

Vinegar Quick Salad

Mix slices with rice vinegar, a touch of sugar, and toasted sesame. The dressing adds a bit of energy, yet a bowl still stays lean because the base is mostly water.

High-Volume Sandwich Layer

Swap some cheese or fatty spreads for extra cucumber layers. You add crunch and fullness while trimming energy density in the stack.

Nutrition Snapshot Per 100 Grams

Most of the weight is water, with modest carbohydrate and tiny protein and fat fractions. Here’s an at-a-glance view using the common “with peel” listing (see the detailed MyFoodData cucumber profile built from USDA tables):

Per-100-Gram Snapshot (With Peel)

Nutrient	Amount	What It Means
Energy	16 kcal	Extremely low per weight
Water	~96 g	Explains the low energy density
Carbohydrate	~3.6 g	Mostly natural sugars and starch
Protein	~0.6 g	Trace amount
Fat	~0.2 g	Trace amount
Fiber	~0.5 g	Mostly in the peel
Vitamin K	~16–20 µg	Varies by type and freshness
Potassium	~150–170 mg	Small help toward daily totals
Sodium	~2 mg	Very low before salting or pickling

Label Reading Tips For Pickles

Pickled spears start from the same vegetable, so energy stays low. The change you’ll notice is sodium. Brines can push the sodium line high, which matters for blood pressure targets.

FAQ-Free Answers To Common Questions

Are Calories Different In Persian Or Mini Types?

Not by much. Size shifts how many pieces fill a cup, but per-100-gram energy is the same neighborhood because water content drives the math.

Do Seeds Change The Numbers?

Seeds add a whisper of density. In home portions, that barely moves the total. If accuracy matters for a recipe log, weigh your slices and apply the per-100-gram numbers.

Does Peeling Reduce Nutrients?

Peeling trims some fiber and pigment compounds along with tiny mineral changes. If you enjoy the crunch and don’t mind the skin, keep it on. If texture bugs you, peel and move on—the calorie picture still stays low.

Hydration, Hunger, And Smart Pairings

Water-heavy snacks help with fluid totals. Public health pages note that food contributes to overall water intake alongside beverages. Pair cucumber slices with lean protein or a yogurt dip to steady hunger without moving calories much. See the concise guidance on water and healthier drinks for context on daily intake and contributing foods.

Want a handy nudge on salt targets next? Try our daily sodium intake limit.