How Many Calories Are In 1 Bell Pepper? | Quick Facts

Bell Pepper Calories At A Glance

Calories hinge on two simple things: weight and color. Bell peppers are mostly water, so a heavier pepper carries more calories. Green peppers are picked earlier and land on the lower end per 100 grams, while red and yellow sit a touch higher.

Per 100 grams, raw green bell pepper averages about 23 calories, red and yellow are closer to 31 calories. A full pepper usually weighs 100–170 grams, so one pepper commonly falls between 20 and 50 calories.

Calories By Color And Typical Pepper Weight

Color	Per 100 g	Per Pepper (range)
Green	23 kcal	23–39 kcal (100–170 g)
Red	31 kcal	31–53 kcal (100–170 g)
Yellow	31 kcal	31–53 kcal (100–170 g)

Portion choices make more sense once you set your daily calorie needs.

How Many Calories Are In 1 Bell Pepper: Sizes And Colors

Weights vary. A small pepper can weigh near 75 grams, a medium red bell pepper sits around 119 grams, and a large one can reach roughly 160 grams. Using the per-100-gram values, that puts a small pepper near the mid-20s, a medium red around 31, and a large red near 50.

Color adds a little spread. Green tends to be leanest, red and yellow slightly higher. The gap is small, so size drives the math more than color.

How We Estimated Per Pepper Calories

Start with calories per 100 grams for your color. Green runs about 23 kcal per 100 g; red and yellow sit near 31. Next, weigh the pepper or use a typical weight. A medium red bell pepper often lands near 119 g. Multiply and round to the nearest whole number. That 119 g red comes out to about 31 calories.

No scale handy? Grip test works. If it feels lighter than a tomato, use the small range. If it fills your palm, call it medium. If it feels dense and wide, treat it like large.

Color Notes You Can Taste

Green tastes grassy and mild. Red tastes sweet. Yellow and orange land in between. The flavor shift ties to ripeness and carotenoids, while the calorie shift stays modest.

Vitamin C is where peppers shine. A 100 g green pepper carries about 100 mg. A 100 g red pepper sits near 142 mg. A 100 g yellow pepper sits near 139 mg. Those values easily cover a day’s need.

Raw, Roasted, Or Stuffed

Heat doesn’t add calories by itself. Additions do. A sheet-pan roast with no oil won’t move the needle, but a tablespoon of olive oil adds about 120 calories to the whole tray. If those peppers serve four, that’s 30 extra per portion.

Stuffed peppers swing wider. Lean mixes like quinoa, black beans, and salsa add modest energy. Cheese, fatty meats, or butter push the total up fast. See the style table below for quick math cues.

Nutrients You Get For Those Calories

Bell peppers punch above their weight in vitamin C. A medium red pepper can deliver well over a day’s worth. You also pick up vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and a spread of carotenoids that lend the bright color.

Fiber sits in the 2–3 gram ballpark per pepper. That helps with fullness without loading calories.

Per-100-gram values come from MyFoodData green pepper and MyFoodData red pepper, which compile USDA datasets.

Picking A Pepper That Fits Your Plan

Choose firm, heavy peppers for juiciness and volume. Large peppers work well for stuffing or slicing for a party tray. Smaller peppers suit single-serve meals and tighter calorie budgets.

Aim for color variety during the week. Mix green with red or yellow to change the flavor and carotenoid profile without much change in calories.

Bell Pepper Calories In Everyday Meals

Taco Night

Swap a cup of sautéed peppers and onions for part of the tortilla chips. Keep oil to a measured teaspoon in the pan. You get color and sweetness without a big calorie bill.

Omelet Upgrade

Fold diced peppers into a two-egg omelet. The pepper adds bulk and moisture, which helps the omelet feel bigger without much energy added.

Sheet-Pan Dinner

Roast sliced peppers with chicken thighs or tofu. Toss the protein in measured oil, not the vegetables. That keeps the tray juicy while keeping pepper calories steady.

Smart Serving Ideas Under 200 Calories

No-Oil Roast Tray

Quarter two peppers, add onion wedges, and roast at high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Keep oil off the pan and splash vinegar at the end.

Crunchy Snack Plate

Slice one bell pepper and pair with 2 tablespoons of hummus. That adds about 50–70 calories from the dip, still well inside a snack window.

Lean Stuffed Halves

Fill halves with a scoop of seasoned beans and corn. Sprinkle a tablespoon of shredded cheese per half if you want a little melt without breaking the bank.

Calories By Prep Style (Per Pepper, Estimates)

Prep	What Changes	Estimate
Raw Slices	No add-ins	20–50 kcal
Roasted, No Oil	Water loss, same energy	20–50 kcal
Roasted + 1 tsp Olive Oil	Adds fat	+40 kcal
Stuffed, Lean Mix	Beans, grains, salsa	+100–200 kcal
Stuffed, Cheesy	More cheese or meat	+200–350 kcal

Storage And Prep Tips That Keep Calories On Track

Store whole peppers dry in the crisper drawer. Wash right before use to preserve snap. Pre-slice for quick snacks, and keep a small container of measured dip nearby so portions stay steady.

When cooking, measure oil with a teaspoon or use a spray bottle. A free pour can triple the total without you noticing.

Quick Size Guide For Kitchen Use

Small (70–90 g)

Best for single-serve dips, small omelets, or mixing into ramen bowls. Expect roughly mid-20s in calories.

Medium (~119 g)

Great for fajitas, stir-fries, salads, and most stuffed pepper recipes cut into halves. Lands near 31 calories if red.

Large (150–170 g)

Ideal for full stuffed pepper meals or big grill trays. Plan for the upper 40s to low 50s before fillings.

Mistakes That Sneak In Calories

Free-Pouring Oil

One second around the pan can be two tablespoons. That’s 240 calories. Measure and you’ll still get flavor.

Cheese By The Handful

A loose handful can be half a cup. Use tablespoons so you can track the add-in.

Sugar-Heavy Sauces

Some jarred sauces add more energy than the pepper itself. Skim labels and pick the lighter options or make a quick vinegar-based glaze.

What The Data Sources Say

Per-color values come from USDA-derived datasets presented by MyFoodData for red, MyFoodData for green, and MyFoodData for yellow. A medium red pepper entry at 119 g lists about 31 calories. Those figures match everyday kitchen math and make quick estimating easy.

How To Estimate Quickly Without A Scale

Hold the pepper. If it feels small, use the 25-calorie mark. If it feels solid and palm-filling, treat it like 40–50. When in doubt, use 30 and keep cooking oil measured.

If you log food, weigh once to calibrate your eye. After a week, you’ll guess within a few grams.

Common Questions Answered Briefly

Do Colors Change Calories A Lot?

Not much. Per 100 grams, green sits near 23 calories; red and yellow sit near 31. Size matters more than color.

Does Cooking Raise Calories?

No. Oil and fillings do. Roasting without oil removes water, so weight drops while calories stay the same.

Are Bell Peppers Low Carb?

Yes, on a per-pepper basis. Most of the carbs come from natural sugars and a bit of fiber, so the count stays modest.

Cup Measures Versus Whole Peppers

Cups help in recipe land, but whole peppers are easier for daily tracking. A packed cup of chopped pieces can weigh far more than a loose cup of slices. When precision matters, weigh once and save that number in your tracker for repeat dishes.

Ways To Keep Flavor High Without Oil

High-Heat Roast

Crank the oven and let dry heat do the work. Browning unlocks sweetness. Finish with vinegar, citrus, or a spoon of salsa for brightness.

Char And Steam

Blister skins over a gas flame or grill, then steam in a covered bowl. Peel and serve. You get deep flavor without a single drop of oil.

Broth Sauté

Start with a few tablespoons of broth. Add peppers, let the liquid cook off, then season. You keep the pan sizzle while keeping add-ins light.

Budget Tips And Shelf Life

Buy bags of mixed colors when they go on sale. Store whole peppers in the crisper. Once sliced, keep them in a sealed container lined with a paper towel. They’ll stay crisp for a few days, which makes snacking easy.

Frozen strips are handy for cooked dishes. They’re already prepped and cost less in many stores. Since you’ll cook them, the small texture change won’t matter, and you avoid waste.

Seeds, Membranes, And Heat

Bell peppers are sweet types, so no heat. The white membrane and seeds carry a mild bitter note, not heat. Remove them for a cleaner taste and a little more room for stuffing.

How Bell Peppers Fit A Weight-Loss Plan

Use peppers to add volume. That’s the idea: bigger plates with fewer calories. Pair them with lean proteins and high-fiber sides so the plate feels full and balanced. Keep oils measured and dips portioned.

Sample Day With Peppers Under 500 Calories

Here’s an easy template. Breakfast: two scrambled eggs with half a diced pepper and herbs. Lunch: chicken salad piled on sliced peppers instead of bread. Snack: one pepper with two tablespoons of hummus. Dinner: fajita bowl with roasted peppers, rice, beans, and salsa.

Adjust portions to suit your day. Swap beans for tofu or lean beef, or trade rice for extra veg if you want an even tighter target. Keep sauces simple and bright, then season assertively with salt, pepper, garlic, and lime.

Enjoy peppers. Want a quick refresher on fiber targets? Try our recommended fiber intake.