Calories in bell pepper (capsicum)

Red, raw. 26 kcal (109 kJ) per 100 g. Choose a portion below and every figure on the page updates.

A red bell pepper, called capsicum in Australia and often just red pepper in the UK, has 26 kcal (109 kJ) per 100 g raw. It is about 92% water, with most of its energy coming from natural sugars. Its standout feature is vitamin C: 100 g contains about 128 mg, more than the full Daily Value and more than twice the amount in an orange.

Where the energy comes from

Share of total energy contributed by each macronutrient, using the standard 4/4/9 kcal per gram factors:

Things worth knowing

• One medium red pepper (119 g) has about 31 kcal (129 kJ) and around 152 mg of vitamin C, about 169% of the Daily Value. A large pepper (164 g) has about 43 kcal (178 kJ).
• Red peppers are usually green peppers left to ripen. Green bell peppers have about 20 kcal and 80 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, while yellow peppers reach about 184 mg of vitamin C.
• Red peppers also supply about 157 µg of vitamin A per 100 g (17% DV), many times more than green peppers at 18 µg.
• A cup of chopped red pepper (149 g) has about 39 kcal (162 kJ), and a single ring about 3 kcal. Roasting or frying in oil is what raises the energy.

Converting these figures

One 1 medium pepper of bell pepper is 31 kcal, which is 129 kJ. To convert any other figure, divide kilojoules by 4.184 for calories, or use the converter on the home page.

It takes 919 g of bell pepper to reach 1,000 kJ (239 kcal). See how that compares with other foods on the 1000 kJ to calories page.