Vegetables

Artichoke nutrition, and what the pan changes.

60 calories and 4.2 g of protein: that is 1 medium artichoke. Specifically, this is the USDA record “Artichokes, (globe or french), raw”. Change the way it is prepared and an identical weight swings from 47 up to 53 calories per 100 g. Choose how much you are eating and the panel does the arithmetic from there.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Drawn from USDA FoodData Central, FDC 169205, 168386. No account, no upload, percentages against FDA Daily Values.

How many calories are in artichoke?

Count 60 calories for 1 medium artichoke, or 47 for every 100 g. The portion weights in the table are USDA’s own measurements.

What artichoke offers in protein

1 medium artichoke carries 4.2 g of protein, which is 8 percent of the 50 g Daily Value. By calories artichoke is 28 percent protein, so it adds to your intake but will not anchor it.

The calorie breakdown runs 23 percent protein to 2 percent fat to 74 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is mostly a carbohydrate.

Artichoke calories by preparation

The cheapest way to eat artichoke, in calorie terms, is raw at 47 per 100 g. Boiled costs 53, which is 13 percent more, because of moisture lost to the heat, so the same weight holds more food.

Every row below is the same 128 g of artichoke, so the only thing that differs is the method.

Artichoke in the kitchen

Globe artichokes are immature flower buds. They are sold fresh as whole heads, or preserved in jars as hearts in oil or brine. Look for heavy, tightly closed heads with a squeaky sound when squeezed. Avoid loose, open leaves or dry, discoloured edges, which indicate the bud is old and tough.

Raw artichokes brown rapidly when cut. Rub them with lemon juice to stop this discolouration. Steam or boil them until the base is tender when pierced. The most common mistake is failing to scrape out the fuzzy choke inside, which is unpleasant and impossible to chew.

Dip the boiled leaves in melted butter or aioli, scraping the flesh off with your teeth. Roman cuisine braises the hearts with mint and garlic. In French cooking, they are often served cold with vinaigrette. The earthy flavour pairs well with lemon, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.

Everything USDA measures in artichoke

1 medium artichoke delivers folate at 22 percent of a day, magnesium at 18 percent of a day, vitamin C at 17 percent of a day. Everything else USDA reports for it is in the table, scaled to your serving.

There are 5.4 g of fibre in 100 g, roughly 19 percent of the daily figure.

Putting artichoke into a day of eating

Budget-wise, 1 medium artichoke costs 3 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and pays back 8 percent of the day’s protein. The TDEE calculator and macro calculator will tell you what those percentages look like against your own targets.

Recipes that start with artichoke

Three recipes from the Calorie Counter Team, each costed ingredient by ingredient against USDA records, so the per-serving figures are sums, not guesses.

Side · French

Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Butter

Whole globe artichokes steamed until tender and served with a warm, seasoned lemon butter sauce.

45 min · serves 2

323kcal

10gprotein

21gfat

32gcarbs

Ingredients

• 2 whole globe artichokes 600 g
• Unsalted butter 50 g
• Lemon juice 15 g
• Table salt 3 g
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley 5 g

Method

1. Trim the stem and the top 2 centimetres of each artichoke, then snip the sharp tips off the outer leaves.
2. Place the artichokes in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover with a lid, and steam for 35 minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in the lemon juice, salt, and parsley.
4. Transfer the steamed artichokes to plates and serve with the warm lemon butter on the side.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 5 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Lunch · Italian

Artichoke and Spinach Pasta

A quick hot pasta dish combining tender artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, garlic, and grated parmesan cheese.

20 min · serves 2

476kcal

19gprotein

13gfat

73gcarbs

Ingredients

• Dry penne pasta 150 g
• Canned artichoke hearts, drained 200 g
• Fresh spinach 100 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Garlic cloves, sliced 6 g
• Parmesan cheese, grated 30 g
• Table salt 4 g

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and reserve 50 millilitres of the water.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the sliced garlic, and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the chopped artichoke hearts and spinach to the pan, cooking for 3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
4. Stir the drained pasta, reserved water, and grated parmesan cheese into the pan, cooking for 1 minute to combine.

Built from 7 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Snack · Mediterranean

Roasted Artichoke and Garlic Dip

A cold dip made from oven-roasted artichokes and garlic blended with Greek yoghurt and lemon.

35 min · serves 4

112kcal

6.2gprotein

5.4gfat

11gcarbs

Ingredients

• Canned artichoke hearts, drained 300 g
• Olive oil 20 g
• Garlic cloves, peeled 12 g
• Plain Greek yoghurt 150 g
• Lemon juice 10 g
• Table salt 3 g

Method

1. Toss the drained artichoke hearts and garlic cloves in the olive oil and salt, then spread them on a baking tray.
2. Roast at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes until the edges of the artichokes are browned.
3. Transfer the roasted mixture to a food processor, add the Greek yoghurt and lemon juice, and blend until smooth.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 6 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

A plate built around artichoke

Here is artichoke as part of a plate, with each component taken from its own USDA record and the total added up.

Artichoke or something else?

Same weight for every row, 100 g, so differences are not portion effects. The form column shows whether a row is raw, cooked or as sold.

What people ask about artichoke

How many calories are in 1 medium artichoke?

Count 60 calories. The source is the USDA record “Artichokes, (globe or french), raw” (FDC 169205), which lists 47 calories per 100 g.

How much protein does artichoke have?

4.2 g in 1 medium artichoke, or 3.3 g per 100 g. That is 8 percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

Is artichoke higher in calories once it is prepared?

The weight stays the same but the number moves. 128 g of artichoke is 60 calories raw, rising to 68 boiled.

Can you eat artichoke when trying to lose weight?

That depends on the rest of the day, not on artichoke. For planning: 1 medium artichoke is 60 calories and 4.2 g of protein, 28 percent protein by energy, so pair it with something that carries more protein.

How do you know when a whole artichoke is cooked?

Pull an outer leaf near the middle. If the leaf slides out easily with no resistance, the artichoke is cooked. The base should also feel soft and tender when poked with the tip of a sharp knife.

Can you eat the stem of an artichoke?

Yes, the stem is an extension of the heart. Peel away the bitter, fibrous outer skin with a vegetable peeler. The pale inner flesh is tender and tastes just like the heart itself.

Sources

• Artichokes, (globe or french), raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169205
• Artichokes, (globe or french), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168386
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9