Fruit

Cantaloupe nutrition, by the piece and by the cup.

The number most people want first: 1 cup of diced cantaloupe holds 53 calories, alongside 1.3 g of protein. That is USDA’s figure for “Melons, cantaloupe, raw”. What it supplies in quantity is vitamin A and vitamin C. Use the selector that follows to match your own portion; the panel and the nutrient table track it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Source data is USDA FoodData Central (746770). The sums run on your device and nothing leaves it.

The calorie count for cantaloupe

1 cup of diced cantaloupe is 53 calories. Per 100 g it is 34. USDA publishes the serving weights below, so these are measured portions rather than rounded guesses.

Cantaloupe and its protein content

Expect 1.3 g of protein from 1 cup of diced cantaloupe, roughly 3 percent of a 50 g day. There is next to no protein in cantaloupe; nearly all of its energy is carbohydrate.

The calorie breakdown runs 9 percent protein to 4 percent fat to 87 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is mostly a carbohydrate.

Choosing and using cantaloupe

This ribbed, orange-fleshed melon is sold whole or pre-sliced in tubs. Choose specimens that feel heavy for their size, with a pronounced sweet aroma at the stem end. The netting on the rind should be thick and raised, whilst the background skin colour should be a warm cream, not green.

Applying heat softens the flesh rapidly and intensifies the natural sugars, but prolonged cooking turns it mushy and watery. The common mistake is failing to remove all the fibrous, slippery seeds and the wet pith from the central cavity, which ruins the texture of finished dishes.

Cantaloupe is eaten raw, often wrapped in salty Italian prosciutto or tossed in Mexican salads with lime juice and chilli powder. The sweet flesh pairs naturally with fresh mint, soft goat cheese, and cured meats. Pureed, it makes a refreshing chilled soup or a base for sorbet.

The complete cantaloupe breakdown

Top of the list for 1 cup of diced cantaloupe: vitamin A (40 percent of the Daily Value), vitamin C (19 percent of the Daily Value). The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

Putting cantaloupe into a day of eating

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, 1 cup of diced cantaloupe accounts for 3 percent of them, and for 3 percent of the 50 g protein benchmark. To replace 2,000 with your real number, use the TDEE calculator; to turn that into targets, the macro calculator.

Using cantaloupe: three recipes

Written by the Calorie Counter Team. The nutrition under each one is not an estimate: every ingredient is matched to its USDA FoodData Central record and the totals are summed from those, then divided by the servings.

Lunch · Mediterranean

Chilled Cantaloupe and Cucumber Soup

A cold blended soup made from raw cantaloupe, cucumber, and Greek yogurt.

70 min · serves 2

175kcal

7.4gprotein

7.7gfat

22gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cantaloupe melon, peeled and seeded 400 g
• Cucumber, peeled 150 g
• Greek yogurt 100 g
• Lime juice 15 g
• Olive oil 14 g
• Salt 3 g
• Fresh mint leaves 5 g

Method

1. Dice the cantaloupe and cucumber into two-centimetre pieces.
2. Place the cantaloupe, cucumber, Greek yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, and salt into a food blender.
3. Blend the ingredients on high speed for two minutes until the mixture is completely smooth.
4. Transfer the soup to a glass bowl and cover it.
5. Chill the soup in the refrigerator for sixty minutes before serving.

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

Snack · British

Quick Pickled Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe melon cubes preserved in a quick vinegar and sugar brine.

135 min · serves 4

56kcal

0.6gprotein

0.2gfat

13gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cantaloupe melon, cut into one-centimetre cubes 250 g
• White distilled vinegar 100 g
• Water 100 g
• Granulated white sugar 30 g
• Salt 5 g
• Whole black peppercorns 2 g

Method

1. Pack the cantaloupe cubes tightly into a clean three-hundred-millilitre glass jar.
2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a small saucepan.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
4. Pour the hot liquid over the cantaloupe cubes in the jar until they are fully submerged.
5. Seal the jar with a tight lid and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Refrigerate the pickled melon for at least two hours before consuming.

Summed from 6 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Lunch · Mediterranean

Cantaloupe and Feta Salad

A cold salad combining sweet melon with salty feta cheese and mint.

10 min · serves 2

256kcal

8.6gprotein

19gfat

16gcarbs

Ingredients

• Cantaloupe, cubed 300 g
• Feta cheese 100 g
• Fresh mint leaves 10 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Black pepper 2 g

Method

1. Cut the cantaloupe flesh into two-centimetre cubes.
2. Crumble the feta cheese into a large bowl.
3. Tear the mint leaves into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
4. Add the cantaloupe, olive oil, and black pepper to the mixture.
5. Toss the ingredients gently to combine without breaking the cheese.

5 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Putting cantaloupe on a plate

What a meal containing cantaloupe comes to, using USDA numbers for every part of it.

How cantaloupe compares with similar foods

Each food is shown per 100 g, in the form named beside it.

Cantaloupe, asked and answered

What is the calorie count for 1 cup of diced cantaloupe?

Count 53 calories. The source is the USDA record “Melons, cantaloupe, raw” (FDC 746770), which lists 34 calories per 100 g.

How much protein does cantaloupe have?

You get 1.3 g from 1 cup of diced cantaloupe, equal to 3 percent of the daily reference amount; 100 g holds 0.8 g.

Does cantaloupe fit a calorie deficit?

It can fit any calorie target; no single food decides the outcome. What matters here is that 1 cup of diced cantaloupe costs 53 calories and returns 1.3 g of protein, so 10 percent of its energy is protein — so pair it with something that carries more protein.

How much carbohydrate does cantaloupe contain?

Expect 13 g of carbs from 1 cup of diced cantaloupe, including 1.2 g of fibre and 0 g of sugar.

How do you store a cut cantaloupe?

Wrap the cut portions tightly in clingfilm to prevent the melon from absorbing other fridge odours. Keep the seeds intact on any unused halves, as this helps retain moisture in the flesh.

Can you freeze cantaloupe?

Yes, but freezing alters the texture. Cut the flesh into chunks, freeze them on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Use these frozen pieces for purées or cold drinks rather than eating them defrosted.

Sources

• Melons, cantaloupe, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 746770
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9