Fruit

Grapefruit nutrition, by the piece and by the cup.

On USDA figures, 1/2 grapefruit works out at 37 calories and carries 0.7 g of protein. The record behind it is USDA’s “Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, Florida”. Between the lightest and heaviest preparation listed here, 100 g differs by 6 calories. The panel underneath takes any serving and any amount, and the vitamin and mineral table tracks what you pick.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Drawn from USDA FoodData Central, FDC 174675, 173035. No account, no upload, percentages against FDA Daily Values.

Calories in grapefruit, serving by serving

The short answer is 37 calories for 1/2 grapefruit. By weight that is 30 per 100 g, and the table gives the other common portions.

How much protein is in grapefruit?

The protein count for 1/2 grapefruit is 0.7 g, equal to 1 percent of the Daily Value. Grapefruit carries almost no protein. It earns its place in a day through carbohydrate, not through protein.

Its energy is 3 percent fat, 91 percent carbohydrate and 7 percent protein, meaning it behaves as mostly a carbohydrate in a meal.

How preparation changes grapefruit

Go from raw to canned and 100 g of grapefruit climbs from 30 to 36 calories. That 20 percent rise is down to the way it is packed or preserved.

To keep it fair, all figures are for 123 g.

Grapefruit in the kitchen

Grapefruit is a large citrus fruit with a bitter, acidic profile. Shops sell pink, white, and red varieties. Look for specimens that feel heavy for their size, as this indicates abundant juice. The skin should be thin, smooth, and slightly flattened at the stem and blossom ends rather than globular. Avoid soft patches.

Applying heat softens the bitter membranes and caramelises the natural sugars. Grilling or broiling works well, but overcooking turns the flesh mushy and releases unpleasant bitterness from the pith. The most common error is failing to remove the white pith, which carries an intense, unpalatable bitterness that ruins the fruit.

British cooks often serve raw portions with sugar, or segment the flesh for salads. In Vietnamese cuisine, cooks combine the segmented fruit with prawns, chillies, and fish sauce. The sharp juice cuts through oily fish like mackerel, and pairs excellently with avocado, red onion, and fresh coriander.

Micronutrients in grapefruit

The figures worth noticing in 1/2 grapefruit are vitamin C at 51 percent of a day. The full list follows and tracks your selected portion.

Putting grapefruit into a day of eating

On a 2,000 calorie day, 1/2 grapefruit is 2 percent of the budget and 1 percent of the protein Daily Value. Whether that is a lot depends on your own numbers rather than on 2,000: the TDEE calculator gives you what you burn, and the macro calculator turns a target into grams.

Grapefruit recipes, with the numbers

The Calorie Counter Team wrote these. Under every recipe the numbers are added up from the USDA record for each ingredient and split across the servings.

Breakfast · British

Grilled Ginger Grapefruit

Grapefruit halves topped with brown sugar and ginger, then caramelised under the grill.

10 min · serves 2

75kcal

0.9gprotein

0.2gfat

19gcarbs

Ingredients

• Grapefruit 300 g
• Brown sugar 15 g
• Ground ginger 1 g

Method

1. Cut the grapefruit in half horizontally.
2. Mix the brown sugar and ground ginger in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the cut surfaces of the grapefruit halves.
4. Place the halves on a baking tray under a preheated grill for five minutes until the sugar bubbles.
5. Serve warm.

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

Lunch · Mediterranean

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

A salad of grapefruit segments, sliced avocado and spinach leaves with an olive oil dressing.

15 min · serves 2

222kcal

2.8gprotein

19gfat

15gcarbs

Ingredients

• Grapefruit 200 g
• Avocado 150 g
• Baby spinach 50 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Table salt 2 g

Method

1. Peel the grapefruit and cut the flesh into segments, removing the white pith.
2. Peel, stone and slice the avocado into thin pieces.
3. Whisk the olive oil and salt together in a large bowl.
4. Add the spinach, grapefruit segments and avocado slices to the bowl.
5. Toss the ingredients gently to coat them in the dressing before serving.

Figures are per serving and come from 5 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Dinner · British

Grapefruit Glazed Chicken

Pan-seared chicken breasts coated in a reduced grapefruit and honey glaze, served with warm grapefruit segments.

25 min · serves 2

289kcal

34gprotein

9gfat

17gcarbs

Ingredients

• Chicken breast 300 g
• Grapefruit juice 100 g
• Grapefruit segments 100 g
• Honey 20 g
• Olive oil 10 g
• Table salt 3 g

Method

1. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the salt.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the chicken for six minutes on each side.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour in the grapefruit juice and honey.
4. Simmer the liquid for three minutes until it thickens into a syrup.
5. Return the chicken to the pan, add the grapefruit segments, and spoon the glaze over them for one minute.

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

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

One meal, costed: grapefruit

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

Grapefruit against other fruit

Per 100 g, each in the form its own page leads with; the second column says which.

Common questions on grapefruit

How many calories does 1/2 grapefruit have?

37 calories, according to USDA FoodData Central: the record is “Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, Florida”, FDC 174675. That works out at 30 per 100 g.

How much protein does grapefruit have?

You get 0.7 g from 1/2 grapefruit, equal to 1 percent of the daily reference amount; 100 g holds 0.6 g.

Is grapefruit higher in calories once it is prepared?

It does. The same 123 g is 37 calories raw and 44 canned, with the other preparations listed here falling in between.

Does grapefruit fit a calorie deficit?

Weight change comes from the whole week’s intake. 1/2 grapefruit contributes 37 calories and 0.7 g of protein (7 percent of its energy), useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

How do you reduce the bitterness without adding sugar?

Salt reduces the perception of bitterness. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over the flesh. This suppresses the bitter taste receptors on the tongue, allowing the natural sweetness of the fruit to become more noticeable.

What is the easiest way to peel and segment grapefruit?

Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit. Stand it upright on a board and slice downwards to remove the skin and bitter white pith. Carefully cut between the membranes to release the clean segments.

Sources

• Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, Florida — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174675
• Grapefruit, sections, canned, water pack, solids and liquids — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173035
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9