Vegetables

Okra nutrition, before and after the heat.

1 cup of okra is 33 calories and 1.9 g of protein. USDA files this under “Okra, raw”, and that is the record used here. The method matters: USDA holds separate records for it, ranging between 22 and 33 calories for the same 100 g. 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

Drawn from USDA FoodData Central, FDC 169260, 169261. No account, no upload, percentages against FDA Daily Values.

How many calories does okra have?

The short answer is 33 calories for 1 cup of okra. By weight that is 33 per 100 g, and the table gives the other common portions.

How much protein is in okra?

Expect 1.9 g of protein from 1 cup of okra, roughly 4 percent of a 50 g day. 23 percent of the calories here are protein: a supporting role, and a decent one.

The calorie breakdown runs 20 percent protein to 4 percent fat to 76 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is mostly a carbohydrate.

Does the method change okra?

USDA measured these preparations on different samples, and with okra the variety matters as much as the method. Read the 50 percent spread below as a range, not as the effect of cooking.

Weight is fixed at 100 g throughout, so the rows differ only in how the okra was prepared.

Kitchen notes on okra

Okra consists of edible green seed pods, though red varieties exist. Shops sell them fresh, frozen, or pickled. Select small, firm pods that snap easily when bent. Avoid pods with woody stems, dry tips, or dark, bruised patches. Pale, soft pods are past their prime and will feel fibrous when chewed.

Cutting okra releases a thick, mucilaginous liquid. Wetting the pods during preparation increases this slime, which is the most common cooking mistake. High heat, quick frying, or roasting keeps the pods dry. Long, slow simmering in acidic liquids like tomatoes coaxes the juices out to thicken stews without clumping.

Slice okra into rounds to thicken Southern American gumbos. Fry the pods whole in Indian spices like turmeric and cumin. The vegetable pairs naturally with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and hot chillies. You can also pickle the pods in vinegar brine to serve alongside cured meats.

Okra: the full nutrient profile

The figures worth noticing in 1 cup of okra are vitamin K (26 percent of the Daily Value), vitamin C (26 percent of the Daily Value), thiamin (17 percent of the Daily Value). The full list follows and tracks your selected portion.

Fibre runs to 3.2 g per 100 g, or 11 percent of the Daily Value.

Okra and your daily targets

1 cup of okra uses 2 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and returns 4 percent of the protein reference. Your own budget is probably not 2,000; the TDEE calculator works it out, and the macro calculator splits it into protein, carbs and fat.

Cooking with okra: three recipes

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 · American

Oven-Roasted Okra

Roasted okra pods seasoned with salt and pepper.

25 min · serves 2

117kcal

3gprotein

7.8gfat

11gcarbs

Ingredients

• Fresh okra 300 g
• Olive oil 15 g
• Table salt 3 g
• Black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. Wash the okra and dry each pod completely with a clean cloth.
3. Trim the stem ends and toss the pods in the olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
4. Spread the okra in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5. Roast for 15 minutes until the edges turn brown.

Summed from 4 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Dinner · Middle Eastern

Okra and Tomato Stew

A warm stew of sliced okra and tomatoes simmered with onions and garlic.

35 min · serves 2

256kcal

8.3gprotein

11gfat

38gcarbs

Ingredients

• Fresh okra 400 g
• Canned chopped tomatoes 400 g
• Brown onion 150 g
• Garlic cloves 10 g
• Olive oil 20 g
• Table salt 5 g
• Water 100 g

Method

1. Slice the okra into one-centimetre rounds and chop the onion and garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion for five minutes.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, water, salt, and sliced okra to the pan.
4. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until the okra is tender.

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

Lunch · Indian

Pan-Seared Turmeric Okra

Pan-seared okra slices seasoned with cumin seeds and turmeric.

20 min · serves 2

114kcal

2.7gprotein

8gfat

10gcarbs

Ingredients

• Fresh okra 250 g
• Vegetable oil 15 g
• Ground turmeric 2 g
• Cumin seeds 2 g
• Table salt 3 g

Method

1. Cut the dry okra into one-centimetre slices.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds until they crackle.
4. Stir in the okra slices, turmeric, and salt.
5. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the okra is cooked through and lightly browned.

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

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

What a meal with okra adds up to

A sample plate, not a prescription: okra plus two sides, each line sourced and the sum shown.

Okra or something else?

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

Okra, asked and answered

How many calories are in 1 cup of okra?

1 cup of okra is 33 calories. That comes from the USDA record “Okra, raw” (FDC 169260), which is 33 calories per 100 g.

How much protein is in okra?

1.9 g per 100 g, so 1 cup of okra supplies 1.9 g. Against the Daily Value that is 4 percent.

Can you eat okra when trying to lose weight?

Weight change comes from the whole week’s intake. 1 cup of okra contributes 33 calories and 1.9 g of protein (23 percent of its energy), useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

How much carbohydrate does okra contain?

7.5 g in 1 cup of okra, of which 3.2 g is fibre and 1.5 g is sugar.

How do you reduce the slimy texture of okra when cooking it?

Keep the pods dry and cook them quickly at high temperatures. Acidic ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, or tomatoes also help break down the mucilage. Avoid crowding the pan, which traps steam and increases moisture.

Should you trim the stems before cooking okra?

Trim only the very tip of the stem, leaving the cap intact. Cutting into the pod cavity before cooking releases the sticky juices. If cooking pods whole, keep the cap on to seal the liquid inside.

Sources

• Okra, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169260
• Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169261
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9