Fruit

Papaya nutrition, down to the gram.

On USDA figures, 1 small papaya works out at 68 calories and carries 0.7 g of protein. Specifically, this is the USDA record “Papayas, raw”. What it supplies in quantity is vitamin C and folate. Change the amount below for your own portion. The panel and the nutrient breakdown both update.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

USDA FoodData Central record 169926 supply every value here. The calculation happens in this page.

The calorie count for papaya

Count 68 calories for 1 small papaya, or 43 for every 100 g. The portion weights in the table are USDA’s own measurements.

How much protein is in papaya?

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

By calories rather than by weight the split is 4 percent protein, 5 percent fat and 91 percent carbohydrate, so in practice it is mostly a carbohydrate rather than anything else.

Kitchen notes on papaya

Papaya is a tropical tree fruit, sold either green and unripe or orange-skinned and sweet. Look for skin showing yellow patches, which indicates ripening has begun. Press the stem end gently; it should yield slightly to pressure. Avoid fruit with deep, sunken black spots, which indicate rot rather than ripeness.

Papaya contains a strong enzyme called papain that breaks down proteins. If you add raw papaya to gelatine, the jelly will fail to set. The most common mistake is marinating meat with raw papaya paste for too long, which reduces the meat to mush. Cooking destroys this enzyme, allowing the heated fruit to be gelled.

Green papaya is shredded raw for spicy Thai salads, dressed with lime and chillies. Ripe papaya is eaten raw, often with a squeeze of lime juice to balance its musky flavour. It pairs well with ginger, coriander, and salty cheeses like feta.

Micronutrients in papaya

1 small papaya delivers vitamin C (106 percent of the Daily Value), folate (15 percent of the Daily Value). Everything else USDA reports for it is in the table, scaled to your serving.

How far papaya goes in a day

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, 1 small papaya accounts for 3 percent of them, and for 1 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.

Three recipes built around papaya

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

Breakfast · British

Papaya and Lime Yoghurt Bowl

A breakfast bowl of chopped papaya with Greek yoghurt, lime juice, and pumpkin seeds.

10 min · serves 2

154kcal

11gprotein

4.4gfat

20gcarbs

Ingredients

• Fresh papaya 300 g
• Plain Greek yoghurt 150 g
• Fresh lime juice 15 g
• Pumpkin seeds 15 g

Method

1. Cut the papaya in half and scrape out the seeds.
2. Peel the skin and chop the flesh into 2-centimetre cubes.
3. Place the papaya cubes in a bowl and pour the lime juice over them.
4. Add the Greek yoghurt next to the papaya.
5. Scatter the pumpkin seeds over the top before serving.

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

Lunch · Thai

Papaya and Prawn Salad

A crisp salad made with grated firm papaya, cooked prawns, chilli, and a fish sauce dressing.

15 min · serves 2

188kcal

17gprotein

6.3gfat

17gcarbs

Ingredients

• Firm papaya 250 g
• Cooked king prawns 120 g
• Fish sauce 15 g
• Lime juice 20 g
• Red chilli 5 g
• Unsalted roasted peanuts 20 g

Method

1. Peel the papaya and grate the flesh coarsely into a large bowl.
2. Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, and finely chopped chilli in a small bowl.
3. Add the cooked prawns to the grated papaya.
4. Pour the dressing over the papaya and prawns, then toss to combine.
5. Scatter the chopped peanuts over the salad.

Figures are per serving and come from 6 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Snack · British

Baked Papaya with Ginger

Warm baked papaya halves filled with a mixture of ginger, honey, and melted butter.

25 min · serves 2

174kcal

1.1gprotein

6.6gfat

31gcarbs

Ingredients

• Fresh papaya 400 g
• Fresh ginger root 10 g
• Honey 20 g
• Unsalted butter 15 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Cut the papaya in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
3. Place the papaya halves skin-side down in a baking dish.
4. Grate the ginger and mix it with the honey and melted butter.
5. Spoon the ginger mixture into the cavities of the papaya halves.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until the papaya flesh is soft.

Figures are per serving and come from 4 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

A plate built around papaya

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

Fruit: where papaya sits

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.

Common questions on papaya

How many calories does 1 small papaya have?

Count 68 calories. The source is the USDA record “Papayas, raw” (FDC 169926), which lists 43 calories per 100 g.

Is there much protein in papaya?

0.7 g in 1 small papaya, or 0.5 g per 100 g. That is 1 percent of the 50 g Daily Value.

Is papaya good for weight loss?

It can fit any calorie target; no single food decides the outcome. What matters here is that 1 small papaya costs 68 calories and returns 0.7 g of protein, so 4 percent of its energy is protein — useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

How many carbs are in papaya?

1 small papaya contains 17 g of carbohydrate. Fibre makes up 2.7 g of that and sugar 12 g.

How do you ripen a green papaya at home?

Place the papaya in a paper bag with a banana. Bananas release ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. Keep the bag at room temperature until the papaya skin turns yellow and yields to gentle pressure.

Can you eat papaya seeds?

Yes, the small black seeds are edible. They have a peppery, slightly bitter flavour resembling watercress or mustard seeds. You can scoop them out, rinse them, and grind them into salad dressings or marinades as a pepper substitute.

Sources

• Papayas, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169926
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9