Nutritional values of a cucumber
As a warm weather vegetable, cucumbers have a refreshing flavor and can easily be added to sandwiches or salads for added nutrients and a crunchy taste. Cucumbers are low in calories and rich in a number of nutrients, making them an excellent choice for nutrition.
Nutrition
Cucumbers are most often eaten raw, unless prepared as pickles. Half a raw, sliced cucumber with peel, contains only 8 calories per serving. With only 0.06 grams of total fat per serving and less than 1 gram of sugar, cucumbers are a nutritious choice, especially considering they also contain nearly half a gram of fiber per half serving. Fiber is important for slowing down the digestion of food and giving your system enough time to digest important nutrients.
Vitamins in cucumbers
Cucumber is rich in essential vitamins, including vitamin K, also known as the clotting vitamin. Vitamin K is necessary to support blood clotting and the recommended daily amount is 90 micrograms for adults over 19 years of age. One half-cut raw cucumber contains 8.5 micrograms of vitamin K, nearly 10 percent of the daily allowance for adults. Half a cucumber also contains 4 micrograms of folate and 1.5 milligrams of vitamin C.
Mineral content
Cucumbers are a good source of some minerals. Half a cucumber also contains 12 milligrams of phosphorus, 7 milligrams of magnesium, and 8 milligrams of calcium. Cucumbers are also rich in potassium, containing 76 milligrams per half-cut cucumber. As an electrolyte, potassium helps your body conduct electricity and is essential for muscle movement and regular, healthy digestion. Potassium also helps regulate sodium levels in your blood, keeping sodium levels low and thus reducing the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications. For adult men and women, the recommended dietary intake is 4.7 grams per day.
Water content
Water is important for all bodily functions and your overall health. While there is no recommended daily intake, the general advice from experts is to drink between six and eight 8 glasses of water daily. More of your water intake may be needed in high temperatures or when you are physically exerting yourself. Half a raw, sliced cucumber contains nearly 50 grams of water per serving. Your daily water intake can be achieved through diet, especially by eating water-rich foods like cucumbers and drinking liquids like juices, teas and water.
Calories of a cucumber
Whether you're adding cucumber to a salad or serving it with a sandwich, cucumbers add flavor and crunch to your meal. If you're craving an easy, healthy snack, eating cucumbers will barely increase your calorie intake for the day.
A low calorie snack
The calorie content of your cucumber servings depends on whether you eat the peel with it or cut it off. A cucumber with the peel intact contains only eight calories. An equal-sized serving of peeled cucumbers has seven calories. When cucumbers are pickled, the calorie content increases. A sweet pickle has 73 calories, while a dill pickle has nine calories.
More information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure that the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
