Chayote: Nutrition, Benefits and How to Cook Chayote Squash

Chayote is a pale green, pear-shaped fruit from a climbing vine in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, and it is cooked and eaten like a mild summer squash. That is why shops often label it chayote squash; you may also see it called mirliton, choko, christophine or vegetable pear. In USDA data, one cup of raw chayote pieces has about 25 calories and 2.2 grams of fiber, with nearly a third of the Daily Value for folate and close to a fifth for copper. Below are the USDA chayote nutrition facts, how it compares with other watery vegetables, what the small human studies looked at, and practical ways to prepare it.

Peptide Labs does not sell chayote or chayote products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is chayote squash?

A 2026 review in the journal Foods describes Sechium edule as a perennial climbing plant of the Cucurbitaceae family with tendrils, tuberous roots and an unusual fruit: each one holds a single large seed that can sprout while still inside it. The plant originated in Mesoamerica, and genetic work points to the Oaxaca region of southern Mexico as the place it was domesticated. Today it grows across tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Botanically, chayote is a fruit, but in the kitchen it behaves like a vegetable. Its relatives include cucumber, melons and bitter melon, and its texture sits somewhere between a crisp cucumber and a firm summer squash such as zucchini. The same review notes that the fruits, leaves, tuberous roots, seeds and shoots are all eaten in different cuisines, although most US shoppers only meet the fruit.

Chayote nutrition facts from USDA

The table uses the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries for raw chayote (FDC 170402) and boiled, drained chayote cooked without salt (FDC 170403), converted to USDA portion weights. The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values printed on Nutrition Facts labels. SR Legacy lists no total-sugars value for chayote and no vitamin A.

Folate is the standout. Raw chayote lists 93 micrograms of folate per 100 grams in USDA data, more than most watery vegetables, which is why a single fruit approaches half the Daily Value. The boiled entry lists about a fifth as much folate per 100 grams. The two entries come from different samples, so read the gap as a USDA data point rather than a precise cooking-loss figure. Our methylfolate guide explains folate, the vitamin form, and why food folate is counted in DFE units on labels.

Chayote also brings copper, manganese and a little zinc, a mineral covered in our guide to zinc in foods. Like other gourds it is mostly water, about 94% by weight, so calories stay low. It counts as a non-starchy vegetable, unlike potatoes or corn, as our starchy vegetables guide explains, and its carbohydrate count fits easily in a low-carb eating pattern.

Chayote compared with other mild vegetables

People often swap chayote for zucchini or cucumber. Per 100 grams of the raw food in USDA data, the three are close on calories but differ on fiber and a few micronutrients.

Chayote leads on fiber, folate and copper; zucchini has about twice the vitamin C. All three are hydrating, low-calorie foods, and for broader fiber comparisons see our guide to fiber-rich foods. Our sibling guide to tomatillos covers another Mexican staple that often shares the plate.

Is chayote healthy? What the research shows

As a food, chayote is a low-calorie, high-water vegetable with useful folate and copper. Research on specific health effects is limited, and most human data come from one group of researchers in Mexico who studied a powdered form of the dried fruit from one variety, nigrum spinosum, in older adults.

• Blood sugar meta-analysis (2025, Foods): the authors found 11 eligible studies, 6 clinical and 5 in animals or cells, and pooled 3 clinical trials in older adults with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Fasting glucose and HbA1c, a longer-term blood sugar marker, fell at three and six months. The authors called the size of the change clinically modest and wrote that chayote cannot replace diabetes medication.
• Oxidative stress trial (2023, Redox Report): 48 older adults with metabolic syndrome received powdered chayote or a placebo for six months. Markers of oxidative stress fell and antioxidant status rose in the chayote group, and telomere length differed from placebo. This was one small trial measuring lab markers, not health outcomes.
• Review conclusions (2026): the Foods review lists flavonoids, phenolic acids, cucurbitacins and pectin in different parts of the plant, but calls for standardized clinical trials and long-term safety testing of concentrated chayote extracts.

The honest summary: eating chayote adds fiber, folate and copper with very few calories, and the small studies on powdered chayote are interesting but not proof of any effect from the vegetable. People managing diabetes can enjoy it as part of their usual plan; our low glycemic foods guide explains how non-starchy vegetables fit in, and your clinician or dietitian can help with specifics.

How to cook chayote

Chayote has a mild, slightly sweet taste and stays crisp unless cooked for a long time. Some practical points:

• Choosing: look for firm, unblemished fruit that feels heavy for its size; wrinkled or soft spots suggest age.
• Peeling: the skin of young chayote is thin and edible, while older fruit has tougher skin that many cooks remove. Cut fruit releases a clear, slippery mucilage; the 2026 review notes that researchers have even collected it to make edible films. Rinsing the cut pieces makes them easier to handle.
• The seed: the single soft seed is edible, according to the review, and many cooks simply cook it along with the flesh.
• Raw: thin slices or matchsticks work in slaws and salads, much like cucumber or jicama.
• Cooked: chayote can be sauteed, roasted, steamed, added to soups and stews, or halved and stuffed. Because it absorbs flavors, it pairs well with garlic, chilies and herbs.

If you are eating smaller portions on a GLP-1 medicine, our GLP-1 diet guide covers how watery, high-fiber vegetables like chayote fit into lighter meals.

Chayote safety and allergy notes

The 2026 review states that the edible fruit has long been eaten fresh, cooked or processed, but that this track record does not extend to extracts, purified plant compounds or concentrated products, and that toxicology data on chayote are limited. Chayote is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labeling law requires companies to declare, but any food can cause a reaction. Hives, swelling or breathing trouble after eating needs urgent care, and for unclear symptoms see an allergist; our elimination diet guide explains why testing should be supervised. If you take diabetes medicine, ask your clinician before trying concentrated chayote powders or extracts, since the trials measured changes in blood sugar markers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Tomatillo: Nutrition, Uses and Tomatillo vs Green Tomato, Zucchini: Nutrition, Benefits, Calories and Bitter Squash Safety, Low Calorie Foods: A USDA List and What Makes Them Filling.