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Low calorie fruits, by USDA FoodData Central values, start with watermelon at about 30 calories per 100 grams and about 46 calories in a cup of diced fruit, followed closely by carambola, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew. The table below ranks 23 raw fruits from the USDA SR Legacy database by calories per 100 grams, shows the calories in a typical USDA serving, and adds water per 100 grams and fiber per serving with its percent of the FDA Daily Value from the same entries. Three higher entries, banana, avocado and raisins, sit at the bottom for scale.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- In USDA data, watermelon, carambola, strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew all list 36 calories or fewer per 100 grams, the lowest calorie fruits ranked here.
- Per USDA, a cup of strawberry halves has about 49 calories, a cup of grapes about 104 and a cup of sliced banana about 134, so the serving column changes the per-100-gram ranking.
- The fruits lowest in calories are the wettest: USDA lists about 90 to 91 grams of water in every 100 grams of watermelon, strawberries and melon, against about 15 grams in raisins.
- Raspberries and blackberries list the most fiber per cup in this USDA table, about 8.0 and 7.6 grams, or 29 and 27 percent of the FDA Daily Value of 28 grams.
- FDA labeling rules (21 CFR 101.60) allow the words low calorie when a food provides no more than 40 calories per reference amount.
Low calorie fruits ranked by USDA calories per 100 grams
This low calorie fruit list uses raw USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries, ranked from the fewest calories per 100 grams to the most. The serving is a USDA portion from the same entry, usually one cup of the cut fruit, and its calories are the per-100-gram figure scaled to the portion weight. Water is grams per 100 grams as USDA lists it. Fiber is grams per serving, and the percent Daily Value (%DV) compares it with the FDA Daily Value for dietary fiber of 28 grams for adults and children 4 and older.
| Fruit (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Per 100 g | Water per 100 g | Fiber | Fiber % DV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watermelon, raw (167765) | 1 cup diced | 46 | 30 | 91 g | 0.6 g | 2% |
| Carambola, raw (171715) | 1 cup cubes | 41 | 31 | 91 g | 3.7 g | 13% |
| Strawberries, raw (167762) | 1 cup halves | 49 | 32 | 91 g | 3.0 g | 11% |
| Cantaloupe, raw (169092) | 1 cup diced | 53 | 34 | 90 g | 1.4 g | 5% |
| Honeydew, raw (169911) | 1 cup diced | 61 | 36 | 90 g | 1.4 g | 5% |
| Peaches, yellow, raw (169928) | 1 cup slices | 60 | 39 | 89 g | 2.3 g | 8% |
| Grapefruit, pink and red, raw (174673) | 1/2 fruit | 52 | 42 | 88 g | 2.0 g | 7% |
| Blackberries, raw (173946) | 1 cup | 62 | 43 | 88 g | 7.6 g | 27% |
| Papaya, raw (169926) | 1 cup pieces | 62 | 43 | 88 g | 2.5 g | 9% |
| Nectarines, raw (169914) | 1 cup slices | 63 | 44 | 88 g | 2.4 g | 9% |
| Plums, raw (169949) | 1 cup sliced | 76 | 46 | 87 g | 2.3 g | 8% |
| Oranges, raw (169097) | 1 cup sections | 85 | 47 | 87 g | 4.3 g | 15% |
| Apricots, raw (171697) | 1 cup halves | 74 | 48 | 86 g | 3.1 g | 11% |
| Pineapple, raw (169124) | 1 cup chunks | 82 | 50 | 86 g | 2.3 g | 8% |
| Apples, raw, with skin (171688) | 1 cup slices | 57 | 52 | 86 g | 2.6 g | 9% |
| Raspberries, raw (167755) | 1 cup | 64 | 52 | 86 g | 8.0 g | 29% |
| Tangerines, raw (169105) | 1 cup sections | 103 | 53 | 85 g | 3.5 g | 13% |
| Pears, raw (169118) | 1 cup slices | 80 | 57 | 84 g | 4.3 g | 16% |
| Blueberries, raw (171711) | 1 cup | 84 | 57 | 84 g | 3.6 g | 13% |
| Mangos, raw (169910) | 1 cup pieces | 99 | 60 | 83 g | 2.6 g | 9% |
| Kiwifruit, green, raw (168153) | 1 cup sliced | 110 | 61 | 83 g | 5.4 g | 19% |
| Cherries, sweet, raw (171719) | 1 cup pitted | 97 | 63 | 82 g | 3.2 g | 12% |
| Grapes, red or green, raw (174683) | 1 cup | 104 | 69 | 81 g | 1.4 g | 5% |
| Bananas, raw (173944) | 1 cup sliced | 134 | 89 | 75 g | 3.9 g | 14% |
| Avocados, raw (171705) | 1 cup cubes | 240 | 160 | 73 g | 10.1 g | 36% |
| Raisins, seedless (168165) | 1/4 cup | 108 | 299 | 15 g | 1.6 g | 6% |
The USDA entry for carambola is the fruit sold as star fruit, and the grapefruit row is the USDA entry for pink and red fruit with its half-fruit portion. Our guides go deeper on watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, peaches, grapefruit and papaya; for the picture across food groups, see low calorie foods, high calorie foods and the sibling list of low calorie vegetables.
Melons and berries: why they rank low
The fruits low in calories at the top of the USDA table share one trait: water makes up about 90 percent of their weight. USDA SR Legacy lists about 91 grams of water in every 100 grams of watermelon, carambola and strawberries, and about 90 grams in cantaloupe and honeydew. Water contributes no calories in the FDA calculation methods, which count only protein, carbohydrate and fat (21 CFR 101.9), so the more of a fruit’s weight that is water, the fewer calories each 100 grams can hold. Our guide to hydrating foods ranks foods by that column.
The pattern runs down the USDA table: grapes list about 81 grams of water per 100 grams and 69 calories, banana about 75 grams and 89 calories, and raisins, at about 15 grams of water in USDA data, reach 299 calories because drying removes the water and leaves the sugars and fiber behind. Avocado is the exception, at about 73 grams of water but 160 calories per 100 grams, because most of its remaining weight is fat rather than carbohydrate (USDA).
Per cup and per 100 grams
Ranking by 100 grams compares equal weights; the USDA serving column compares what fits in a cup, and cups differ. In USDA SR Legacy a cup of raspberries weighs 123 grams, a cup of apple slices 109 grams, a cup of grapes 151 grams and a cup of tangerine sections 195 grams. That is why tangerines, at 53 calories per 100 grams in USDA data, reach about 103 calories per cup while raspberries, at 52, list about 64. Whole fruit shifts the picture again: USDA lists one medium apple at 182 grams, so the whole fruit carries about 95 calories against about 57 for a cup of slices.
Water content and the Daily Value columns
The fiber column comes from the same USDA entries. Raspberries and blackberries lead at about 8.0 and 7.6 grams per cup in USDA data, followed by kiwifruit at about 5.4 grams per cup of slices and oranges and pears at about 4.3 grams; a cup of diced watermelon lists about 0.6 grams and a cup of grapes about 1.4 grams. The percent Daily Value divides those grams by the FDA Daily Value for dietary fiber, 28 grams, which FDA bases on a reference caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children 4 years and older (21 CFR 101.9). It is a labeling reference, not a personal target. Our high-fiber foods guide and our article on fiber for constipation cover fiber across all food groups, and our guide to low sugar fruits reads the sugar column of the same USDA entries.
How FDA defines low calorie on a label
The phrase has a legal meaning on packaged food. Under 21 CFR 101.60(b)(2), the terms “low calorie,” “few calories,” “contains a small amount of calories,” “low source of calories” or “low in calories” may be used when a food whose reference amount customarily consumed is more than 30 grams does not provide more than 40 calories per reference amount. If a food meets the test without special processing, alteration, formulation or reformulation, the label must refer to all foods of its type rather than one brand, and FDA’s own example is “celery, a low calorie food.” A stricter term, “calorie free,” requires less than 5 calories per reference amount under 21 CFR 101.60(b)(1); no fruit in the USDA table comes close. FDA also rounds: 21 CFR 101.9 has labels state calories to the nearest 5 up to 50 calories and to the nearest 10 above that, so a USDA value of 46 calories would appear as 45 on a Nutrition Facts panel.
What the Dietary Guidelines say about fruit
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, define the group this way: “The fruit food group includes whole fruits and 100% fruit juice. Whole fruits include fresh, canned, frozen, and dried forms. Whole fruits can be eaten in various forms, such as cut, sliced, diced, or cubed. At least half of the recommended amount of fruit should come from whole fruit, rather than 100% juice.” The Guidelines’ quantity equivalents count 1 cup of raw fruit or 1/2 cup of dried fruit as the same cup equivalent.
The 2025-2030 Guidelines put it briefly: “Eat whole vegetables and fruits in their original form. Wash thoroughly prior to eating raw or cooking.” The 2025-2030 Guidelines add that frozen, dried or canned fruits with no or very limited added sugars can also be good options, and that 100% fruit or vegetable juice should be consumed in limited portions or diluted with water. Those are the Guidelines’ words on the group; they do not rank fruits by calories, and this list does not turn their serving goals into advice for any one person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fruit has the fewest calories per 100 grams?
In USDA SR Legacy data, watermelon lists about 30 calories per 100 grams, followed by carambola, the star-shaped fruit, at 31, strawberries at 32, cantaloupe at 34 and honeydew at 36.
Which fruit has the fewest calories per cup?
Among the USDA portions in our table, a cup of cubed carambola lists about 41 calories, a cup of diced watermelon about 46 and a cup of strawberry halves about 49.
Why do melons rank so low?
Water makes up about 90 to 91 grams of every 100 grams of melon in USDA data, and water carries no calories in the FDA calculation methods, which count protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Do dried fruits count as fruit?
Yes. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, include dried forms among whole fruits; USDA lists raisins at about 299 calories per 100 grams.
What does low calorie mean on a food label?
Under 21 CFR 101.60, a food may be labeled low calorie when it provides no more than 40 calories per FDA reference amount, and calorie free means less than 5 calories per reference amount.
Which fruit has the highest percent Daily Value per cup in the table?
Raspberries, with about 8.0 grams of fiber per cup in USDA data, or 29 percent of the FDA Daily Value of 28 grams; blackberries follow at about 7.6 grams.
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 health condition. 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: Low Calorie Vegetables: USDA Calories per Cup, Ranked, Low Calorie Foods: A USDA List and What Makes Them Filling, Watermelon: Benefits, Nutrition, Lycopene and Citrulline, Strawberries Benefits: USDA Strawberry Nutrition, Calories and Research.