How Many Calories in an Orange?

Most dietitians never agree upon a diet plan. Most of them fight and feud in an attempt to prove that their diet plan is better and more effective. As such there are very few foods which dietitians claim to be perfect in all respects. Among the few foods which people at large, do generally accept as a good food for weight loss is the orange. It also has its share of nutrients as well. All these facts bring up the inevitable questions over how many calories does an orange contain and its nutritional facts.

Counting Calories in an Orange
The orange has a very high water content, which dramatically reduces the average calories. On an average, the edible part has a water content of about 85%. The amount of calories also vary depending on the different types of oranges.

The average orange has about 47 calories per 100 g consumed. So depending on how much you ate, you can do a bit of math and calculate the amount of calories you have consumed. Below given is the calorie content of few varieties of orange.

Clementine orange: The Clementine orange adds up to 47 calories to your daily intake, per 100 g.

Satsuma orange: The Satsuma variety are generally smaller than normal oranges and have fewer seeds also. It adds around 53 calories, per 100 g.

Mandarin orange: Mandarin orange again has comparatively lower calorific value and contains only 53 calories per 100 g.

Calories in Orange Juice
If you're having fruit juice, then unless it is concentrated, the calories in orange juice will be higher than what you would get from an equivalent amount of oranges. Calories in orange juice will depend upon the method of preparation, additional items and quantity. On an average, sweetened orange juices have about 55 calories per 100 ml of juice and the unsweetened variety adds about 40 calories per 100 ml of juice.

You will obviously get a more accurate number for the average calories in the juice by simply looking at the back of the carton of juice. The nutritional facts about the juice are generally given there.

Nutritional Facts about Orange
The orange derives most of its calories from the carbohydrate content, and the sugar content to be specific. 100 gm serving of an orange gives you about 11.5 g of carbohydrates, 9 g of which are from sugar and around 2.5 are from fiber. The fat and protein components are negligible as there is no cholesterol or saturated fat.

The orange, being a citrus fruit, is rich in vitamin C and researchers claim that 100 g supplies 45 mg of Vitamin C, which is effectively 75% of the recommended daily intake. It also contains natural antioxidants which develops immunity and help in fighting with diseases and infections. Other than this, it contains vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin E in moderate amount. Oranges also contain iron, thiamin, riboflavin, miacin, phosphorous, copper, magnesium and zinc.

Oranges must be one of the most delicious, yet low calorie foods which you will ever find. You will not only gain control over your weight, but will also enjoy other health benefits of this fruit. So include oranges in your daily diet and have a healthy body.