Eggplant

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By the Nutriveda editorial team · Updated 5 November 2026

Eggplant (Solanum melongena), called aubergine in the UK and brinjal in India, is a fruit-vegetable from the nightshade family, a relative of tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. 100 g of raw eggplant has 25 kcal and 3 g of fibre and is more than 92% water. It is not rich in vitamins or minerals; what it gives you is volume and fibre for very few calories. The catch is the cooking fat: the calories of an eggplant dish come mostly from the oil, so roasting, grilling and stewing keep it light. It is one of the core vegetables of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, from baba ganoush to moussaka and ratatouille.

Eggplant nutrition per 100 g and per portion

Nutrient	Raw, 100 g	Boiled, 100 g	Portion: 1 cup cubes, raw (82 g)
Energy	25 kcal	35 kcal	21 kcal
Protein	1.0 g	0.8 g	0.8 g
Fat	0.2 g	0.2 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate	5.9 g	8.7 g	4.8 g
of which sugars	3.5 g	3.2 g	2.9 g
Fibre	3.0 g	2.5 g	2.5 g
Potassium	229 mg	123 mg	188 mg
Magnesium	14 mg	11 mg	11 mg
Manganese	0.23 mg	0.11 mg	0.19 mg
Copper	0.08 mg	0.06 mg	0.07 mg
Folate	22 µg	14 µg	18 µg
Vitamin B6	0.08 mg	0.09 mg	0.07 mg
Vitamin K	3.5 µg	2.9 µg	2.9 µg
Vitamin C	2.2 mg	1.3 mg	1.8 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Eggplant, raw” (FDC 169228) and “Eggplant, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt” (FDC 169229), checked 5 November 2026. The portion column is calculated from the raw record’s measure “1 cup, cubes” = 82 g. The boiled record is without salt and fat; roasted, grilled and fried eggplant are not in these records. Values rounded.

In the same USDA measures, a whole unpeeled eggplant weighs about 548 g, which gives around 137 kcal and 16 g of fibre for the whole fruit, raw. Against the EU reference intakes (Regulation 1169/2011, Annex XIII), 100 g of raw eggplant covers about 11% of potassium (2,000 mg), 12% of manganese (2 mg) and 11% of folate (200 µg). Boiling moves part of the potassium into the water: 229 mg raw against 123 mg boiled.

Glycemic index

Eggplant is not listed in the international GI tables (Atkinson 2008), so we do not give a number for it. With 5.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 g raw, about half of it fibre, eggplant adds very little digestible carbohydrate to a meal. For your blood sugar, the bread, rice or potatoes next to it matter much more. For how GI works, see What is the glycemic index.

Health benefits: what the evidence says

• Fibre for very few calories. With 3 g of fibre and 25 kcal per 100 g, raw eggplant meets the EU thresholds for “source of fibre” (at least 3 g per 100 g) and “low energy” (no more than 40 kcal per 100 g) under Regulation 1924/2006. A large series of systematic reviews in The Lancet linked 25-29 g of fibre a day with the biggest benefits: 15-30% lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and lower rates of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer when the highest fibre eaters were compared with the lowest. Most of that risk data is observational; the clinical trials in the same review showed lower body weight, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol with more fibre.
• Volume on the plate. More than 92% water and 25 kcal per 100 g make roasted or stewed eggplant an easy way to fill a plate with more vegetables and less meat or bread. That is the idea behind dishes like the roasted vegetable tray in plant-based meals for weight loss.
• Anthocyanins in the skin. The purple skin gets its colour from anthocyanins, and nasunin is the main one in eggplant peel. It has been studied in the lab, for example for its effect on inflammatory signals in mouse immune cells (Komatsu 2017), but there are no human trials showing a health effect from eating eggplant. Keep the skin on for colour and texture, not as a remedy.
• What eggplant is not. No vitamin or mineral in raw eggplant reaches 15% of the EU reference intake per 100 g, the level for a “source of” claim. Eat it for fibre, volume and taste, and get your vitamins from the whole plate: tomatoes, peppers, herbs and legumes that often go with it.

How to eat eggplant

• Roasted or grilled: cut into thick slices or halves, brush lightly with olive oil instead of pouring it, season and roast at about 200-220 °C for 25-35 minutes until soft and browned. Brushing lets you decide how much oil goes in.
• Baba ganoush: roast or char whole eggplants until they collapse, scoop out the flesh and mash it with tahini, lemon and garlic.
• Stews and bakes: ratatouille with tomatoes, peppers and onion; caponata; moussaka, with lentils for a vegetarian version; parmigiana with Parmesan. In layered dishes, bake the slices in the oven instead of frying them.
• Curries: eggplant takes on spices well. Smoky mashed eggplant with onion, tomato and cumin is a classic in India; with chickpeas it becomes a full meal.
• Salting: optional. Many cooks salt slices for 20-30 minutes, then rinse and pat them dry before cooking. For roasting and grilling you can skip it.
• Choosing and storage: pick firm eggplants that feel heavy for their size, with smooth, glossy skin and a fresh green cap. Keep them in a cool place and cook them within a few days.

Who should be careful

• If you watch calories. Fried eggplant takes up a lot of oil, and a light vegetable becomes a heavy dish. Roasting, grilling and stewing with a measured spoon of olive oil keep it light.
• If you limit salt. Pickled eggplant, ready-made eggplant dips and salted slices can add a lot of sodium. WHO advises adults to keep salt under 5 g a day (under 2,000 mg of sodium), so check the label on shop-bought spreads.

Traditional view (Ayurveda)

In Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines eggplant is on the list to avoid for Vata, okay rarely for Pitta and favourable for Kapha. This is a traditional view, not a clinical finding.

Related entries and articles

• Bell peppers and tomatoes – its nightshade relatives and partners in ratatouille
• Tahini – for baba ganoush
• Extra virgin olive oil – how much you add decides the calories
• Garlic
• Mediterranean diet
• Plant-based meals for weight loss
• Mediterranean diet for beginners: foods, 7-day plan and recipes

FAQ

How many calories are in eggplant?

About 25 kcal per 100 g raw and 35 kcal per 100 g boiled, according to USDA. A whole eggplant of about 548 g has around 137 kcal raw. The calories of the finished dish depend mostly on the oil: fried slices take up a lot of it, while roasted or grilled slices brushed with a little oil stay light.

Do you need to salt eggplant before cooking?

No, it is optional. Salting slices for 20-30 minutes draws out some of the moisture, and many cooks still do it before frying. If you salt, rinse and pat the slices dry, and remember that some of the salt stays in the dish.

Should you peel eggplant?

Usually not. The skin is edible and holds the purple anthocyanins, mainly nasunin. Peel it only when the skin of a large, older eggplant is thick and tough, or when you want a very smooth dip.

Sources

1. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Eggplant, raw (FDC 169228). fdc.nal.usda.gov
2. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Eggplant, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 169229). fdc.nal.usda.gov
3. Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, Annex (nutrition claims and conditions). legislation.gov.uk
4. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (reference intakes). legislation.gov.uk
5. Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet 2019;393(10170):434-445. Europe PMC
6. EFSA NDA Panel (2010). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for carbohydrates and dietary fibre. EFSA Journal 8(3):1462. efsa.europa.eu
7. Komatsu W, Itoh K, Akutsu S, Kishi H, Ohhira S. Nasunin inhibits the lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory mediator production in RAW264 mouse macrophages. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2017. PMID 28812425. PubMed
8. WHO: Sodium reduction, fact sheet (11 May 2026). who.int
9. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008;31(12):2281-2283. PMC
10. Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.