How many carbs in an orange? Learn about the carbs in an orange and how to count carbs.
Carbs in an orange are an essential part of fuelling your body. The fruit contains dietary fibre, which helps with digestion, and the carbs in the orange help give you energy. Carbs in orange do not affect your blood sugar levels.
What is an orange?
Orange is the most popular type of fruit in the world. It is a sweet and tangy citrus fruit with an oval shape and smooth skin. Oranges are a great source of vitamin C and have a long shelf life.
There’s something undeniably alluring about oranges. Whether they’re in a glass of juice, squeezed into a smoothie, or simply added to a plate of food, the juicy fruit is hard not to enjoy.
Does an orange have carbs?
An orange has low calories and has no fat. It is a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, potassium, and thiamine. An orange has around 8 grams of carbohydrates, most of which come from the fruit’s sugar content. The details of which are given below.
A medium orange with peel generally weighs 120 -130 grams. When you remove the peel, the pulp weighs around 90 to110 grams. We consider here weight of an orange as 100 grams for writing carbs in an orange.
Carbs in an orange
Eating an orange weighing 100g gives you 7.92 gm carbohydrates and 37.26 kCal energy. Evidently, carbohydrates form 85.02 % of the calories in an orange. Here is how carbs in orange fit in your calorie intake.
a. 2.88 % of the daily requirement of 275 gm for a 2000 kcal diet.
b. 3.84 % of the daily requirement of 206.25 gm for a 1500 kcal diet.
c. 4.80% of the set carb limit of 165 grams for a 1200 kcal diet.
d. 6.40% of the set carb limit of 123.75 grams when following a 900-kcal diet.
The Breakup of carbohydrates in an orange
a. Net carbs in an orange – 6.86 gm.
b. Total Starch – 0.00 gm, which is 0.00 % of total carbs in an orange.
c. Total Free Sugar – 6.86 gm, which is 100.00 % of total carbs in an orange.
Details of free sugars in an orange
a. Fructose – 2.86 gm, which is 41.69 % of total carbs in an orange.
b. Glucose – 1.21 gm, which is 17.64 % of total carbs in an orange.
c. Sucrose – 2.79 gm, which is 40.67 % of total carbs in an orange.
d. Maltose – 0.00 gm, which is 0.00 % of total carbs in an orange.
Sum of Total Free Sugar – 6.86 gm, which is 100.00 % of total carbs in an orange.
Glycemic index of an orange
Finally, the glycemic index of an orange is 45 when tested on regular people.
When tested on people with type 2 diabetes, the glycemic index was found to be 52 in Germany.
The glycemic load in the above cases was 7 and 8, respectively.
Glycemic Index below 55 and glycemic load below 9 is considered as good as it does not spike blood sugars.
Neverthless the glycemic index (GI) of orange juice is 48 while the glycemic load is 10. It implies that it is better to eat oranges than to consume the orange juice. Further if the orange juice contain added sugars, they are rendered uselss for a healthy diet.
Nutrition in an orange
Serving size – 100gm orange pulp
a. 37.26 kCal of Energy
b. 0.70 gm of protein with a protein richness of 7.51 %
c. 0.13 gm of fat with fat to calories ratio of 1.40 %
d. 1.29 gm of Total Fibre
e. 2.66 mcg of Vitamin A
f. 0.07 mg of Vitamin B1
g. 0.02 mg of Vitamin B2
h. 0.28 mg of Vitamin B3
i. 0.04 mg of Vitamin B6
j. 19.46 mcg of Vitamin B9
k. 42.72 mg of Vitamin C
l. 0.34 mcg of Vitamin D
m. 0.04 mg of Vitamin E
n. 2.50 mcg of Vitamin K
o. 19.52 mg of Calcium
p. 12.90 mg of Phosphorus
q. 0.81 mg of Iron
r. 11.05 mg of Magnesium
s. 30.00 mg of copper
t. 0.02 mg of Manganese
u. 0.04 mg of Zinc
v. 12.00 mg of Chromium
w. 0.19 mcg of Selenium
x. 0.56 gm of Soluble Fibre
y. 2.88 mcg of Vitamin B7
z. 0 mg of Cholesterol
Health benefits of orange
Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C and fibre. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Fibre is vital for digestive health. Oranges also contain potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. You can read detailed nutrition facts and the health benefits of oranges here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, oranges are a healthy snack option with low GI and lots of nutrients. They can help to regulate blood sugar levels and provide antioxidants, vitamin C, and fibre. So next time you’re looking for a quick and tasty snack, reach for an orange instead of something high in sugar or unhealthy fats.
