How Many Calories Are In a Yellow Bell Pepper? | Count By Size

A raw yellow bell pepper has about 27 calories per 100 grams, so one medium pepper usually lands near 40 to 50 calories.

Yellow bell peppers are one of those foods that look sweet, taste sweet, and still barely move your calorie total. That’s why they show up in snack trays, fajita pans, chopped salads, pasta bowls, and lunch boxes so often. You get crunch, color, and a juicy bite without paying much in calories.

If you just want the number, here it is: raw yellow bell pepper comes in at about 27 calories per 100 grams. In real kitchen terms, that means a small pepper may sit in the mid-30s, while a large one can drift closer to 50. The exact count depends on the pepper’s edible weight once the stem and seeds are gone.

That low calorie count is only part of the story. Yellow bell peppers also bring fiber, water, and a strong hit of vitamin C, which helps explain why they feel filling for so few calories. So if you’ve been eyeing one on the cutting board and wondering whether it’s a light choice, the answer is a clear yes.

Yellow Bell Pepper Calories By Size And Serving

The easiest way to think about calories in yellow bell pepper is to start with weight. A raw pepper gives you about 27 calories per 100 grams. From there, the total rises or falls with the size of the pepper and how much of it you actually eat.

That matters because bell peppers vary more than people think. One pepper can feel squat and thick-walled. Another can be long, airy, and lighter than it looks. Once you slice away the stem, seeds, and ribs, the edible portion may be a bit lower than the whole pepper you picked up at the store.

Here’s a practical calorie chart you can use in the kitchen.

• 100 grams raw yellow bell pepper: about 27 calories
• 1 cup chopped: usually around 35 to 45 calories
• 1 medium whole pepper: often around 40 to 50 calories
• Half a medium pepper: often around 20 to 25 calories

So if you’re logging food, your best bet is to go by weight when you can. If you’re not weighing it, a medium pepper at roughly 45 calories is a solid everyday estimate.

What Shifts The Number Up Or Down

The pepper itself stays low in calories. What changes the total is usually portion size, cooking fat, or what gets stuffed inside it. A raw pepper on its own is light. A pepper sautéed in oil or filled with cheese, rice, or meat is still tasty, though the calorie count climbs fast.

That’s why two meals built around yellow bell pepper can look similar and land in different territory. One sliced pepper with hummus is still modest. One stuffed pepper with beef, rice, and melted cheese is a full meal.

Why Yellow Bell Peppers Feel Filling

They have a lot of water, a crisp texture, and some fiber. That combo slows you down a bit while eating and adds volume to the plate. You’re chewing more, getting more bulk, and taking in fewer calories than you would from chips, crackers, or creamy dips.

That’s a nice trade if you want something crunchy without the heavy calorie load. It also makes yellow bell pepper handy in meals where you want more bite and color without stacking up extra energy.

Serving	Approximate Edible Weight	Calories
25 grams, a few strips	25 g	7
50 grams, light snack	50 g	14
Half small pepper	60 g	16
Half medium pepper	75 g	20
1 cup chopped	90 to 120 g	24 to 32
1 small whole pepper	120 to 140 g	32 to 38
1 medium whole pepper	150 to 180 g	41 to 49
1 large whole pepper	180 to 200 g	49 to 54

What Else You Get Besides Calories

Calories tell one part of the story. Yellow bell peppers also bring a lot of vitamin C for their size, along with a bit of fiber and a small amount of natural sugar. That mix is one reason they taste mellow and sweet without turning into a high-calorie food.

If you want the most reliable baseline, USDA FoodData Central is the place to check nutrient data for produce. It’s the source many food databases build from, and it gives a clean anchor for the raw calorie count.

Vitamin C is the nutrient that steals the show here. A yellow bell pepper can make a big dent in your daily target, which is why peppers are often grouped with citrus when people talk about vitamin C-rich foods. The FDA Daily Value chart lays out the daily targets used on nutrition labels, which helps put that number in context.

Fiber matters too, even though the amount in one pepper isn’t huge. It adds bulk to snacks and meals, and that helps the pepper feel like more than just garnish. You’re not eating empty crunch here. You’re getting a food that pulls some weight on the plate.

Raw Vs Cooked Yellow Bell Pepper

Cooking does not turn a yellow bell pepper into a calorie bomb by itself. Heat changes texture and can shrink the volume, but the pepper’s own calories stay in the same ballpark. What usually raises the count is the oil in the pan or the fillings packed inside.

That’s why roasted peppers can seem richer than raw ones. They taste sweeter after cooking because the flavor gets concentrated, not because the pepper suddenly picked up a pile of calories on its own.

• Raw slices: low calorie and high crunch
• Roasted pepper: still low, though softer and sweeter
• Sautéed pepper: watch the oil
• Stuffed pepper: the filling decides most of the total

Easy Ways To Use Yellow Bell Pepper Without Piling On Calories

Yellow bell pepper is easy to fit into meals because it plays well with rich foods and light foods alike. It can freshen up a heavy plate or make a lean meal feel less bare. That flexibility is part of its charm.

The USDA’s bell pepper fact card points to peppers as a strong source of vitamin C and gives simple serving ideas. That tracks with real kitchen use. You don’t need much prep, and the pepper works raw or cooked.

Here are a few low-fuss ways to keep the calorie count in check:

1. Slice it raw and pair it with salsa or Greek yogurt dip instead of creamy dressings.
2. Dice it into egg scrambles, tacos, and grain bowls for bulk and sweetness.
3. Roast strips with onion, then use a light hand with oil.
4. Swap part of a cracker or chip snack for pepper strips.
5. Use diced pepper in tuna salad or chicken salad to add crunch without extra mayo.

One smart move is to treat yellow bell pepper as a volume food. Put it next to calorie-dense foods instead of piling on more of those foods. A sandwich plate with pepper strips feels bigger than the same plate with an extra handful of chips.

Situation	What Changes	Calorie Effect
Eating it raw	No added fat	Stays close to base count
Roasting it plain	Water cooks off	Little change per pepper
Sautéing in oil	Oil coats the pepper	Rises fast
Stuffing with rice and meat	Filling drives total	Rises a lot
Adding cheese	Dense topping	Rises fast
Pairing with hummus	Dip adds calories	Rises in small steps

Best Way To Estimate Calories At Home

If you want the neatest answer, weigh the edible pepper pieces and use the 27-calories-per-100-grams rule. That takes the guesswork out of small, medium, and large labels, which can be loose from store to store.

If you don’t want to pull out a scale, a medium raw yellow bell pepper at about 45 calories is a handy estimate that works well most of the time. That number is close enough for meal planning, food logging, and casual tracking.

One last thing: the pepper is not the part that usually sneaks calories onto the plate. Dressings, oils, dips, fillings, and cheese do that job. So if your meal feels lighter than it tastes, the yellow bell pepper is often one reason why.