metaboliq
Moringa leaves nutrition, per serving and per 100 g
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 34 kcal | 67 kcal |
| Protein | 3.2 g | 6.4 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 2.8 g | 5.6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 4.1 g | 8.2 g |
| Fat | 0.8 g | 1.6 g |
Serving: 1 cup of fresh leaves, about 50 g. IFCT 2017 food code C019, "Drumstick leaves (Moringa oleifera)", the mean of 3 regions sampled. IFCT does not report glycaemic index, so this page prints none.
The verdict on moringa leaves
Useful add-on
A useful extra beside a meal, not the centre of it.
- 9.6 g of protein for every 100 kcal.
- One serving gives 3.2 g of the roughly 58 g of protein a day ICMR-NIN's RDA sets for a 70 kg adult.
- 4.1 g of fibre in a serving.
How moringa leaves fits a plan that loses fat and keeps muscle
IFCT 2017 lists drumstick leaves at 6.4 g of protein and 8.2 g of fibre per 100 g, high for a leafy green. Per serving the protein is modest, so moringa is a useful extra rather than the protein of the meal.
Moringa powder for weight loss is widely sold. The fresh leaves are the food IFCT measured; a teaspoon of powder is too small to change much on its own.
Moringa leaves in an Indian kitchen
Strip the small leaflets from the stalks, wash them and add them to dal in the last few minutes of cooking, as South Indian kitchens do with murungai keerai. A dry moringa poriyal with grated coconut and onion, or moringa leaves mixed into an adai or chilla batter, are other everyday uses. The drumstick pods, a different part of the same tree, go into sambar. Dried moringa powder is sold widely; a spoon in dal or atta adds flavour and a little protein.
Pair it, or swap it
Moringa leaves in a moong dal, a drumstick-leaf thoran with coconut, or chopped into a besan chilla, add greens to a protein dish.
Worth knowing
Moringa supplements are not the same as the leaves. If you are pregnant, or take regular treatment for blood pressure or blood sugar, ask your doctor before adding concentrated moringa products.
Moringa leaves against similar foods
| Food | Energy | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moringa leaves | 67 kcal | 6.4 g | 8.2 g |
| Drumstick pods | 29 kcal | 2.6 g | 6.8 g |
| Spinach | 24 kcal | 2.1 g | 2.4 g |
| Methi leaves | 34 kcal | 3.7 g | 4.9 g |