Heart of Palm Nutrition & Calories - Complete data of all nutrients
Summary
Briefly, heart of palm is a low-calorie food with relatively high carbs (25.61g), low protein (2.7g), and fats (0.2g). Heart of palm is a great vitamin B6, copper, potassium, and zinc source.
Heart of palm is a source of health-promoting dietary fiber and polyphenols with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Table of contents
Introduction
Heart of palm is considered a vegetable. It is the stem cell of certain young palm trees. These trees include coconut palm, açaí palm, peach palm and juçara palm. Heart of palm is also known as palm heart, palmito, or palm cabbage.
Palmito is a salad ingredient and substitute for gluten-free pasta.
This article provides information about heart of palm nutrition and everything you need to know about the food.
Nutrition
This article focuses on the nutrition of raw heart of palm. However, some information will be added about canned heart of palm as well.
The infographics below are presented for 100g servings of heart of palm, while one average serving size per person is considered to be one piece, weighing 33g, or one cup, equal to 146g.
Nutrient Density
Heart of palm is nutrient-dense, consisting of 69.5% water and 30.5% nutrients.
Things are different for canned heart of palm, as it consists of 90.2% water and 9.8% nutrients.
The majority of these nutrients are made up of carbohydrates - 25.6% for raw heart of palm and 4.6% for canned.
Macronutrients chart
Calories
Heart of palm is a low-calorie food.
One hundred grams of heart of palm provides 115 calories, whereas the same amount of canned heart of palm provides only 28 calories.
Compared to all foods in our database, raw heart of palm is in the top 30% of foods low in calories.
Carbohydrates
Most of the heart of palm nutrients are carbs.
One hundred grams of heart of palm contains 25.61g of carbs, covering 9% of the daily need.
Net Carbs
94% (24.11g) of heart of palm carbs are net carbs, while the remaining 6% (1.5g) is dietary fiber. As the food is high in carbs, it is not suitable for low-carb diets.
Dietary Fiber
One hundred grams of heart of palm contains only 1.5g of dietary fiber, which is considered low.
2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming 28g of dietary fiber daily for women and 34g for men (1).
Canned heart of palm contains only 4.62g of carbs. However, surprisingly, canned heart of palm has a higher dietary fiber content - 2.5g or 52% of its carb content.
Fiber content ratio for Heart of palm
Protein
Heart of palm is low in protein. One hundred grams of heart of palm contains 2.7g of proteins, which covers only 5% of the daily need.
Canned heart of palm provides a similar amount of proteins.
Fats
Both raw and canned hearts of palm are very low in fats.
One hundred grams of raw heart of palm contains 0.2g of fats, and canned heart of palm - 0.62g.
Fat type information
Vitamins
Heart of palm is not particularly rich in vitamins.
Heart of palm is rich in vitamin B6: it is in the top 15% of foods rich in vitamin B6. It also provides moderate levels of vitamin B9 or folate.
Vitamin B6 has many functions inside the organism, such as participating in normal immune and nervous system functions, protein metabolism, keeping blood sugar in normal ranges, and preventing anemia (2).
Heart of palm can also be a good source of vitamin C, falling in the top 26% of foods as a source.
Heart of palm contains some levels of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, as well as vitamins E and A in insignificant levels.
Vitamin coverage chart
Minerals
Heart of palm is a great source of copper, potassium, and zinc. One hundred grams of heart of palm covers 72% of the daily copper need, 53% of the daily potassium need, and 34% of the daily zinc need.
Heart of palm falls in the top 6% of foods as a source of potassium, being 5 times higher in this mineral than bananas.
However, canned heart of palm is almost 10 times lower in potassium compared to raw heart of palm.
One hundred grams of heart of palm also covers 20% of the daily iron and phosphorus needs.
Heart of palm contains calcium, magnesium, and selenium at insignificant levels.
Raw heart of palm is very low in sodium (14mg). Compared to raw palmito, canned palmito contains 30 times more (426mg) sodium.
Mineral coverage chart
Ash
Technically, the ash content of foods is what’s left after heating it at very high temperatures, leaving only minerals and inorganic compounds. Thus, the ash content gives us an idea of the overall mineral content of the food.
The ash content of raw and canned heart of palm is very similar to each other - approximately 2g per 100g serving.
Phytochemicals
Polyphenols
Heart of palm is a source of polyphenols called chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is also the ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid, with potential antioxidant and anticancer effects and immune-strengthening abilities (3, 4).
Another health-promoting polyphenol found in heart of palm is protocatechuic acid. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and neuroprotective effects (5, 6).
Flavonoid myricetin has been found in heart of palm (5). Like other polyphenols, it has shown antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects (7).
Acidity
The pH value of heart of palm falls from 5 to 7, making it from acidic to neutral (8).
Potential Renal Acid Load or PRAL value is another way of looking at the acidity. The PRAL value measures how much acid or base is produced in the organism from the given food. The PRAL value of heart of palm is -31.9, making it alkaline or base-producing.
Comparison to Similar Foods
“Heart of palm vs. Artichoke” Artichoke is much lower in net carbs and calories, is richer in proteins, and contains 3.6 times more dietary fiber. Artichoke is a better source of folate and vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium; meanwhile, heart of palm is a better source of vitamin B2 and B6, potassium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus. Artichoke contains 6.7 times more sodium.
“Heart of palm vs. Asparagus” Asparagus is 13.5 times lower in net carbs and somewhat higher in dietary fiber, with similar amounts of fats and protein; consequently, asparagus is lower in calories. Asparagus is higher in vitamins K, A, E, B1, and folate, while heart of palm is higher in vitamin B6, as well as phosphorus, zinc, copper, and potassium.
References
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
- Vitamin B6: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24499380/
- Chlorogenic acid | C16H18O9 - PubChem
- Palm Hearts: Overlooked Healthy Vegetables
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22519395/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772053/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6443711/
Important nutritional characteristics for Heart of palm
| Glycemic index ⓘ Gi values are taken from various scientific sources. GI values less than 55 are considered as low. Values above 70 are considered as high. | 32 (low) |
| Calories ⓘ Calories per 100-gram serving | 115 |
| Net Carbs ⓘ Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar Alcohols | 24.11 grams |
| Acidity (Based on PRAL) ⓘ PRAL (Potential renal acid load) is calculated using a formula. On the PRAL scale the higher the positive value, the more is the acidifying effect on the body. The lower the negative value, the higher the alkalinity of the food. 0 is neutral. | -31.9 (alkaline) |
Heart of palm calories (kcal)
| Serving Size | Calories | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Calories in 100 grams | 115 |
Heart of palm Glycemic index (GI)
Mineral chart - relative view
Vitamin chart - relative view
All nutrients for Heart of palm per 100g
| Nutrient | Value | DV% | In TOP % of foods | Comparison |
| Calories | 115kcal | 6% | 70% |
2.4 times more than Orange
|
| Protein | 2.7g | 6% | 73% |
Equal to Broccoli
|
| Fats | 0.2g | 0% | 88% |
166.6 times less than Cheddar Cheese
|
| Vitamin C | 8mg | 9% | 26% |
6.6 times less than Lemon
|
| Net carbs | 24.11g | N/A | 28% |
2.2 times less than Chocolate
|
| Carbs | 25.61g | 9% | 29% |
1.1 times less than Rice
|
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Vitamin D | 0µg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Iron | 1.69mg | 21% | 44% |
1.5 times less than Beef
|
| Calcium | 18mg | 2% | 57% |
6.9 times less than Milk
|
| Potassium | 1806mg | 53% | 6% |
12.3 times more than Cucumber
|
| Magnesium | 10mg | 2% | 84% |
14 times less than Almond
|
| Sugar | 17.16g | N/A | 34% |
1.9 times more than Coca-Cola
|
| Fiber | 1.5g | 6% | 43% |
1.6 times less than Orange
|
| Copper | 0.64mg | 72% | 18% |
4.5 times more than Shiitake
|
| Zinc | 3.73mg | 34% | 25% |
1.7 times less than Beef
|
| Phosphorus | 140mg | 20% | 54% |
1.3 times less than Chicken meat
|
| Sodium | 14mg | 1% | 83% |
35 times less than White Bread
|
| Vitamin A | 68IU | 1% | 46% |
245.7 times less than Carrot
|
| Vitamin A RAE | 3µg | 0% | 62% | |
| Vitamin E | 0.5mg | 3% | 57% |
2.9 times less than Kiwifruit
|
| Selenium | 0.7µg | 1% | 86% | |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.05mg | 4% | 72% |
5.3 times less than Pea raw
|
| Vitamin B2 | 0.18mg | 14% | 51% |
1.4 times more than Avocado
|
| Vitamin B3 | 0.9mg | 6% | 70% |
10.6 times less than Turkey meat
|
| Vitamin B6 | 0.81mg | 62% | 15% |
6.8 times more than Oat
|
| Vitamin B12 | 0µg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Vitamin K | 0µg | 0% | 100% |
N/A
|
| Folate | 24µg | 6% | 45% |
2.5 times less than Brussels sprout
|
| Trans Fat | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
| Saturated Fat | 0.05g | 0% | 86% |
128.2 times less than Beef
|
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.01g | N/A | 94% |
1959.8 times less than Avocado
|
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.09g | N/A | 86% |
530 times less than Walnut
|
| Omega-3 - EPA | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
| Omega-3 - DHA | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
| Omega-3 - DPA | 0g | N/A | 100% |
N/A
|
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NUTRITION FACTS LABEL
Serving Size ______________
Health checks
Heart of palm nutrition infographic
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.