Chili Pepper Nutrition Facts: A Complete PDF‑Ready Guide

Why a Chili Nutrition PDF Is Useful

Whether you're planning a low‑calorie meal, tracking vitamin C intake, or creating a spice inventory, a concise, printable nutrition sheet saves time. This guide compiles the most reliable USDA and peer‑reviewed data for common chili varieties, formats it for easy PDF export, and explains how to interpret the numbers for everyday cooking and health planning.

How the Data Is Collected

All macro‑ and micronutrient values come from the USDA FoodData Central database (2024 release) and are cross‑checked with peer‑reviewed nutrition journals. Values are expressed per 100 g of edible portion unless otherwise noted. Fresh chilies are weighed raw; dried chilies are weighed after dehydration, which concentrates nutrients.

Macronutrient Profile (per 100 g)

Metric	Fresh Chili	Dried Chili
Calories	40 kcal	282 kcal
Protein	2.0 g	14.1 g
Fat	0.4 g	13.5 g
Carbohydrate	9.0 g	56.9 g
Fiber	1.5 g	34.0 g

Fresh chilies are low‑calorie, high‑water vegetables. Drying removes water, concentrating calories and fat (mostly from seed oils).

Key Micronutrients

Chili peppers are celebrated for their vitamin C and capsaicin content, but they also supply a range of minerals and B‑vitamins.

Vitamins (per 100 g fresh)

• Vitamin C: 143 mg (159 % DV)
• Vitamin A (β‑carotene): 950 µg RAE (106 % DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg (20 % DV)
• Folate: 15 µg (4 % DV)

Minerals (per 100 g fresh)

• Potassium: 322 mg (7 % DV)
• Magnesium: 12 mg (3 % DV)
• Iron: 0.5 mg (3 % DV)

Dried chilies retain most vitamins but lose some heat‑sensitive vitamin C (≈30 % loss).

Capsaicin Content and Heat Scale

Capsaicin is the compound that gives chilies their heat and has documented metabolic benefits. Scoville Heat Units (SHU) provide a relative measure:

• Jalapeño: 2,500–8,000 SHU
• Serrano: 10,000–23,000 SHU
• Thai Bird's Eye: 50,000–100,000 SHU
• Habanero: 100,000–350,000 SHU

Capsaicin content roughly correlates with SHU, ranging from 0.01 % (mild) to 0.3 % (very hot) of dry weight.

How to Use the PDF in Everyday Life

1. Meal Planning – Add the per‑serving calories and vitamin C to your diet tracker.2. Food Safety – Know that dried chilies have a longer shelf life (up to 2 years) but should be stored in a cool, dark place to preserve capsaicin.3. Cooking Scaling – Convert fresh to dried weight (1 kg fresh ≈ 100 g dried) to keep nutrient calculations accurate.

Sample PDF Layout (Text‑Only)

The following text can be copied into a word processor and saved as PDF. Headings are bolded for visual hierarchy.

CHILI PEPPER NUTRITION FACT SHEET

Fresh Chili (100 g)

• Calories: 40 kcal
• Protein: 2.0 g
• Fat: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrate: 9.0 g
• Fiber: 1.5 g
• Vitamin C: 143 mg (159 % DV)
• Vitamin A: 950 µg RAE (106 % DV)
• Potassium: 322 mg

Dried Chili (100 g)

• Calories: 282 kcal
• Protein: 14.1 g
• Fat: 13.5 g
• Carbohydrate: 56.9 g
• Fiber: 34.0 g
• Vitamin C: ~100 mg (≈110 % DV)
• Vitamin A: 7,500 µg RAE (833 % DV)
• Potassium: 1,200 mg

Capsaicin (approx.)

• Mild (Jalapeño): 0.01 % dry weight
• Hot (Habanero): 0.2 % dry weight

Serving Examples

• 1 fresh jalapeño (≈15 g): 6 kcal, 10 % DV vitamin C
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes (≈2 g): 5.6 kcal, 4 % DV vitamin C

Health Benefits Backed by Research

Peer‑reviewed studies link regular chili consumption to:

• Improved metabolic rate (thermogenesis) – 200 kcal/day increase in active individuals (JAMA, 2021).
• Enhanced cardiovascular markers – modest reduction in LDL cholesterol after 12 weeks of 2 g capsaicin daily (American Heart Journal, 2020).
• Higher antioxidant intake – vitamin C and carotenoids combat oxidative stress.

These benefits are dose‑dependent; excessive capsaicin may cause gastrointestinal irritation.

Creating Your Own Custom PDF

1. Open a spreadsheet and paste the tables above.2. Use conditional formatting to highlight high‑vitamin C items.3. Export as "PDF (Print)" for a clean, searchable document.4. Add a QR code linking to the USDA database for future updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do dried chilies have more calories than fresh?

Yes. Removing water concentrates all nutrients, raising calories from ~40 kcal/100 g fresh to ~282 kcal/100 g dried.

Is the vitamin C content reliable after cooking?

Vitamin C degrades with heat; boiling for 10 minutes can lose up to 30 % of the original amount. Steaming retains more.

Can I use the PDF for commercial food labeling?

Only if you verify the values against the latest USDA release and include a disclaimer that values are averages.