Know what’s on your plate
Nopales
Calories & nutrition facts
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Nutrition facts
Per 100 g% DV- Calories 16 kcal —
- Protein 1.3 g 3%
- Carbohydrate 1.1 g 0%
- Fat 0.1 g 0%
- Saturated fat 0 g 0%
- Fibre 2.2 g 8%
- Sugars 1.2 g —
- Sodium 21 mg 1%
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Vitamins & minerals
Per 100 g% DVVitamins
- Vitamin A 23 µg 3%
- Vitamin C 9.3 mg 10%
- Vitamin D 0 µg 0%
- Vitamin E 0 mg 0%
- Vitamin K 5.3 µg 4%
- Thiamin (B1) 0.01 mg 1%
- Riboflavin (B2) 0.04 mg 3%
- Niacin (B3) 0.41 mg 3%
- Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.17 mg 3%
- Vitamin B6 0.07 mg 4%
- Folate (B9) 3 µg 1%
- Vitamin B12 0 µg 0%
- Choline 7.3 mg 1%
Minerals
- Calcium 164 mg 13%
- Iron 0.59 mg 3%
- Magnesium 52 mg 12%
- Phosphorus 16 mg 1%
- Potassium 257 mg 5%
- Zinc 0.25 mg 2%
- Copper 0.05 mg 6%
- Manganese 0.46 mg 20%
- Selenium 0.7 µg 1%
Calories by portion
| Portion | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 16 | 1.3 g | 1.1 g | 0.1 g |
| 1 × cup, sliced | 86 g | 14 | 1.1 g | 1 g | 0.1 g |
| 2 × cup, sliced | 172 g | 28 | 2.3 g | 1.9 g | 0.2 g |
| ½ × cup, sliced | 43 g | 7 | 0.6 g | 0.5 g | 0 g |
| 3 × cup, sliced | 258 g | 41 | 3.4 g | 2.9 g | 0.2 g |
| 4 × cup, sliced | 344 g | 55 | 4.5 g | 3.9 g | 0.3 g |
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Questions about Nopales
How do you prepare nopales without getting pricked?
Use tongs to hold each pad and scrape off the spines and small bumps with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Trim the edges, then rinse the pad before slicing; prepared nopales are also sold with the spines removed.
How do you cook nopales so they are less slimy?
Boil sliced nopales in salted water for about 10 minutes, then drain and rinse them well. For a drier texture, cook them afterwards in a hot, dry frying pan until their liquid has evaporated and they begin to brown.
Can you eat nopales raw?
Yes, once the spines and edges have been removed, nopales can be eaten raw, thinly sliced in a salad. Their texture is naturally slippery, so rinsing sliced pieces and pairing them with lime juice, tomato or onion helps make them more appealing.
How do you store fresh nopales?
Keep untrimmed nopales dry in a paper bag or loosely wrapped in the fridge, and use them within about a week. Cooked nopales keep in a covered container in the fridge for around three days; you can also freeze them after cooking and draining.
What do nopales go well with?
Their fresh, slightly tart flavour works well with tomato, onion, coriander and lime. Add cooked nopales to tacos, quesadillas, scrambled eggs or a Mexican-style salad with fresh cheese.
What can you use instead of nopales?
There is no exact substitute for their crisp-tender texture and gentle tang. Green beans or sliced courgette can stand in for them in cooked fillings, while green pepper is a better choice when you want a fresh crunch in a salad.
Are nopales and prickly pear the same thing?
Nopales are the flat, young pads of the prickly pear cactus, not its fruit. The fruit is also called prickly pear or cactus pear and is sweet, whereas nopales are eaten as a vegetable.
What is a typical portion of nopales?
A serving of sliced nopales is about a generous handful, or 86 g. That portion provides 14 kcal and 1.9 g of fibre.
Source: USDA FoodData Central 168571 · per 100 g · carbohydrate per EU label, fibre excluded
