A medium mandarin orange has about 45 calories. A small one comes in around 37 calories, and a full cup of peeled segments contains roughly 103 calories. That makes mandarins one of the lowest-calorie fruits you can snack on.
Calories by Size and Serving
The calorie count shifts depending on the size of the fruit and how you measure it:
- Small mandarin (about 2.25 inches across): 37 calories
- Medium mandarin (about 2.4 inches across): 45 calories
- 1 cup of peeled segments: 103 calories
Most mandarins sold in bags at grocery stores fall into the small-to-medium range, so grabbing two or three for a snack still keeps you under 150 calories. The calorie difference between varieties is negligible. Tangerines and clementines, the two most common types you’ll find in stores, both land at about 40 calories for an average 75-gram fruit. Satsumas are similarly close. If you see any of these labeled differently, the nutrition is essentially the same.
Canned Mandarins Have More Calories
Fresh mandarins and canned mandarins are not nutritionally interchangeable. A cup of canned mandarin segments packed in juice contains about 92 calories, slightly less than a cup of fresh segments. But canned mandarins packed in light syrup can run considerably higher because of added sugar. If you’re buying canned, check whether they’re packed in juice or syrup, and drain the liquid either way to cut back on extra sugar.
What Else You Get From a Mandarin
For fewer than 50 calories, a mandarin delivers a solid hit of vitamin C and a decent amount of vitamin A. It also provides soluble fiber, the type that slows digestion and helps you feel full longer after eating. That combination of low calories and fiber-driven satiety makes mandarins a practical choice if you’re managing your weight and want something sweet between meals.
Blood Sugar Impact
Despite tasting sweet, mandarins rank low on the glycemic index at 30 (anything under 55 is considered low). Their glycemic load, which factors in how much carbohydrate a typical serving actually contains, is just 3.9. That’s very low. In practical terms, eating a mandarin or two won’t cause a sharp spike in blood sugar the way a similarly sweet processed snack would. The fiber in the fruit slows the absorption of its natural sugars, keeping your blood sugar relatively steady.