A medium tangerine has about 45 calories. A large one comes in around 64 calories. That makes tangerines one of the lowest-calorie fruits you can grab as a snack, with nearly all those calories coming from natural sugars.
Calories by Size
The calorie count shifts depending on the size of the fruit. A medium tangerine, roughly 2.5 inches across and weighing about 84 grams, contains 45 calories. A large tangerine at around 4.2 ounces (120 grams) bumps that up to 64 calories. If you’re eating a small one, expect somewhere in the range of 35 to 40 calories.
For context, a medium banana has about 105 calories and a medium apple around 95. Tangerines deliver a lot of flavor and sweetness for a relatively tiny calorie cost.
What’s Inside Those Calories
Almost all of a tangerine’s calories come from carbohydrates, specifically natural sugars. A medium fruit has roughly 11 grams of total carbs, about 9 grams of which are sugar. There’s virtually no fat or protein to speak of.
What makes tangerines worth noting nutritionally is their fiber. Each medium fruit provides about 1.5 grams of dietary fiber, which slows down how quickly those sugars hit your bloodstream. That’s partly why tangerines have a low glycemic index of 47 and a glycemic load of just 3. In practical terms, eating a tangerine won’t cause a sharp spike in blood sugar the way fruit juice or candy would. If you’re watching your blood sugar, tangerines are a solid fruit choice.
Tangerines vs. Clementines and Mandarins
The names get confusing because tangerines, clementines, and mandarins are all closely related. Calorie-wise, the differences are small and mostly come down to size rather than variety. Clementines tend to be smaller, weighing 45 to 55 grams each, which puts them at roughly 21 to 26 calories per fruit. Mandarins as a group average about 47 calories per 100 grams of flesh. So if you swap a tangerine for a clementine, you’re not changing your calorie intake in any meaningful way. You’re just eating a smaller piece of fruit.
Whole Fruit vs. Canned or Juiced
Eating a whole tangerine and drinking tangerine juice are not the same thing nutritionally, even if the calorie numbers look similar on paper. A fresh tangerine at 84 grams has 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fiber. A half-cup serving of canned tangerine segments packed in juice has about 38 calories, but the fiber drops to 1.2 grams and you lose some of the compounds found in the peel and pith.
The bigger issue is portion control. It’s easy to eat one or two whole tangerines and feel satisfied. Juice removes the fiber and the act of peeling and chewing, so you tend to consume more calories before feeling full. If you’re drinking commercially prepared mandarin or tangerine juice, check the label for added sugars, which can push a single glass well above 100 calories.
Vitamins and Protective Compounds
For 45 calories, a tangerine packs a meaningful dose of vitamin C, covering a significant portion of your daily needs. It also provides some vitamin A, which supports eye health and immune function.
Tangerines contain protective plant compounds that set them apart from other citrus fruits. The peel and flesh are rich in specific antioxidants that, in laboratory research, have shown strong anti-inflammatory effects. A study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology found that compounds naturally concentrated in tangerine peel worked together to significantly reduce markers of brain inflammation. While eating a tangerine isn’t the same as taking a concentrated extract, regularly including whole citrus in your diet contributes these compounds over time.
How Tangerines Fit Into Your Day
At 45 calories for a medium fruit, tangerines are easy to work into virtually any eating plan. Two tangerines still come in under 100 calories, give you about 3 grams of fiber, and satisfy a sweet craving without added sugar. They’re portable, require no preparation beyond peeling, and don’t need refrigeration for short-term storage.
If you’re counting calories precisely, weigh your tangerines rather than guessing at size. The difference between a small and large fruit is nearly 30 calories, which can add up if you eat several per day. But for most people, tangerines are the kind of food you don’t need to overthink. They’re low in calories, high in nutrients, and hard to overeat.