Green bell peppers pack a surprisingly strong nutritional profile, especially for a vegetable that’s often overlooked in favor of its red and yellow relatives. A single medium green pepper contains about 24 calories, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat relative to its calorie count. Here’s what’s actually inside.
Vitamin C Is the Standout Nutrient
Green peppers contain roughly 80 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams, which is already more than a full day’s recommended intake in a single medium pepper. That said, green peppers are the least vitamin C-rich of the bell pepper family. Yellow peppers contain 184 milligrams per 100 grams, more than double the green variety, and red peppers fall somewhere in between. The reason is simple: green peppers are picked before they ripen. As a pepper matures and turns yellow or red, its vitamin C concentration climbs.
Still, 80 mg per 100 grams is substantial. That’s more vitamin C than you’ll find in an orange of the same weight. And that vitamin C does more than support your immune system. It acts as a potent enhancer of non-heme iron absorption, the type of iron found in plant foods like beans, lentils, and spinach. Vitamin C keeps iron soluble across a range of pH levels in your gut, allowing it to pass through the intestinal wall more efficiently. If you’re eating a plant-heavy diet or managing low iron levels, pairing green peppers with iron-rich foods at the same meal is a practical strategy.
Vitamins A, K, and B6
Green peppers provide a moderate amount of vitamin A, though far less than red peppers. The color difference tells the story: carotenoids like beta-carotene are the pigments that give red and orange peppers their color, and green peppers simply haven’t developed those pigments yet. You’ll still get some beta-carotene, but if vitamin A is your priority, red peppers are the better choice.
Where green peppers hold their own is in vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting and bone metabolism, and vitamin B6, which supports over 100 enzyme reactions in the body, many of them related to protein metabolism and brain function. A medium green pepper provides roughly 8 to 10 percent of the daily value for each of these vitamins.
Minerals in Green Peppers
Green peppers aren’t a powerhouse source of any single mineral, but they contribute meaningful amounts of several. A medium pepper provides about 121 mg of potassium, which supports healthy blood pressure and muscle function. You’ll also get small amounts of magnesium (around 7 mg) and trace manganese (0.08 mg). These won’t cover a large percentage of your daily needs on their own, but they add up when green peppers are part of a varied diet rich in vegetables.
Fiber and Carbohydrates
A medium green pepper contains roughly 5 to 6 grams of carbohydrates, of which about 2 grams come from dietary fiber. The rest is a mix of natural sugars and starch. That fiber-to-calorie ratio is excellent. At just 24 calories, you’re getting meaningful fiber with virtually no caloric cost. Green peppers are also about 94% water by weight, which contributes to hydration and helps you feel full.
Carotenoids and Eye Health
Green peppers contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that concentrate in the retina of your eye and act as a natural filter against blue light damage. Research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables increases dietary intake of these compounds. While dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale contain 15 to 47% lutein, most have very little zeaxanthin. Orange peppers turned out to have the highest zeaxanthin content of any vegetable tested (37% of total carotenoids). Green peppers offer modest amounts of both, and eating them alongside other colorful vegetables helps cover the full spectrum.
Higher dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin has been linked to reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
How Cooking Changes the Nutrition
Vitamin C is sensitive to both heat and water. Boiling green peppers can destroy a significant portion of their vitamin C, with studies showing retention as low as 0 to 74% depending on the vegetable and cooking time. Blanching fares slightly better, retaining 58 to 89%. Steaming preserves more, and microwaving performs best of all, with some vegetables retaining over 90% of their vitamin C. The key factor is reduced contact with water and lower temperatures.
Interestingly, cooking works in your favor for carotenoids. Heat softens plant cell walls and breaks apart carotenoid-protein complexes, which can actually increase the amount your body absorbs. Studies have found that cooked vegetables sometimes show higher measurable carotenoid levels than raw ones, with beta-carotene retention ranging from 40% to over 125% after cooking. That number above 100% reflects improved extractability, not creation of new nutrients.
The practical takeaway: if you want the most vitamin C, eat green peppers raw, sliced into strips or tossed into a salad. If you want better carotenoid absorption, cook them lightly with a small amount of fat, since carotenoids are fat-soluble. Stir-frying or roasting for a short time gives you a reasonable balance of both.
Green vs. Red and Yellow Peppers
All bell peppers start green. As they ripen on the vine, they turn yellow, then orange, then red, and their nutrient profile shifts with each stage. Red peppers are loaded with beta-carotene and have the highest vitamin C content. Yellow peppers have the most vitamin C per gram but almost no beta-carotene. Green peppers sit at the bottom of the ripeness ladder, which is why they cost less at the grocery store (shorter growing time) and have a more bitter, grassy flavor.
That doesn’t make green peppers nutritionally inferior across the board. They still deliver strong vitamin C, comparable fiber and mineral content, and a lower price point that makes it easier to eat them in larger quantities. For most people, the best pepper is the one you’ll actually eat regularly.