NUTRITIONAL FACTS ABOUT TROPICAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Have you ever tried to figure out the value a food holds for you? At the back of a cereal box or in a book on nutrition you can read that the food for example has 18 mg niacin per 100 gram. But do you know if one 100 gram serving of food satisfies your RDA or Recommended Dietary Allowance? And of course, did you read plenty of articles about food which is high in one nutrient and low in another, yet not known what they meant by high and low. To bring these usually very hard-to-comprehend theories down to more understandable and simple notions is the aim of this article.

The nutritionist, Jim Duke, devised a scoring system of percentages of the RDA in simple gradings from extremely low = E, low = L, high = H, to very high = V, as for;

Calcium: [C1]
less than 8gm/100g is scored very low (E)
from 8 to 80mg/100g is scored low (L)
from 80 to 800mg/100g is scored high (H)
and from 800 and more is scored very high (V)
Calories: [C2]
less than 27 calories/100g is scored very low E
27 to 270 calories/100g is low L
270 up to 2700 calories/100g is scored high H
Fiber: [F]
less than 0.1g/100g is E
up to 19/100g is L
1 to 10g/100g is H
10 to 100g is V
Iron: [I]
less than 0.18 mg/100g is E
0.18 to 1.8 mg/100g is L
1.8 to 18mg/100g is H
18 or more mg/100g is scored V
Magnesium: [M]
to 3.5mg/100g is E
3.5 to 35mg/100g is L
35 to 350mg/100g is H
350 or more per 100g is V
Niacin: [N]
less than 0.18mg/100g is E
0.18 to 1.8mg/100g is L
1.8 to 18mg/100g is H
18 or more per 100g is V
Phosphorus: [P1]
less than 8mg/100g is E
8 to 80mg/100g is L
80 to 800mg/100g is H
800 or more per 100g is V
Potassium: [P1]
less than 25 mg/100g is E
25 to 250mg/100g is L
250 to 2500mg/100g is H
2500 or more mg/100g is V
Protein: [P3]
less than 0.56g/100g is E
0.56 to 5.6g/100g is L
5.6 to 56g/100g is H
56g or more per 100g is V
Riboflavin: [R]
less than 0.018mg/100g is E
0.018 to 0.18 is L
0.18 to 1.8 is H
1.8 or more mg per 100g is V
Sodium: [S]
less than 46mg/100g is E
46 to 460 is L
460 to 4600 is H
and more than 4600mg/100g is V
Thiamin: [T]
less than 0.014mg/100g is E
0.014 to 0.14 is L
0.14 to 1.4 is H
and more than 1.4mg/100g is V
Vitamin A: [V1]
less than 50 IU or 30µg (micrograms) carotene/100g is E
50 to 500 IU or 30 to 300 µg /100g is L
500 to 5000 IU or 300 to 3000 µg /100g is H
5000 IU or 3000µg or more per 100g is V
Vitamin C [V2]:
less than 0.45mg ascorbic acid/100g is E
0.45 to 4.5mg ascorbic acid/100g is L
4. 5 to 45mg ascorbic acid/100g is H
45mg or more ascorbic acid/100g is V

Editor's note, January, 2011. The following list contains several clear errors of identification and incorrect association of a common name with the botanical name. In these cases, the common name was changed to match the botanical name. For example, Syzygium aromaticum was labeled as 'Allspice'. Trapa natans is a lesser-known type of water chestnut of the Lythraceae family and is not related to the 'Chinese' water chestnut, Eleocharis dulcis of the Cyperaceae family. However, it is possible that the data is for the Chinese Water Chestnut

It is possible that the 'Mamey sapote' has been confused with the 'Mammee Apple'. The data may or may not be for the Mammee Apple.

Common NameScientific NameC1C2FIMNP1P2P3RSTV1V2
AbiuPouteria caimitoLLLL HL LL LLV
AcerolaMalphigia panicifolia, M. glabraHLHH HH HH HVV
African breadfruitTreculia africanaHHH   H H     
AkeeBlighia sapidaLLHH LL LL HHH
Amaranth (bajem)Amaranthus tricolorHLHH LLHLL LVV
AmbarellaSpondias dulicisLLHL LLLELELLH
ArrowrootMaranta arundinaceaLHHH LL LL L H
AvocadoPersea americanaLHHLHLLHLHELLH
BabacoCarica pentagonaLELL LL LL LLH
BaelfruitAegle marmelosHLHL LLHLH HLH
Bamboo shootsBambusa spp.LLLL LLHLL HEL
BananaMusa x paradisicaLLLLLLLHLLELLH
Beans, MungVigna radiataHHHH HHLHHEHL 
BetelnutAreca catechuHHVH LLHHHLHEE
Bignay (buni)Antidesma buniusLLLL LL LL EEH
BilimbiAverrhoa bilimbiEELL LLLLLEEEV
Binjai mangoMangifera caesiaLL E  L L  LEV
Black mulberryMorus nigraLLLH LLLLLLLEH
BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumLLHLLLLLLLELLH
BrazilnutBertholettia excelsaHHHHHLHHHLEHE 
BreadfruitArtocapus altilisLLHL LLHLLELEH
Bullock's heartAnnona reticulataLLHL LL LL LEH
Canary nutCanarium schweinfurthiiHHH   V H     
CandlenutAleurites moluccaHH H  H H  LEE
CanistelLucuma nervosaLLHL LL LL LHH
Canna (Q arrowroot)Canna edulisLLLL LL LE LHH
CarambolaAverrhoa carambolaLLLL LLLLLELLL
CarissaCarissa spp LL  L EL LEH
CarobCeratonia siliquaHLH   H L     
CashewnutAnacardium occidentaleLHHHHHHHHHEHL 
CassavaManihot esculentaLLHL LLHLLELEH
Cattley guavaPsidium cattleianumLLHL LL EL LLH
Ceylon gooseberryDoyvalis hebecarpaLLHL LL LL LLV
CherimoyaAnnona cherimolaLLHL LL LL LEH
Chinese jujubeZizyphus jujubaLLHL LLHLLELLV
CitronCitrus medicaLL H  L    LV 
CloveSyzygium aromaticumHLHH LL LL LHV
CoconutCocos nuciferaLHHLHLHHLLELEL
Common NameScientific NameC1C2FIMNP1P2P3RSTV1V2
CocoplumChrysobalanus icacoLLHL LL EL LEH
Green sapoteCalocarpum virideLLHL HL LL EEH
GrumichamaEugenia dombeyiiLLLL LL LL LEH
Icecream beanInga spp.LLHL LL LL LEH
IlamaAnnona diversifoliaLLHL HL LL LEH
Indian almondTerminalia catappaLHHH LHHHLLH E
JaboticabaMyrciaria caulifloraLLLL LL LL LEH
JakfruitArtocarpus integrifoliaLLH  LLHLLHL H
Jamaica cherryMuntingia calaburaLLHL LLHLLELEV
JambolanSyzygium cuminiLLLL LLLLEEEEH
KumquatFortunella spp.LLHL  LLLLELHH
KuiniMangifera odorataELLL LL LL LHH
LangsatLansium domesticumLLLL LLLLLELEL
LemonCitrus limonLELLLLLLLLELEV
Lemon grassCymbopogon citratusLLHH HL LL LHL
LimeCitrus aurantifoliaLLLL LLLLLELEH
LonganEuphoria longanLLLL LL LL L V
LoquatEriobotrya japonicaLLLL LLHELELHL
LycheeLitchi chinensisLLLL  LLLLE  H
MacadamiaMacadamia spp.LHHH LHHHL HEE
MadroneRheedia madrunoLLHL LL LL LEL
Malabar chestnutPachira spp. HHVH HHHHLLLHH
Malay appleSyzygium malaccenseELLL LL LL LEH
MameeMammea americanaLLHL LLLELELLH
MamoncilloMeliococcus bijugatusLLHL LL LL LEH
MandarinCitrus reticulataLLLL LLLLLELHH
MangoMangifera indicaLLLLLLLLLLELHH
MangosteenGarcinia mangostanaLLHL LLLELELEL
PapayaCarica papayaLLLL LLLLLELHV
PeanutArachis hypogaeaLHHHHHHHHLEH E
PecanCarya illinoensisLHHHHLHHLEHLLL
Pepper, hotCapsicum annuumLLHL LLHLLELHV
PersimmonDiospyros kakiLLHHLELLL EL V
PilinutCanarium ovatumHHHH LHHHLEHEE
PineappleAnanas comosusLLLLLLLLELELLH
PiñuelaBromelia karatasLLLL LE LL LEV
PistachioPistacia veraHHHHHLHHH  HLE
PitayaHylocereus undatusLLHL LL LL LEH
Common NameScientific NameC1C2FIMNP1P2P3RSTV1V2
PitangaEugenia unifloraLLLL LL LL LHH
PlantainMusa paradisiacaLLLL LL LL HLH
PomegranatePunica granatumLLHL LLHLEEL H
PondappleAnnona glabraLLHH LL EL LLH
PulasanNephelium mutabileLLHH LL LL EEV
PumeloCitrus maximaLLLL LLLLLELHV
Purple mombinSpondias purpureaLLLL LLHLLELLV
Purple passionfruitPassiflora spp.LLHLLL LL E H
RambaiBaccaurea motleyanaLL L  L L  EEH
RambutanNephelium lappaceumLLHH LLLLLEEEV
RamontchiFlacourtia indicaLLHL LLLELEEHH
Rice, brownOryza spp.LHLLHHHLHLEHEE
Rice, whiteOryza spp.LHLLLLLLHLELEE
RoseappleSyzygium jambosLLHL LL LL LLH
Sago palmMetroxylon spp. LHLL ELLLEEEEE
SalakSalacca edulisLL H  L E  LEL
SantolSandoricum koetjapeLLHL LLHELELEH
SapodillaManilkara zapoteLLHL LLLELEELH
ShahtootMorus albaLLLH LLLLLLLEL
Sweet leafSauropus androgynusLL H HHHLHELVV
SeagrapeCoccoloba spp.LLHL LL LL LEH
SoursopAnnona muricataLLHL LLHLLELEH
SoybeanGlycine maxLLHH LH HHEHHH
StarappleChrysophyllum cainitoLLHL LLLLLEEEH
SugarappleAnnona squamosaLLHL LLHLLELEH
SugarpalmArenga pinnataLELL EEEEEEE  
KangkongIpomea aquaticaLLHH LLLLL LVH
OrangeCitrus sinensisLLLL LLLLLELLH
Sweet potatoIpomea batatasLLLLLLLLLLELVH
Tahiti chestnutInocarpus edulis LH     L     
TamarindTamarindus indicaLLHH LHHLLLHEL
TangeloC. reticulata x C. maxima or C. x paradisiLLEL ELLELELLH
TangerineCitrus reticulataLLLL ELLLLELLH
TaroColocasia esculentaLELL LLHLLELLH
TomatoLycopersicon esculentumLELLLLLLLLELHH
WampiClausena lansiumLLLE HLHLLELEV
WaterappleEugenia aqueaLLLL LL LL EEH
Water chestnutTrapa natansELLLLLLHLHEHEL
White sapoteCasimiroa edulisLLHL LL LL LEH
Yellow mombinSpondias mombinLLHH LL LL LLH
Common NameScientific NameC1C2FIMNP1P2P3RSTV1V2

C1 - Calcium, C2 - Calories, F - Fiber, I - Iron, M - Magnesium, N - Niacin, P1 - Phophorus, P2 - Potassium, P3 - Protein, R - Riboflavin, S - Sodium, T - Thiamin, V1 - Vitamin A, V2 - Vitamin C.

Extract from pamphlet 'Composition And Facts About Foods', by Jim Duke. Authorities for many of these can be found in Duke and Terrell, 1974, Crop Diversification Matrix.

Presented to RFCA Inc. Newsletter by
Andreas Flach, N.E.C. Secretary
DATE: November 1994

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