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Vegetables and starchy roots

Cooked nopales

Cooked nopales are 94% water, so 100 g (3.5 oz) brings only 15 kcal and 2 g of fiber.

USDA description: Nopales, cooked

  • Low energy density
  • Hydrating

Estimated satietyHow it is calculated

Starting point+1
Very low energy density: 15 kcal/100 g+2
Protein: 9.0 g/100 kcal+2
Fiber: 13.3 g/100 kcal+2
Solid food with 94.3 g of water+1
Sum8
Capped at 55

Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.

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Sources
5 primary
Data
USDA FDC 169388

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Nutrition facts

Calories
23 kcal per serving
15 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Protein
2 g per serving
1.4 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates
4.9 g per serving
3.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which sugars
1.7 g per serving
1.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fiber
3 g per serving
2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fat
0.1 g per serving
0.1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which saturated
0 g per serving
0 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Water
141.5 g per serving
94.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Source: USDA FoodData Central: Nopales, cooked, without salt (FDC ID 169388), accessed September 23, 2026.

A typical 150 g (5.5 oz, about 1 cup) serving provides about 23 kcal, 2 g of protein, and 3 g of fiber.

The typical serving (150 g (5.5 oz, about 1 cup)) is a common amount used for the math, not a recommendation. Ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents; the values come from the database entry cited in the sources.

What it is and how to eat it

Nopales are the tender pads, or cladodes, of the nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), the same cactus that produces the prickly pear, known in Spain as chumbera and its fruit as higo chumbo. They are a staple in Mexico, where they are sold whole, already cleaned of spines, cut into strips (nopalitos) or in jars, plain or pickled, and outside Mexico they are found mostly canned or in Latin American grocery stores. This page covers nopales cooked without salt, with 15 kcal, 2 g of fiber and 164 mg of calcium per 100 g according to USDA.

A 150 g (5.3 oz) serving provides about 23 kcal, 3 g of fiber and 2 g of protein: a lot of volume for very little energy, so they work as a side to the protein, which the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests eating first, as in the chicken and nopal tacos or the nopales salad with black beans and queso fresco. When appetite is low, avoid filling up on vegetables before eating the protein part of the meal. The same advisory suggests increasing fiber gradually, so in the weeks after a dose increase it may sit better to start with half a serving, well cooked and rinsed to remove the slime.

What the evidence says

In a controlled trial in 14 people with type 2 diabetes, published in 2014 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, adding 300 g of steamed nopal to a high-carbohydrate breakfast lowered the area under the post-meal glucose curve by 35%, from 443 to 287, compared with the same breakfast without nopal, and it also lowered the insulin response. An earlier study, published in Diabetes Care in 2007 in people with type 2 diabetes, found a smaller rise in glucose when nopal was added to three Mexican breakfasts: chilaquiles, burritos and quesadillas. These are small, single-meal studies, so they do not show that eating nopales improves long-term diabetes control or that they can replace treatment. The US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) advises people with diabetes to fill half the plate with nonstarchy vegetables, a group that includes nopales.

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.

Recipes with this food

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Satiety

The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.

What to keep in mind on a GLP-1 medication

Low energy density
It has 100 kcal or less per 100 g: plenty of volume for few calories, which helps you feel full. On a GLP-1 medication, which already reduces your appetite, make sure these foods do not push protein foods off your plate.
Hydrating
It has 85 g of water or more per 100 g, so it contributes to hydration. That helps because with a smaller appetite people also tend to eat and drink less, and not drinking enough can make constipation worse.

Frequently asked questions about cooked nopales

How many grams of protein are in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of cooked nopales?

100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked nopales has 1.4 g of protein. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 2 g of protein. That is 9 g of protein per 100 kcal.

How many kcal are in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of cooked nopales?

100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked nopales has 15 kcal. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 23 kcal. That is a very low energy density.

How much fiber is in a 150 g (5.5 oz) serving of cooked nopales?

100 g (3.5 oz) of cooked nopales has 2 g of fiber. A typical 150 g (5.5 oz) serving has about 3 g of fiber.

Do cooked nopales keep you full?

Yes, very filling for the calories they provide: our estimated satiety score is 5 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) + 2 (very low energy density: 15 kcal/100 g) + 2 (protein: 9.0 g/100 kcal) + 2 (fiber: 13.3 g/100 kcal) + 1 (solid food with 94.3 g of water) = 8; capped at 5. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.

How do cooked nopales fit into eating on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound?

Based on our tags, this is what matters about cooked nopales on a GLP-1 medication. “Low energy density”: plenty of volume for few calories; make sure it does not push protein foods off your plate. “Hydrating”: a lot of water, which contributes to hydration when you eat and drink less. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.

What is a typical serving of cooked nopales?

We use 150 g (5.5 oz) as a typical serving, about 1 cup. That amount provides about 23 kcal, 2 g of protein, and 3 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.

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Sources

Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.

  1. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Nopales, cooked, without salt (FDC ID 169388).accessed .
  2. Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
  3. Clinical trialJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Elsevier).López-Romero P, Pichardo-Ontiveros E, Avila-Nava A, et al. The effect of nopal (Opuntia ficus indica) on postprandial blood glucose, incretins, and antioxidant activity in Mexican patients with type 2 diabetes after consumption of two different composition breakfasts. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014;114(11):1811-1818. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2014.06.352.accessed .
  4. Clinical trialDiabetes Care (American Diabetes Association).Bacardi-Gascon M, Dueñas-Mena D, Jimenez-Cruz A. Lowering effect on postprandial glycemic response of nopales added to Mexican breakfasts. Diabetes Care. 2007;30(5):1264-1265. doi:10.2337/dc06-2506.accessed .
  5. InstitutionNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH).Healthy Living with Diabetes.accessed .