In this article
- Does broccoli have fiber in every form? Grams by the spear, cup and bunch
- Why a cooked cup carries twice the fiber
- Frozen broccoli is a solid stand in
- How broccoli compares with its cabbage family relatives
- What kind of fiber broccoli gives you
- The vitamin payoff in half a cup
- Don’t toss the stems
- Fiber per calorie: where broccoli really shines
- Easy ways to work broccoli into your week
- How much of your day a broccoli side covers
- Raw, steamed or frozen: picking your broccoli
- What people also ask about broccoli fiber
- Sources
Forty five calories. That’s what one medium stalk of raw broccoli costs you, and it brings 3 grams of fiber plus more than twice your daily vitamin C, according to the FDA’s nutrition label for raw vegetables.
So does broccoli have fiber? Yes, and more than most green vegetables. A cup of cooked broccoli has 5.2 grams, roughly a fifth of the 28 gram Daily Value used on food labels.
How much you actually get depends on whether it’s raw, steamed or straight from the freezer bag. Here’s how each one adds up.
Does broccoli have fiber in every form? Grams by the spear, cup and bunch
These numbers come from USDA FoodData Central and the Dietary Guidelines list of fiber sources. The Daily Value column uses the FDA’s 28 gram target.
| Broccoli serving | Weight | Fiber | % Daily Value | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 raw spear (5 inches) | 31 g | 0.8 g | 3% | 11 |
| 1 cup raw, chopped | 91 g | 2.4 g | 9% | 31 |
| 1 medium raw stalk (FDA label) | 148 g | 3 g | 12% | 45 |
| 1/2 cup cooked, chopped | 78 g | 2.6 g | 9% | 27 |
| 1 cup cooked | about 156 g | 5.2 g | 19% | 54 |
| 1 cup frozen, chopped | 156 g | 4.7 g | 17% | 41 |
| 1 whole raw bunch | 608 g | 15.8 g | 56% | 207 |
A whole bunch is more than most people eat in a sitting, but it’s a useful number if you’re cooking for a family. Split four ways, each plate gets close to 4 grams.
Spears and stalks are handy for snacking, while the cup measures are what most recipes use. Pick whichever matches how you actually eat broccoli at home.
Why a cooked cup carries twice the fiber
Raw broccoli florets are bulky. They branch out, leave gaps and don’t pack down, so a measuring cup of raw chopped broccoli weighs only about 91 grams.
Steaming or boiling softens the florets and lets them settle. The same cup now holds closer to 156 grams of broccoli, so you’re simply eating more of the vegetable.
Gram for gram, the gap between the two is actually quite small. USDA lists 2.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams of raw broccoli and 3.3 grams per 100 grams boiled.
Myth vs fact: does cooking wipe out broccoli’s fiber?
Myth: Cooking breaks down the fiber, so raw broccoli is the only way to get the full benefit.
Fact: Fiber is sturdy stuff that heat doesn’t destroy. The USDA numbers show cooked broccoli has slightly more fiber per 100 grams than raw, not less.
Where cooking does cost you is vitamin C. Raw broccoli has 89 milligrams per 100 grams, while boiled broccoli has about 65, so you trade a bit of vitamin C for a softer texture.
Frozen broccoli is a solid stand in
A bag of frozen chopped broccoli gives you 3.0 grams of fiber per 100 grams, right between raw and boiled. One cup straight from the bag weighs 156 grams and has about 4.7 grams.
Frozen broccoli comes already trimmed and cooks in a few minutes in the microwave or a hot pan. It also keeps for months, so you always have a green vegetable on hand for busy nights.
The one thing to watch is sauce. Broccoli frozen in cheese sauce adds calories and sodium without adding fiber, so the plain bags are the better buy.
How broccoli compares with its cabbage family relatives
Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family, the group of vegetables related to cabbage and mustard. Here’s how a cooked cup of each compares, using the Dietary Guidelines numbers:
| Vegetable (1 cup cooked) | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels sprouts | 6.4 g | 65 |
| Broccoli | 5.2 g | 54 |
| Turnip greens | 5.0 g | 29 |
| Cauliflower | 4.9 g | 34 |
| Collard greens | 4.8 g | 63 |
| Kale | 4.7 g | 43 |
| Red cabbage | 4.1 g | 41 |
| Green cabbage | 2.8 g | 34 |
Brussels sprouts edge broccoli out on fiber, and cauliflower comes close with fewer calories. Plain green cabbage trails the group.
Outside the cabbage family, broccoli still beats many favorites. Cooked green beans have 4.0 grams per cup, cooked asparagus has 2.9 and cooked corn has 4.0 grams for more than twice the calories.
What kind of fiber broccoli gives you
Like most vegetables, broccoli carries both main types of fiber. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and adds bulk to stool, which helps things move through your digestive tract.
Soluble fiber dissolves into a gel that can help lower cholesterol and steady blood sugar. Mayo Clinic lists vegetables among the main sources of insoluble fiber, alongside whole wheat flour, beans and nuts.
That bulk is also why a big bowl of broccoli can leave some people gassy. Mayo Clinic notes that adding fiber too fast can cause gas, bloating and cramping, and suggests increasing it over a few weeks with plenty of water.
If your digestion tends to complain when you change how you eat, our gut health guides can help you build up slowly and comfortably.
The vitamin payoff in half a cup
Fiber isn’t the only reason broccoli shows up on so many healthy eating lists. Half a cup of cooked broccoli, just 78 grams, delivers a surprising amount for 27 calories:
- Vitamin K: about 110 micrograms, roughly 92% of the Daily Value. This vitamin helps your blood clot normally.
- Vitamin C: about 51 milligrams, over half the Daily Value.
- Folate: about 84 micrograms, around a fifth of the Daily Value. Folate is a B vitamin your body uses to make new cells.
- Potassium: about 229 milligrams.
Raw broccoli tips the balance toward vitamin C. One cup of raw chopped florets has about 81 milligrams, roughly 90% of what you need in a day.
Don’t toss the stems
The FDA’s label serving for broccoli is a whole medium stalk, the florets and stem together. Throwing the thick stem in the trash means losing a chunk of that serving.
Peel off the tough outer skin with a vegetable peeler and the inside cooks up tender. A few easy ways to use it:
- Slice into thin coins and stir fry with the florets.
- Shred into a slaw with carrots and a vinegar dressing.
- Dice and simmer into soup, then blend until smooth.
- Cut into sticks and roast alongside the florets.
Looking for more weeknight dinners that make broccoli the star? Our recipe eBooks are packed with simple, fiber rich ideas.
Fiber per calorie: where broccoli really shines
Broccoli’s best trick is how little energy comes with its fiber. Boiled broccoli gives you about 9.4 grams of fiber per 100 calories, and raw broccoli about 7.6.
Compare that with a few foods people often reach for when they want fiber:
- A medium apple with skin: about 4.6 grams per 100 calories.
- A medium banana: about 2.9 grams per 100 calories.
- Cooked corn: about 3.0 grams per 100 calories.
- Cooked Brussels sprouts: about 9.8 grams per 100 calories.
If you’re trying to eat more fiber without eating more calories, broccoli and its cabbage family cousins are some of the easiest foods to lean on.
Easy ways to work broccoli into your week
You don’t need a big side dish every night to get broccoli’s fiber. Small additions to meals you already make add up:
- Stir a cup of chopped frozen broccoli into pasta during its last two minutes of boiling.
- Fold steamed florets into scrambled eggs or an omelet.
- Toss raw florets into a grain bowl with chickpeas for crunch.
- Blend cooked broccoli into a potato or white bean soup.
- Top a homemade pizza with roasted florets.
- Pack raw florets with hummus for an afternoon snack.
Each of these adds roughly 2 to 5 grams of fiber, depending on whether the broccoli is raw or cooked and how much you use.
How much of your day a broccoli side covers
Mayo Clinic suggests about 25 grams of fiber a day for women and 38 grams for men aged 50 and under, dropping to 21 and 30 grams after 50.
A cup of cooked broccoli covers about a fifth of a younger woman’s target and about 14% of a younger man’s. That’s a meaningful share for one side dish.
Broccoli works best as one piece of a fiber rich day rather than the whole plan. Pair it with beans, whole grains or fruit at other meals and the total climbs fast.
Curious what your own number should be? Our fiber calculator sets a daily target based on your age and sex.
Raw, steamed or frozen: picking your broccoli
All three forms are worth eating, so let the meal decide. Use these quick rules:
- If you want the most fiber per cup, cook it. A cooked cup has 5.2 grams compared with 2.4 grams raw.
- If vitamin C is the goal, eat it raw or lightly steamed, since boiling lowers it.
- If you’re short on time, grab plain frozen broccoli. It has 4.7 grams per cup and cooks in minutes.
- If you’re cooking a whole head, use the peeled stem too, so you keep the full serving.
What people also ask about broccoli fiber
Is broccoli high in fiber?
Yes. A cup of cooked broccoli has 5.2 grams of fiber, about 19% of the Daily Value, for only 54 calories. That puts it near the top of non starchy vegetables.
How many grams of fiber are in a cup of raw broccoli?
A cup of raw chopped broccoli has about 2.4 grams of fiber. Raw florets are bulky, so the cup holds less broccoli by weight than a cooked cup does.
Does steaming broccoli reduce its fiber?
No. Cooking doesn’t destroy fiber, and boiled broccoli actually has slightly more fiber per 100 grams than raw, 3.3 grams compared with 2.6. It does lower vitamin C somewhat.
Is frozen broccoli as high in fiber as fresh?
Yes. Plain frozen broccoli has 3.0 grams of fiber per 100 grams, about 4.7 grams per cup. Skip the versions frozen in cheese sauce.
Does broccoli or cauliflower have more fiber?
Broccoli has slightly more, 5.2 grams per cooked cup compared with 4.9 for cauliflower. Cauliflower has fewer calories, 34 compared with 54.
Why does broccoli make me gassy?
Broccoli is rich in fiber, and adding a lot of fiber quickly can cause gas and bloating. Building up your intake over a few weeks and drinking enough water usually helps.
Which vegetables have more fiber than broccoli?
Cooked artichoke, green peas, canned pumpkin and Brussels sprouts all beat broccoli per cup. Brussels sprouts lead the cabbage family at 6.4 grams per cooked cup.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “Broccoli, raw (170379); Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained (169967); Broccoli, frozen, chopped (169968).” FoodData Central, SR Legacy. 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Nutrition Information for Raw Vegetables.” 2017. www.fda.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2026. www.fda.gov
- Mayo Clinic. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” 2025. www.mayoclinic.org
