Cauliflower is often treated as a low-carb stand-in for rice or pizza crust, but it is also a genuinely good source of vitamin C. A 100 g serving of raw cauliflower contains about 48.2 mg of vitamin C, which is more than half of the FDA's 90 mg Daily Value — and it delivers that nutrient for only about 25 calories.
This calculator makes it easy to translate your cauliflower portion into vitamin C milligrams and percentage of your daily target. Enter the amount you plan to eat, choose the unit that matches your recipe (cups, grams, ounces, stalks, or a whole head), and pick whether the cauliflower is raw or boiled. You can also adjust the daily target if your needs differ from the standard 90 mg.
Whether you are tracking micronutrients, planning meals for a family, or simply curious about what your vegetables contribute, the results include a full breakdown: vitamin C in milligrams, percent of your daily target, and the amount of cauliflower needed to reach the target in a single serving.
📊 Results
Assumes USDA values for raw and boiled cauliflower. Actual content varies with variety, storage, and cooking time.
How to Use This Tool
Start by typing the amount of cauliflower you are working with in the Amount field, then choose the matching unit from the dropdown. The unit options already include common kitchen conversions — grams, ounces, cups of chopped cauliflower, cups of flowerets, individual stalks, and medium heads — so you don't need to weigh anything for a quick estimate. Next, select whether your cauliflower is raw or boiled, because boiling reduces the vitamin C concentration slightly when expressed per 100 g. If your daily target differs from the standard 90 mg FDA Daily Value, adjust it in the third field. Press Calculate to see milligrams of vitamin C, the percentage of your target, and how much cauliflower would be needed to hit the full target.
Tip: Use the quick-amount pills under the inputs if you want a one-click estimate for common portions such as 100 g, a stalk, or half a head.
The Math Behind It
Raw cauliflower contains roughly 48.2 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, while boiled cauliflower contains about 44.3 mg per 100 g. The calculator uses this basic conversion:
Vitamin C (mg) = (weight in grams ÷ 100) × vitamin C per 100 g
For example, 150 g of raw cauliflower gives (150 ÷ 100) × 48.2 = 72.3 mg of vitamin C. The percentage of your daily target is then vitamin C ÷ target × 100. If your target is 90 mg, that 150 g portion covers about 80% of the day's needs.
Values are based on the USDA FoodData Central entry for raw cauliflower; nutrient databases from other countries can report slightly different figures depending on variety, growing conditions, and analytical method.
Worked Examples
Example 1: You meal-prep a lunch with 1 cup of chopped raw cauliflower. One cup weighs about 107 g, so vitamin C = (107 ÷ 100) × 48.2 ≈ 51.6 mg. Against a 90 mg target, that is about 57% DV.
Example 2: A soup recipe calls for 250 g of boiled cauliflower. Vitamin C = (250 ÷ 100) × 44.3 ≈ 110.8 mg — enough to exceed the 90 mg target by about 23% (123% DV).
Example 3: You only have a whole medium head (about 588 g raw). That head supplies roughly 283 mg of vitamin C, or about 315% of the 90 mg Daily Value across several servings.
Factors Affecting Accuracy
Vitamin C is one of the more fragile nutrients. Heat, water, oxygen, and storage time all lower the amount that actually ends up on your plate. Boiling leaches some vitamin C into the cooking water, and longer cook times cause greater losses; steaming and microwaving with minimal water tend to preserve more. Storage also matters — cauliflower kept in the refrigerator for a week can lose a meaningful share of its ascorbic acid. The calculator uses standard food-composition values, so treat the result as a solid estimate rather than a laboratory measurement.
Remember: If you cook cauliflower in a large volume of water and discard the water, the retained vitamin C will be lower than the boiled value shown here.
Daily Value and Dietary Context
The U.S. FDA sets the Daily Value for vitamin C at 90 mg for adults, based on a 2,000-calorie reference diet. Most adults need 75–90 mg per day, and smokers have higher needs because smoking increases oxidative stress and vitamin C turnover. Cauliflower is one of the few low-calorie, low-carb vegetables that can deliver a large share of this target without much caloric cost — 100 g of raw cauliflower has only about 25 calories. For comparison, a 100 g serving of raw bell pepper can provide even more vitamin C, making it a useful partner food if you are actively tracking micronutrient intake. See our bell pepper vitamin C calculator for that comparison.
Reference Data
The table below shows approximate raw weights and vitamin C values used by the calculator for common portions.
| Portion | Approximate weight | Raw vitamin C (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 48.2 |
| 1 cup chopped | 107 g | 51.6 |
| 1 cup flowerets | 85 g | 41.0 |
| 1 large stalk | 151 g | 72.8 |
| 1 medium head | 588 g | 283.4 |
| Boiled, 100 g | 100 g | 44.3 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is frozen cauliflower as rich in vitamin C? Frozen cauliflower is usually blanched before freezing, which causes some loss, but the frozen product can still contain around 40–48 mg per 100 g depending on the brand. Check the package nutrition label for the exact value.
Does roasting destroy vitamin C? Roasting uses dry heat and no water, but the high temperature and longer cooking time still cause some breakdown. Expect somewhat lower levels than raw — the boiled value in this calculator is a closer approximation for most cooked methods than raw.
Should I eat cauliflower raw for maximum vitamin C? Raw cauliflower offers the highest concentration of ascorbic acid, but cooked cauliflower is still a useful source. Choose the preparation that fits your meal; the difference between raw and boiled is roughly 4 mg per 100 g, not a dramatic drop.
Why does your number differ from my food app? Different nutrient databases use different sampling and analytical procedures. USDA values are widely used, but apps may use other national databases.
For authoritative details, see the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements vitamin C fact sheet and the USDA FoodData Central entry for raw cauliflower.