Naranjilla (lulo) pulp, frozen, unsweetened - How Many Calories?

Calories in frozen, unsweetened lulo pulp

Unsweetened naranjilla, also called lulo, pulp provides 25 kcal per 100 g. The USDA entry gives 120 g for a thawed cup, supplying 30 kcal; a weighed 60 g amount provides 15 kcal. Your drinking glass is not necessarily that reference cup. The entry describes Solanum quitoense pulp, rather than whole fresh fruit or a sweetened bottled drink. [1]

Unsweetened does not mean sugar-free

There are 3.74 g naturally occurring sugars per 100 g, within 5.9 g total carbohydrate. That amount also supplies 1.1 g fibre, 0.44 g protein and 3.2 mg vitamin C. It is neither a zero-sugar food nor a high-protein ingredient. The figures apply to the unsweetened frozen pulp; do not transfer them to another lulo preparation. [1]

Apple cooked without added sugar illustrates the same distinction between added and natural sugar, using its own separate nutrient values.

Calculating a glass of lulo juice

Adding water to 60 g pulp spreads its 15 kcal through a larger drink; it does not remove those calories. Count any sugar, honey, milk or other fruit separately. Entering the finished drink's volume as the same weight of pure pulp would overstate the amount of fruit used. Start with the weight of the pulp, then add the other ingredients.

Using the frozen product

Follow the package's thawing and cooking instructions, since not every frozen product is ready to eat. Thawing in the refrigerator is an appropriate option. Freezing does not sterilise food. Keep the focus on portion size and added ingredients rather than treating the drink as a detox or a way to control blood sugar. [2]

Sources: [1] USDA SR28, 09450: Naranjilla pulp, frozen, unsweetened; [2] USDA FSIS: Freezing and Food Safety