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Yam (Zimikandha): Nutrition and who it suits

Yam is a good choice for weight loss, PCOS and diabetes, and fine in a portion for menopause. 100 g has 84 kcal, 2.6 g of protein and 4.2 g of fibre. One serving is one katori, cut (100 g), about 84 kcal.

Raw elephant foot yam

Numbers worked out by Poshan Labs from IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN), using the rules on How the ratings work. Last updated 26 October 2026.

Nutrition per 100 g

NutrientPer 100 g
Energy84 kcal
Protein2.6 g
Carbohydrate17.5 g
Fibre4.2 g
Sugars1.6 g
Fat0.1 g
Vitamin C15.2 mg
Potassium501 mg
Folate20.5 µg

Where its calories come from

86%
  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 86%
  • Fat 2%

Worked out from the protein, carbohydrate and fat above, at 4, 4 and 9 kcal a gram.

How many calories in one serving of yam?

About 84 kcal for one katori, cut (100 g), and about 168 kcal if you have two.

One serving, against your day

How much of an adult woman's daily need one serving (100 g) fills.

23%Vitamin C
15.2 mg
16%Potassium
501 mg
9%Folate
20.5 µg
9%Magnesium
33.5 mg
6%Protein
2.6 g
5%Calcium
46.9 mg

Source

Source: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), food code F017. Daily need is from ICMR-NIN Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, adult woman, moderate activity.

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Is yam good for weight loss, PCOS, diabetes and menopause?

Weight loss

Good choice

4.9 g of fibre per 100 kcal keeps you full for longer.

PCOS and PCOD

Good choice

4.2 g of fibre for 17.5 g of carbohydrate, which slows the rise in sugar.

Diabetes

Good choice

4.2 g of fibre for 17.5 g of carbohydrate, which slows the rise in sugar.

Menopause

Fine as part of a meal

47 mg of calcium and 2.6 g of protein in a 100 g serving, not enough to call it a good source, but fine as part of a meal.

Weight lossGood choice4.9 g of fibre per 100 kcal keeps you full for longer.
PCOS and diabetesGood choice4.2 g of fibre for 17.5 g of carbohydrate, which slows the rise in sugar.
MenopauseFine as part of a meal47 mg of calcium and 2.6 g of protein in a 100 g serving, not enough to call it a good source, but fine as part of a meal.

These ratings come from the numbers alone. On a free call, Puja looks at what fits your reports. How the ratings work.

Varieties

Per 100 g.

VarietykcalCarbs (g)Fibre (g)Sugars (g)
Elephant (shown above)8417.54.21.6
Ordinary8317.64.11.1
Wild10320.94.61.5

Also called

Assamese: Ol kachu; Bengali: Ol; Gujarati: Suran; Hindi: Zimikandha; Kannada: Suvarna gadda; Malayalam: Chena; Marathi: Suran; Odia: Suran; Punjabi: Zimikand; Tamil: Karunai kizhangu; Telugu: Kandha dumpa.

Related

Colocasia (Arwi)Lotus root (Kamal kakdi)Water chestnutPotato (Alu)Sweet potato (Shakarkand)Beet root (Chukandar)

Try the thali calorie calculator or the protein calculator.

Words on this page: fibreproteincalorieglycemic index

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