Glucose: Very LowNOVA 1

Nutritional Information for Cucumbers

Cucumber is one of the lowest-calorie foods available at just 16 kcal per 100g, made up of around 95% water. From a SpikeSaver perspective, cucumbers are essentially glucose-neutral — with only 1.2g of carbohydrates per 100g and a negligible glycaemic impact, they will not raise blood sugar in any meaningful way. A whole cucumber contains fewer calories than a single digestive biscuit. The only thing to watch is cucumber-based products with dips or dressings, which add fat, sugar, and sometimes UPF markers.

Nutrition per 100g

NutrientPer 100gPer serving
Energy16 kcal / 65 kJ14 kcal
Protein1g0.9g
Carbohydrates1.2g1.1g
of which sugars1.2g
Fat0.6g0.5g
of which saturated0g
Fibre0.7g
Salt0.01g

Serving size: 1/4 cucumber (~90g) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Glucose impact

Very Low

Glucose risk

Cucumber contains just 1.2g of carbohydrates per 100g, all of which are naturally occurring sugars. The glycaemic index is negligible — the carbohydrate content is so low that even eating an entire cucumber would deliver only about 4g of carbs. There is essentially zero blood sugar impact from eating cucumber.

Processing level

NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

A whole fresh cucumber is an unprocessed single-ingredient product. It has no additives, preservatives, or flavourings. Pre-sliced or bagged cucumber sticks remain NOVA 1 as they are simply cut and packaged. However, cucumber products with dips (such as soured cream and chive) move to NOVA 3 or NOVA 4 depending on the additives in the dip.

Cucumbers at Tesco

Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

£0.89*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)
£1.05*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)
£1.20*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)
£1.00*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)
£1.50*NOVA 3 (processed)

*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.

What to watch for when shopping

Plain whole or sliced cucumbers are always NOVA 1 and have negligible calories. The only risk comes from cucumber snack packs with dips — the Tesco Cucumber With Soured Cream & Chive Dip jumps to 68 kcal/100g with added fat and processing. Pickled cucumbers (gherkins) are NOVA 2-3 with added salt and vinegar. Budget tip: Tesco Whole Cucumber Each at £0.89 is the best value option.

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