What does 100 g of lotus seeds put on your nutrition label, dried or freeze-dried?
About 20 g of protein, 11 g of fibre and 1,410 mg of potassium per 100 g of freeze-dried lotus seeds, with 1.5 g of fat, 2 g of naturally occurring sugars and no added sugar. Protein supplies roughly 23% of the energy, so one ingredient reaches the EU levels for “high protein”, “high fibre” and “high in potassium”, and a 30 g US serving is a “good source of fiber”. The ingredient line reads “lotus seeds”.
Freeze-dried lotus seeds are the shelled, cored kernels of Nelumbo nucifera, steam-blanched and freeze-dried to ≤5% moisture and water activity ≤0.30. They are crisp and ready to eat from the bag, and rehydrate in 10–15 minutes in warm water instead of an overnight soak. They are not makhana (fox nut, Euryale ferox), which comes from a different water plant. This guide compares the familiar USDA figure for dried lotus seeds with the freeze-dried kernel, and sets out which claims each market lets you print.
How do USDA dried lotus seeds compare with freeze-dried, per 100 g and per serving?
The USDA reference for dried lotus seeds is the number most nutrition sites repeat. It describes a dried seed at about 14% water. A freeze-dried kernel holds far less water, so the same seed carries more of everything else per 100 g.
| Nutrient | USDA dried lotus seeds, per 100 g (≈14% water) | Freeze-dried lotus seeds, per 100 g (≤5% moisture) | Freeze-dried, per 30 g serving | % DV per 30 g (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 332 kcal | 350 kcal (EU: 1,470 kJ) | 105 kcal | |
| Protein | 15.4 g | 20 g | 6 g | |
| Total fat | 1.97 g | 1.5 g | 0.45 g | 1% |
| Saturated fat | low | 0 g | 0 g | 0% |
| Sodium | 5 mg | 5 mg | 1.5 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 1,368 mg | 1,410 mg | 423 mg | 9% |
| Total carbohydrate | 64.5 g | 70 g | 21 g | 8% |
| Dietary fibre | not reported | 11 g | 3.3 g | 12% |
| Total sugars | not reported | 2 g (0 g added) | 0.6 g |
Typical values for 100% freeze-dried lotus seeds; natural variation by origin, season and maturity applies. Lot nutrition panel available for label artwork.
On an EU panel, the freeze-dried kernel reads 1,470 kJ / 350 kcal, fat 1.5 g (saturates 0 g), carbohydrate 59 g (sugars 2 g), fibre 11 g, protein 20 g and salt 0.01 g. The EU declares carbohydrate without fibre and sodium as salt, so 70 g of total carbohydrate on a US panel becomes 59 g on an EU panel, and 5 mg of sodium becomes 0.01 g of salt.
Why does freeze-dried read higher than the USDA figure?
Two reasons: water, and the seed itself.
Water. Taking a seed from 14% water down to about 4% concentrates every other nutrient by about 1.12 times: (100 − 4) ÷ (100 − 14) = 1.12. On water alone, the USDA protein of 15.4 g becomes about 17 g, and the minerals rise by the same factor.
The seed. The USDA entry describes one reference sample of dried lotus seeds. Research on Vietnamese lotus cultivars reports protein of roughly 20–24 g per 100 g, above that reference. FruitBuys uses 20 g, the low end of that range, as the typical value for label planning. The kernel is also cored and skinned before drying, so what reaches your pack is the dense, edible kernel and nothing else.
The table is right for formulation and for choosing claims. The printed panel should come from your own lot: FruitBuys samples your commercial lot and arranges the nutrition panel in FDA or EU format, so your artwork and your container carry the same numbers.
Are lotus seeds high in protein?
Yes, by the EU definition, and that is the headline. “High protein” in the EU needs at least 20% of energy from protein. At 20 g of protein in about 350 kcal, lotus seeds supply roughly 23%, from a plant ingredient with 1.5 g of fat and no added sugar.
For a US pack, protein claims are built differently. A “good source” or “high” protein claim depends on protein quality as well as quantity (the PDCAAS score), which a reference table does not give you, so the US front of pack is better built on fibre. The protein grams still go on the panel, and 6 g in a 30 g serving is a strong number for a crunchy snack with one ingredient.
What else does the kernel bring: fibre, potassium and minerals?
Fibre: 11 g per 100 g, or 3.3 g in a 30 g serving. That is “high fibre” in the EU (threshold 6 g per 100 g) and a “good source of fiber” in the US (12% DV per serving, against a 10% threshold).
Potassium: 1,410 mg per 100 g, about 70% of the EU reference intake, well above the 30% that “high in potassium” requires. On a 30 g US serving it reaches 9% DV, just short of the 10% a US “good source” claim needs, so keep potassium for EU packs.
Magnesium and phosphorus. On the USDA reference, converted to 4% moisture, lotus seeds carry about 235 mg of magnesium, 700 mg of phosphorus and 180 mg of calcium per 100 g. Magnesium and phosphorus reach EU “high” levels on that basis. They are not on the standard panel, so if your pack is going to name them, add them to the lot panel and build the claim on your own result.
Sodium: 5 mg per 100 g. With nothing added, that is “very low sodium” in the EU and “sodium free” per US serving.
Why do US and EU calories differ?
Because the two systems count fibre differently. In the EU, energy is calculated with fixed factors, fibre counts at 2 kcal per gram and carbohydrate is declared without fibre: that gives 350 kcal (1,470 kJ). In the US, the label can be built on several accepted methods, and depending on how much of the fibre is counted at 4 kcal per gram, the same 100 g reads 330–375 kcal. The spec panel shows 350.
Neither figure is wrong. Use the EU figure on EU packs and the method your US label consultant uses on US packs, and never copy a calorie line from one market’s artwork to the other’s.
Which claims can freeze-dried lotus seeds carry?
Protein, fibre and potassium carry the front of the pack in the EU; fibre does it in the US. The table checks each common claim against the plain, unseasoned kernel.
| Claim | EU (per 100 g) | US (per 30 g serving) | Use it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| High protein | ✔ about 23% of energy, threshold 20% | Not used without a PDCAAS result | EU lead claim |
| High fibre / good source of fiber | ✔ 11 g, threshold 6 g | ✔ 12% DV, threshold 10% | Yes, both markets |
| High in potassium | ✔ 70% NRV, threshold 30% | ✘ 9% DV, “good source” needs 10% | EU only |
| Very low sodium / sodium free | ✔ 5 mg, threshold 40 mg | ✔ 1.5 mg, threshold 5 mg | Yes |
| Low fat | ✔ 1.5 g, threshold 3 g | ✔ 0.45 g, threshold 3 g | Yes |
| No added sugars | ✔ none added | ✔ 0 g added sugars on the panel | Yes, as a fact line |
| Vegan / naturally gluten-free | Composition fact | Composition fact | Yes; gluten-free claims need a lot gluten test (US: <20 ppm) |
A seasoned or coated kernel is a different panel. Salt, honey or chocolate change sodium, sugars and fat, so recalculate the claims for that recipe before artwork is final.
Are lotus seeds low-carb or keto?
No, and they do not need to be. Per 100 g they carry 70 g of total carbohydrate and 11 g of fibre, so about 59 g of net carbohydrate; a 30 g serving carries about 18 g. That rules out a keto claim on a bag of plain kernels.
The story that sells is protein and fibre with nothing added: a plant-protein, high-fibre base for high-protein and clean-label lines. If your range includes a low-carb product, use lotus seed as a garnish or inclusion there and build the carbohydrate story on the base. For crunchy snacks, cereal toppers and dessert kits, lead with protein in the EU and fibre in the US.
Lotus seed is easily confused with makhana in snack aisles and with lotus root in nutrition searches. Makhana is a different plant with a different panel, compared in lotus seeds vs makhana. Lotus root is the same plant but a different part, high in fibre and low in protein; its figures are in what 100 g of freeze-dried lotus root puts on your label.
Request a sample and a lot panel for your label
Order a sample in the format your product uses and ask for the nutrition panel on your commercial lot, in FDA or EU format, so your artwork, your claims and your container line up before the first pouch is printed. Which format fits which product is in which lotus seed format fits your line, and the full specification is on the freeze-dried lotus seeds product page.
FAQ
How much protein is in 100 g of lotus seeds?
USDA’s dried reference lists 15.4 g at about 14% water. Freeze-dried kernels at ≤5% moisture carry about 20 g, roughly 23% of their energy.
How many calories are in 100 g of freeze-dried lotus seeds?
350 kcal (1,470 kJ) on an EU panel; 330–375 kcal on a US panel, depending on how fibre is counted.
Are lotus seeds high in fibre?
Yes. Freeze-dried kernels carry about 11 g per 100 g, “high fibre” in the EU and a “good source of fiber” per 30 g US serving.
Are lotus seeds high in potassium?
Yes, at about 1,410 mg per 100 g, 70% of the EU reference intake. Per 30 g US serving it is 9% DV.
Are lotus seeds keto-friendly?
No. They carry about 59 g of net carbohydrate per 100 g. Their label strengths are protein, fibre and potassium.
Do freeze-dried lotus seeds contain added sugar?
No. They carry about 2 g of naturally occurring sugars per 100 g and 0 g added.
Is lotus seed nutrition the same as makhana nutrition?
No. Makhana comes from Euryale ferox, a different plant, and has its own panel. Lotus seeds are Nelumbo nucifera.
