A prickly pear may be any cactus in the Opuntia genus, usually Opuntia ficus-indica. Nopal is a pad of the prickly pear when it's prepared as a vegetable, and the plural term is nopales. This vegetable is common in Mexico, where it may be a side dish or an ingredient in an entrée.
Serving Size
Diet & Fitness Today provides nutritional information on raw Nopales. This information doesn't depend on any particular brand or species of prickly pear. The serving size is 100 g, or about 3.5 oz. of raw nopales.
Calories
A serving of nopales contains a total of 16 calories. Carbohydrates contribute 12 calories, and protein provides the remaining 4 calories. A serving of nopales provides 0.8 percent of the daily value for calories, based on a daily diet of 2,000 calories.
Carbohydrates
One serving of nopales contains a total of 3 g of carbohydrates, or about 1 percent of the daily value for total carbohydrates. This includes 2 g of dietary fiber, which is about 8 percent of the daily value for dietary fiber. A serving of nopales also has 1 g of simple sugar.
Protein and Fat
A serving of nopales has 1 g of protein, which is 2 percent of the daily value for protein. Nopales contains no cholesterol or fat of any type.
Vitamins and Minerals
A serving of nopales contains 21 mg of sodium, or about 1 percent of the daily value for sodium. It also has 16 percent of the daily value for calcium, 15 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and 13 percent of the daily value for magnesium. Additional nutrients in a serving of nopales include 9 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, 7 percent of the daily value for potassium, 2 percent of the daily value for phosphorus and 1 percent of the daily value for folate.
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