The yucca, or cassava, is a high-calorie, high-carbohydrate plant, native to South America. It is available in two main flavor varieties, sweet and bitter. Sweet yucca may be consumed raw. It can also be dried and milled to create tapioca and flour. Yucca flour is often used in baked goods and desserts as a thickening agent. Bitter cassava contains potentially toxic compounds and should not be eaten raw. Peeling and boiling removes the toxins, making them safe to eat.
Yucca Calories
One cup of yucca contains 330 calories. This makes up approximately 17 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet. A majority of the calories contained in yuccas come from their high carbohydrate content. Yuccas contain 78.4 grams carbohydrate. At 4 calories per gram, this adds up to 314 calories. More than 95 percent of the calories in yuccas come from carbohydrates.
Other Nutrition Facts
A serving of raw yucca also contains 2.8 g protein, 0.58 g fat and 3.7 g fiber. Yucca can be a rich source of vitamins and minerals as well. It contains 33 milligrams calcium, 558 mg potassium, 43 mg magnesium, 56 mg phosphorus and 56 micrograms folate. Your body needs all of these to build and maintain cells and bones. One cup of yucca meets 3 percent of your daily calcium, 12 percent of potassium needs, 14 percent of your magnesium needs, 8 percent of your phosphorus and 14 percent of your daily folate needs.
Yucca Chips
A 100-gram serving of yucca chips is approximately 3.5 ounces and contains 515 calories. Compared to a cup of yucca, which weighs about 206 g, yucca chips contain twice the amount of calories per serving. If you were to eat a serving of yucca chips every day for one year, you would consume more than 187,000 additional calories. This equals a weight gain of nearly 54 pounds.
Other Nutrition Facts
Not only are yucca chips high in calories, they also contain a high amount of fat and carbohydrate. A serving of yucca chips provides 25.9 g total fat, 69.2 g carbohydrate and only 1.3 g protein. Of the fat contained in the chips, 8.6 g come from saturated fats, 7.4 g from monounsaturated fats and 6.9 g from polyunsaturated fats. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends keeping saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of your total calorie intake. On a 2,000-calorie diet, limit your saturated fat intake to 20 g. A serving of yucca chips makes up approximately 43 percent of your daily saturated fat allowance.
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