Seasonings and spices are an important part of cooking, allowing you to add flavor without necessarily adding calories. However, some seasonings do contain a small number of calories that can add up, especially if used in large amounts. Understanding how many calories are in different seasonings can help you make informed choices when flavoring your food.
Do herbs and spices have calories?
Most herbs and spices contain very minimal calories, ranging from 0-5 calories per teaspoon. Since herbs and spices are used in such small amounts, they add a negligible amount of calories to your meal. Some examples of low-calorie herbs and spices include:
- Basil: 3 calories per teaspoon
- Oregano: 1 calorie per teaspoon
- Cinnamon: 2 calories per teaspoon
- Parsley: 1 calorie per teaspoon
- Rosemary: 2 calories per teaspoon
- Thyme: 1 calorie per teaspoon
So while herbs and spices do technically contain calories, the amount is very small. A pinch or teaspoon of these will add minimal calories to your dish.
Do all seasonings have minimal calories?
While most herbs and spices are very low in calories, some other common seasoning ingredients contain more:
- Soy sauce: 8 calories per teaspoon
- Teriyaki sauce: 17 calories per tablespoon
- Barbecue sauce: 57 calories per tablespoon
- Salad dressings: 73-90 calories per tablespoon
- Oils: 120 calories per tablespoon
As you can see, liquid seasonings like soy sauce and oil have significantly more calories. Still, if used in small drizzles or teaspoons, the calories added are minor. But drinking soy sauce by the bottle would pack on calories!
Highest calorie seasoning ingredients
Some specific seasoning ingredients are quite high in calories. Here are some examples of seasoning ingredients with 50+ calories per tablespoon:
- Honey: 64 calories
- Maple syrup: 52 calories
- Molasses: 47 calories
- Guacamole: 80 calories
- Pesto: 80 calories
- Tahini: 89 calories
- Peanut butter: 94 calories
- Coconut milk: 50 calories
Due to their high fat and sugar content, these seasoning ingredients provide significantly more calories. A couple tablespoons could add a couple hundred calories to your meal. So be mindful of portion sizes if using these.
Do dried herbs and spices have more calories?
Dried herbs and spices contain about the same amount of calories per teaspoon as fresh. However, because dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor, you typically use less. Therefore, dried herbs and spices may add slightly fewer calories compared to fresh.
For example, 1 teaspoon of dried basil contains around 3 calories, while 1 tablespoon of fresh basil contains around 1 calorie. So even though the dried basil has more calories per teaspoon, you would likely use less than a teaspoon.
How many calories in popular spice mixes and blends?
Many popular spice blends and mixes are low in calories, since herbs and spices contain minimal calories on their own. For a 1 tablespoon serving:
- Italian seasoning: 5 calories
- Taco seasoning: 10 calories
- Cajun seasoning: 5 calories
- Curry powder: 8 calories
- Pumpkin pie spice: 20 calories
- Chili powder: 20 calories
Some seasoning mixes do contain added sugar, salt, or other ingredients that increase the calorie content slightly. But the calories from a tablespoon or two of these mixes is still quite low.
Which is more caloric – seasoning blends or individual spices?
Seasoning blends generally have fewer calories than combining individual spices and herbs. This is because blends usually contain less salt and sugar.
For example, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning has about 5 calories. To make a similar Italian blend with individual spices, you’d need to combine basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and likely additional ingredients like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and potentially sugar. The end result would contain more than 5 calories per tablespoon.
So blends allow you to add lots of flavor with fewer calories than making your own mix of individual spices and herbs.
Do homemade versions of seasoning have fewer calories?
Not necessarily. Homemade seasoning blends don’t automatically have fewer calories than store-bought versions. The calorie content depends entirely on the specific ingredients and amounts used in the recipe.
Some homemade blends may use less salt, sugar, or oil. But other homemade recipes could include calorie-dense ingredients like nuts, seeds, coconut, avocado, or dried fruit.
If interested in creating homemade seasoning with fewer calories, opt for recipes focused mainly on fresh and dried herbs and spices, using minimal amounts of oils, dressings, salt, and sugar.
How many calories in salt-free seasoning blends?
Salt-free seasoning blends tend to be similar in calories to regular blends, ranging from 0-15 calories per tablespoon. Some examples:
- Salt-free lemon pepper: 5 calories per tablespoon
- Salt-free Italian seasoning: 3 calories per tablespoon
- Salt-free taco seasoning: 15 calories per tablespoon
- Salt-free Cajun seasoning: 0 calories per tablespoon
The main difference is salt-free blends contain potassium chloride instead of regular table salt (sodium chloride). In terms of calories, this swap makes little difference. Herbs, spices, sugar, and other ingredients impact the calories more than whether it’s salt or salt-free.
Do low-sodium seasoning blends have fewer calories?
Seasoning blends advertised as low-sodium or reduced sodium do not inherently contain fewer calories. They simply contain less sodium than regular salt-containing blends.
For example, a low-sodium lemon pepper blend would have similar calories to regular lemon pepper seasoning. The only difference is the low-sodium version would use less table salt.
So opting for low-sodium herb/spice blends can help reduce your sodium intake, withoutnecessarily reducing calories.
Which oils add the most calories when cooking?
While oils are not technically seasonings, they are often used to add flavor when sautéing or roasting foods. Oils provide a significant number of calories, about 120 per tablespoon. Some oils that are especially high in calories include:
- Olive oil: 120 calories
- Coconut oil: 120 calories
- Avacado oil: 120 calories
- Sesame oil: 120 calories
- Peanut oil: 119 calories
- Grapeseed oil: 120 calories
- Sunflower oil: 120 calories
To get the most flavor for the fewest calories, use oils sparingly by sautéing and roasting with cooking spray or a couple teaspoons of oil spread over the pan.
How to reduce calories from seasonings
Here are some tips to reduce unwanted calories from seasonings:
- Use herbs and spices liberally to add flavor without calories
- Measure oil and salad dressings; don’t pour from the bottle
- Opt for low-calorie condiments like mustard, hot sauce, vinegar
- Use lemon and lime juice and zest to add fresh flavor
- Limit high-calorie ingredients like honey, coconut milk, nuts
- Make your own herb/spice blends instead of pre-made mixes
- Flavor foods with sautéing/roasting using broth or cooking spray instead of oil
- Compare nutrition labels and choose lower calorie dressings, sauces and marinades
With some awareness of seasoning calories and a few simple substitutions, you can create maximum flavor without overdoing it on calories.
What about onion and garlic? Are they low in calories?
Yes, onion and garlic are very low in calories, making them an ideal way to add flavor without calories.
Raw onions only have around 45 calories per cup. Garlic is even less, with about 15 calories per clove. When cooked, onions and garlic generally provide fewer calories per serving.
Adding minced, powdered, or granulated onion/garlic to your meals will add minimal calories while providing loads of flavor.
Are there any seasonings that have protein or other nutrients?
Most herbs and spices don’t contain significant protein or other nutrients. However, a few standouts include:
- Basil: Provides vitamin K, vitamin A, and iron
- Oregano: Contains fiber, manganese, and antioxidants
- Cinnamon: High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
- Turmeric: Provides antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6, and manganese
- Ginger: Contains anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea compounds
- Garlic: High in vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese
So while most seasonings won’t provide protein, vitamins, or minerals, some herbs and spices do contain beneficial plant compounds.
Should you count calories from seasonings when tracking your diet?
Most herbs, spices, and seasoning blends contain minimal calories per serving, so they do not need to be obsessively tracked or counted.
However, it can be prudent to account for calories from larger sources like oils, dressings, sauces, etc. For example, tracking 2 tablespoons of olive oil or 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce.
Unless you are following an extremely strict diet, you likely don’t need to stress over the calories from every pinch of oregano or dash of cinnamon. Just be mindful of portion sizes with higher calorie seasonings.
Conclusion
Most herbs, spices, and seasoning mixes contain relatively few calories per serving. While certain high-fat, high-sugar ingredients like oils, honey, and coconut milk can provide more significant calories, these can be used sparingly. Following basic principles of portion control and moderation allows you to add ample flavor using seasonings without going overboard on calories. With some mindfulness, you can craft delicious seasoned meals that align with your health goals.
