Do Spices Have Calories?

Spices do not have nutrition labels. Perhaps it is because we use them in such small quantities. Still, I wonder about sweet spices, such as cinnamon. Does it have any calories, or is it really a calorie-free (or negative-calorie?) food?

What’s the story on spices and nutritional content?

  • Jinx

Well all foods that get used by the body provide energy. I would guess that due to the quantities involved you wind up with calories not Calories (kilo calories).

A gram of Garlic has about 3.3 calories (28/tbsp).
Tarragon weighs in at about 3 calories per gram, as does Marjoram.
Pepper contains about 2.5 calories per gram.
Anise, which is a fairly oily seed, supplies 3.4 calories per gram.

Sweet spices such as cinnamon? Have you tried eating ground straight cinnamon?

Cinnamon isn’t sweet. You’re just used to eating it with lots of sugar. Next time go take a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and eat it. I DARE ya! :smiley:

I used to suck on cinnamon sticks and you’d get a sweetish taste.

Forgot cinnamon; 2.6 Calories/gm.

Potentially important nitpick: In your previous post, Squink, were those calories or Calories?

As food items, I’d expect they were Calories (kcal).