Calories and spices

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zuzanao
zuzanao Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Maybe a silly question,but are there calories in spices?when making a meal from scratch,do you add ur spices into mfp receipies?thanks.
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  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    edited November 2019
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    I add spices only so that I can refer back to them if it was an experiment that I liked. Unless you eat a lot of spices, the impact to your diary is so minimal that it really isn't necessary to record them. For instance, one tablespoon of black pepper has 17 calories. The amount of pepper you actually eat in a portion, is probably less than half a teaspoon or about 3 calories.

    Editing to add this link. https://www.calories.info/food/herbs-spices
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 6,555 Member
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    I add spices. It's not huge calories but adds up.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,992 Member
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    I have never added them other than packet spices like for taco or chili seasoning to a recipe.
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
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    In general no, if extracts yes.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    Katmary71 wrote: »
    I add spices. It's not huge calories but adds up.

    This! Some of the recipes I have in the recipe builder have around a quarter to a third of their total calories coming from various spices. Obviously it depends but they can add up.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    If I'm really dosing up on the cinnamon or cumin (favorites of mine) I'll log them, bu otherwise I don't bother.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    Katmary71 wrote: »
    I add spices. It's not huge calories but adds up.

    Another vote for this. But I also often use 4-10 spices/seasonings in a recipe. And while they don’t have a lot of calories, they do add often 100-200 to the whole recipe. And often a good chunk of sodium if you’re using any kind of a blend.

    I also frequently remake a lot of the same recipes and having them logged in the recipe builder makes it easier to recreate.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
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    I put them in recipes I enter in the recipe builder, but that’s for my info only, for when I’m making the recipe again. The calories are negligible, and really don’t add up to much at all. Most of my recipes are for multiple servings.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    Also-a packet of taco or chili seasoning rolls in about 120 calories. Granted, there’s stuff in there other than spices, but 100-200 for an entire recipe of spices is really not that crazy.

    It’s not a big amount. But neither is mustard or ketchup and people log those.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    Spicy Garlic Flounder (for 4 servings) - 106 total (of 444 for the recipe), 26 (of 111) per serving:
    Cilantro - 13 cal
    Garlic - 53 cal
    Lemongrass - 40 cal

    This doesn’t include the chili paste, soy sauce, or mirin.

    Again-not a huge amount but 100-200 is really not a crazy amount.

    I don’t think everyone needs to go logging every dash of salt and pepper. But I will add them to my recipes because they do add up. And because now I can make this fish again without having to find the recipe.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
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    I went to a dietician years ago who suggested that we all eat about 50 calories or a few less each day that we don’t account for. She suggested to me that I might eat about 100 or less, including spices, vitamins, supplements, and 4 almonds.
    I also put spices in the recipe builder, so I know which spices to use next time, not for calories.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,604 Member
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    When trying to minimize errors in logging I was definitely adding them (and probably still do most of the time).

    Same as yellow mustard not being zero calories especially in the quantities used, or oil spray not being zero calories after you add 10g of oil to your pot... they add up.

    Many pots I've made end up with 5% plus of their calories from spices. Even more so if you consider things such as garlic as spice instead of ingredient
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,070 Member
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    It depends on the specific spices and quantities, as others have said. I log some of mine (cinnamon, cumin, turmeric are common) for memory reasons, and those run around 7-8 calories per teaspoon. If you use things like sesame seeds (oily), those can add up a little faster.

    Look up a few of the things you use frequently, and decide if the calorie levels are meaningful for your desired level of logging meticulousness, in the amounts you use, then it'll be pretty easy to decide whether it's important for you to log them, or not
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    edited November 2019
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    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    Also-a packet of taco or chili seasoning rolls in about 120 calories. Granted, there’s stuff in there other than spices, but 100-200 for an entire recipe of spices is really not that crazy.

    It’s not a big amount. But neither is mustard or ketchup and people log those.

    Yeah, never logged those either...never saw any reason to be that exact with things and I cook with plenty of spices, just not copious amounts of them I guess...I figure in most cases, a little goes a long way.

    IDK...I don't log anything anymore and haven't in like 6+ years so I figure I was relatively lose with things other than calorie dense things.

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