Wondering if there are calories in garlic is a common question for chefs and food lovers alike, particularly if they like to cook with this potent ingredient.
Calories in a Bulb of Garlic
Garlic is remarkably nutrient dense and offers an impressive range of health benefits, but when it comes to calories, there are only 5 calories in garlic (per clove). Considering that most recipes hardly ever call for more than 5-6 cloves, you could happily munch on garlic all day without any fear of upsetting your calorie intake for the day.
For those who are worried about other aspects of garlic nutrition, there are 0 grams of fat and 0 mg of cholesterol, making this an extremely heart-healthy spice. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a protein content in garlic, only 0.2 mg per clove. [1]
Garlic cloves Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The real value of garlic doesn’t lie in its proteins, fats, carbs or calories, but in the minerals and vitamins that are found in such dense supply. Garlic is high in magnesium, vitamin C, copper, and vitamin B6. You need to eat quite a bit of garlic for them to make a dent in your daily intake of those nutrients, but garlic also offers volatile compounds and antioxidants. The active ingredient in garlic is allicin, a powerful antioxidant that can have a positive impact on your gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, circulatory, and immune systems. The other sulfuric compounds found in garlic can have similarly impressive effects on overall health. [2]
