Nutmeg Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Ground nutmeg contains 25.94g saturated fat per 100g (130% DV) — the highest saturated fat density among all common spices. Of this, 22.83g is myristic acid (C14:0), a 14-carbon saturated fatty acid first isolated from nutmeg oil in 1841 and named directly after the *Myristica* genus. No other common food concentrates a single saturated fatty acid to this degree: 88% of nutmeg's saturated fat is one compound ^[1][2].

For context: coconut oil is approximately 44% lauric acid (C12:0), and cocoa butter is about 34% stearic acid (C18:0). Nutmeg's 88% myristic acid dominance is structurally unique. The remaining saturated fat is primarily palmitic acid (C16:0) at 2.26g, with trace lauric (0.37g) and stearic (0.17g) acids ^[1][3].

Per teaspoon (2.2g): 0.57g saturated fat (2.9% DV), of which roughly 0.50g is myristic acid. At cooking portions, this is less saturated fat than in a single cube of butter (1.1g). The lipid biochemistry is fascinating per 100g, but nutritionally irrelevant at pinch-to-teaspoon usage.

Nutmeg delivers 2.9mg manganese per 100g (126% DV), virtually identical to allspice (2.94mg). This ranks significantly below cloves (60.1mg, 2614% DV) and cardamom (28.0mg, 1217% DV) but remains a notable manganese density for a food — higher than most nuts, grains, and all common fruits ^[1][2].

Per teaspoon (2.2g): 0.064mg manganese (2.8% DV). Per tablespoon (6.6g): 0.19mg (8.3% DV). These are small contributions individually, but in a garam masala blend containing nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and mace, the combined manganese delivery per tablespoon of blend can be substantial ^[1].

For food journaling, nutmeg's manganese is a minor per-serving contributor. However, its 183mg magnesium per 100g (44% DV) is worth noting — per teaspoon that's 4.0mg magnesium (1.0% DV), more than the magnesium contribution from a teaspoon of most other spices.

Of nutmeg's 49.3g total carbohydrate per 100g, 20.8g is fiber and 28.49g is sugars — meaning virtually all non-fiber carbohydrate in nutmeg is simple sugar. This is highly unusual among spices: mace (its botanical companion) has only 0.13g sugars in 50.5g total carbs, cloves have 2.38g sugars, and black pepper has roughly 0.64g sugars ^[1][3].

The sugar composition is believed to be primarily sucrose, consistent with the slightly sweet flavor note that distinguishes nutmeg from sharper spices. At per-teaspoon portions: 0.63g sugars (2.2g serving) — comparable to a single raisin. Per tablespoon: 1.88g sugars ^[1].

For food journaling, nutmeg's sugars are negligible at cooking portions. A quarter-teaspoon over eggnog adds 0.16g sugar — far less than the sugar in the eggnog itself. The high per-100g figure is a compositional characteristic, not a dietary concern.

Myristicin — a phenylpropanoid compound — constitutes 1–18% of nutmeg essential oil (concentration varies widely by origin and extraction method). Alongside elemicin (1–3%), sabinene (14–29%), and alpha-pinene (10–22%), these volatile compounds create nutmeg's characteristic warm, sweet, slightly woody flavor profile ^[2][4].

The essential oil itself represents approximately 5–15% of nutmeg kernel weight, meaning myristicin content ranges from roughly 0.05% to 2.7% of whole nutmeg by dry weight. A single whole nutmeg (~5g) may contain 2.5–135mg of myristicin — a wide range reflecting genuine varietal and processing differences ^[2][3].

For food journaling, myristicin and other volatile compounds are entirely absent from USDA, IFCT, and all standard food composition databases. Standard nutrition panels capture nutmeg's macros, fiber, and minerals — but miss the aromatic compounds that constitute the entire reason nutmeg is used as a spice.

A single whole nutmeg weighs approximately 5g and contains: 26 kcal, 0.29g protein, 2.46g carbs, 1.82g fat (1.30g saturated), 1.04g fiber, 9.2mg calcium, 0.15mg iron, and 0.145mg manganese (6.3% DV). Most recipes use a fraction of one nutmeg — a few gratings typically amount to 0.25–0.5g ^[1].

Freshly grated nutmeg vs. pre-ground: nutritionally identical per gram, but grating ruptures cell walls and releases volatile compounds (myristicin, sabinene, alpha-pinene) more aggressively, which is why freshly grated nutmeg smells stronger. This distinction matters for flavor but not for nutrition tracking ^[2].

For food journaling, a typical recipe addition of nutmeg (1/4–1/2 tsp divided among 4–6 servings) contributes approximately 0.5–1.5 kcal per serving. Whether this level of precision is worth logging depends on your tracking goals — for most purposes, nutmeg at typical use levels is below the noise floor of food measurement.