Parsley Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Fresh parsley contains 36 kcal per 100g — a moderate calorie density for an herb. However, a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley weighs only 3.8g, delivering just 1.4 kcal. Even a generous quarter-cup (15g) provides only 5 kcal. At typical garnish quantities (1–2 tablespoons), parsley is effectively calorie-free ^[1].

The only context where parsley calories become meaningful is in herb-forward dishes like tabbouleh, where 2 cups of chopped parsley (120g) contribute 43 kcal and 3.6g protein. In these preparations, parsley functions as a vegetable, not a garnish, and should be logged by weight ^[1].

For food journaling, skip logging parsley when used as a garnish (1–2 tablespoons). Only log it when it's a main ingredient — tabbouleh, chimichurri, green smoothies — where quantities exceed about 30g (a quarter cup), making the calorie contribution non-negligible at 11 kcal.

Fresh parsley has approximately 1,640mcg vitamin K per 100g — one of the single highest vitamin K concentrations in the USDA database, exceeding kale (~817mcg), spinach (~483mcg), and collard greens (~437mcg). However, this extraordinary per-100g number must be scaled to actual serving sizes ^[1].

One tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley (3.8g) provides approximately 62mcg vitamin K — which is still 52% of the daily value from a single tablespoon of garnish. A quarter-cup (15g) provides approximately 246mcg — over 200% DV. Even as a garnish, parsley is a significant vitamin K contributor.

For food journaling, parsley's vitamin K content is worth logging even at garnish quantities. A daily tablespoon contributes 52% DV of vitamin K — one of the few nutrients where a garnish-sized serving makes a meaningful daily impact.

Dried parsley has 292 kcal per 100g vs. fresh parsley's 36 kcal per 100g — an 8x difference in calorie density. This is entirely due to water removal: fresh parsley is 88% water, while dried parsley is only 6% water. The nutrient concentration increases proportionally ^[2].

In practice, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley (3.8g, 1.4 kcal) is roughly equivalent in flavor to 1 teaspoon of dried parsley (1g, 2.9 kcal). Both contribute nearly zero calories to a dish. The caloric equivalence per dish holds because the quantities used scale inversely with concentration.

For food journaling, both fresh and dried parsley contribute negligible calories when used as seasonings. The distinction matters only for micronutrient tracking: dried parsley has 1,140mg calcium, 22mg iron, and 400mg magnesium per 100g — but at 1g per teaspoon, that's 11mg calcium, 0.22mg iron, and 4mg magnesium.

Traditional tabbouleh uses parsley as the primary ingredient — typically 2 cups (120g) of chopped fresh parsley. At this quantity, parsley contributes 43 kcal, 3.6g protein, 7.6g carbs, 4.0g fiber, and 160mg vitamin C — a meaningful nutritional contribution that should be logged ^[1].

The other tabbouleh ingredients add significantly more calories: 2 tablespoons of olive oil (238 kcal), ¼ cup bulgur wheat (approximately 60 kcal dry), tomatoes (8 kcal per 50g), and lemon juice (3 kcal). Total tabbouleh: approximately 350–400 kcal per bowl, with parsley contributing about 10–12% of the total.

For food journaling, log tabbouleh by individual components. The parsley at 120g contributes 43 kcal — not negligible for a dish's base ingredient. The olive oil contributes 60% of the total calories and is the most important component to measure precisely.

Fresh parsley contains 133mg vitamin C per 100g — roughly 2.5x the concentration of oranges and lemons (both ~53mg/100g). This makes parsley one of the most vitamin C-dense fresh foods available. A quarter-cup (15g) provides 20mg vitamin C (22% DV) — meaningful from just a handful of herb ^[1].

The practical limitation is quantity consumed. A daily tablespoon of parsley garnish (3.8g) provides about 5mg vitamin C — 6% of the daily value. This is helpful but modest. To match an orange's vitamin C contribution (~63mg), you'd need about 47g of parsley — more than 3 tablespoons but less than a cup.

Dried parsley retains 125mg vitamin C per 100g despite dehydration — but at 1g per teaspoon serving, that's only 1.3mg of vitamin C. The fresh form is far more practical for vitamin C tracking in your food journal.