Ghee calories
per teaspoon, not per 100 g
45 kcal 1 teaspoon — taken as 5 g — has about 45 calories, with 0.0 g protein, 0.0 g carbohydrate and 5.0 g fat. Two come to 90 kcal, three to 135 kcal.
Per 100 g, ghee carries 900 kcal and 0.0 g protein.
Serving assumed: 1 teaspoon ≈ 5 g — pure milk fat — one teaspoon on a roti adds 45 kcal. Change the portion and every number below changes with it.
Ghee calories by portion
The whole point of this site: an Indian portion, not a laboratory 100 g. Everything below scales linearly from the 5 g serving.
| Portion | Grams | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 g | 45 kcal | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 5.0 g | 0.0 g |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 g | 90 kcal | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 10.0 g | 0.0 g |
| 3 teaspoons | 15 g | 135 kcal | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 15.0 g | 0.0 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 g | 135 kcal | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 15.0 g | 0.0 g |
Figures in kilocalories — the "calories" on a food label. Carbohydrate is available carbohydrate; fibre is listed separately and is included in neither the carbohydrate column nor the energy figure.
Full nutrition per 100 g
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 teaspoon (5 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 900 kcal | 45 kcal |
| Protein | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
| Fat | 100.0 g | 5.0 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
What it takes to burn off 1 teaspoon of ghee
Minutes of activity for a 70 kg adult to spend 45 kcal, using MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. This is a scale check, not a licence — appetite rises with activity and the two do not cancel neatly.
Calculated as MET × 3.5 × 70 kg ÷ 200 kcal per minute. Full working on the method page, and the whole activity dataset at BurnLab.
Where ghee sits in an Indian plate
Among the 16 raita, chutney & sides entries on this site, ghee ranks 16th for protein (0.0 g per 100 g) and 1st for energy density (900 kcal per 100 g). The protein leader in the group is lehsun chutney at 5.0 g.
Protein supplies only 0% of its energy, so treat it as an energy food rather than a protein food. There is very little fibre here — 0.0 g per 100 g.
A realistic day matters more than any single dish. If you are building a meal, the thali builder adds several foods and their real servings together in one total.
Questions
How many calories are in 1 teaspoon?
About 45 kcal for 1 teaspoon, taken as 5 g (pure milk fat — one teaspoon on a roti adds 45 kcal). Two come to roughly 90 kcal and three to 135 kcal. Per 100 g, ghee carries 900 kcal.
How much protein is in ghee?
0.0 g per 100 g, which works out to 0.0 g in 1 teaspoon. That is 0% of the energy in this food, and ranks 16th of 16 in the raita, chutney & sides group on this site.
Is ghee good for weight loss?
At 900 kcal per 100 g it is energy-dense, so the portion decides everything. Protein is low, so eat it alongside a protein source rather than on its own. No single food makes or breaks a diet; the total for the day does.
Why does this differ from other calorie sites?
Two reasons. First, most sites publish a per-100 g figure from a US database and leave you to guess what a roti or a katori weighs; this page states the serving weight up front. Second, home-cooked Indian food varies enormously with oil and ghee — the figures here assume pure milk fat — one teaspoon on a roti adds 45 kcal. A restaurant version can be 30 to 60% higher.
Similar foods
Four more from raita, chutney & sides, and three from elsewhere with a similar energy density.
Nutrient values are averages for the stated preparation, based on the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR–NIN) and standard recipe analysis. Energy is reconciled against the macronutrients with Atwater factors on every build. General information only — not medical or nutrition advice. Home-cooked Indian food varies enormously with oil, ghee and portion size; every value here is an average for a stated serving, with the assumption shown.