Herbs & spices

Herbs and spices punch far above their weight. Used in small amounts, they add negligible calories while letting you cut back on salt, sugar and fat without losing flavour. Gram for gram they're some of the most antioxidant-rich foods measured — think of the curcumin in turmeric, the compounds in cinnamon and cloves, or the vitamin K in fresh parsley — although the tiny quantities actually eaten mean their day-to-day nutritional contribution is modest.

Because the database lists everything per 100 g, spices can look startlingly nutrient-dense — but you'd never eat 100 g of dried oregano. Their real value is culinary and, increasingly, of interest to researchers studying their bioactive compounds. Fresh herbs also count toward your vegetable intake when used generously.

Browse every herb and spice per 100 g, keeping realistic portion sizes in mind and using the gram scaler to see a pinch or a teaspoon.