Nuts and oilseeds · IFCT 2017
Sesame seeds (til): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, black sesame seeds give 508 kcal, 19.2 g protein, 17.2 g fibre, 1664 mg calcium, 13.9 mg iron and 8.59 mg zinc, according to IFCT 2017. That calcium is the highest of all 242 foods in the tables, and the zinc ranks 2nd of 243. Even a tablespoon of til adds meaningful calcium, iron and zinc to an Indian meal.
About sesame seeds (til)
Sesame, til in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi, ellu in Tamil and Malayalam, nuvvulu in Telugu, acchellu in Kannada and rasi in Odia, is one of India's oldest oilseeds, grown across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Much of the crop is pressed into gingelly oil, and the seeds themselves are eaten most in winter, when sesame and jaggery sweets mark Makar Sankranti and Lohri.
IFCT 2017 compares three colours. Black til, the reference here, has the most calcium, 1664 mg per 100 g. Brown til has 1174 mg and white til 1283 mg, but both carry slightly more protein and iron: 21.6 g and 14.95 mg for brown, 21.7 g and 15.04 mg for white. Gujarati cooks temper dhokla, khandvi and handvo with white til, and the south grinds black ellu into podi for rice.
What sesame seeds (til) brings to a meal
- 01
The top calcium food in the tables
At 1664 mg per 100 g, black sesame ranks 1st of 242 foods for calcium. 100 g covers about 166 per cent of the daily requirement, and a tablespoon gives a useful share.
- 02
Zinc and magnesium
Black til gives 8.59 mg zinc and 390 mg magnesium per 100 g, ranking 2nd and 4th of all foods. The zinc covers about 51 per cent of a man's and 66 per cent of a woman's requirement.
- 03
Iron and folate
It carries 13.9 mg iron and 127 micrograms of folate per 100 g, ranking 8th and 15th of all foods. The iron meets about 73 per cent of a man's and 48 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
- 04
Fibre, B6 and vitamin K1
Sesame has 17.2 g fibre per 100 g, 16th of 256 foods, along with 0.64 mg vitamin B6 and 110.0 micrograms of vitamin K1.
Sesame seeds (til) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 508 kcal | 24% | 31% |
| Protein | 19.2 g | 36% | 42% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 10.3 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 17.2 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1 g | ||
| Total fat | 43.1 g | ||
| Water | 4.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 6.32 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 15.61 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 19.26 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 136 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 1,664 mg | 166% | 166% |
| Iron | 13.9 mg | 73% | 48% |
| Zinc | 8.59 mg | 51% | 66% |
| Magnesium | 390 mg | 89% | 105% |
| Phosphorus | 568 mg | ||
| Potassium | 480 mg | ||
| Sodium | 16 mg | ||
| Copper | 1.76 mg | ||
| Selenium | 15.7 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Beta-carotene | 13 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.34 mg | 19% | 20% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 4% | 4% |
| Niacin (B3) | 3.12 mg | 17% | 22% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.64 mg | 27% | 34% |
| Folate (B9) | 127 µg | 42% | 58% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.08 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 110 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Sesame seeds (til): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nuts-and-seeds/sesame-seeds-til/
Where sesame seeds (til) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 nuts and oilseeds and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In nuts and oilseeds | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary fibre | 17.2 g | 2nd of 14 | 16th of 182 |
| Iron | 13.9 mg | 3rd of 14 | 8th of 242 |
| Calcium | 1,664 mg | 1st of 14 | 1st of 242 |
| Zinc | 8.59 mg | 1st of 14 | 2nd of 243 |
| Magnesium | 390 mg | 2nd of 14 | 4th of 242 |
| Folate (B9) | 127 µg | 2nd of 14 | 15th of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.34 mg | 11th of 14 | 32nd of 239 |
| Energy | 508 kcal | 11th of 14 | 25th of 257 |
Every form of sesame seeds (til) in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gingelly seeds, black (shown above) | 508 kcal | 19.2 g | 17.2 g | 13.9 mg | 1,664 mg |
| Brown | 516 kcal | 21.6 g | 17.2 g | 14.95 mg | 1,174 mg |
| White | 520 kcal | 21.7 g | 17 g | 15.04 mg | 1,283 mg |
How sesame seeds (til) is eaten
- Tilgul and til laddoo with jaggery for Makar Sankranti, shared with the words tilgul ghya, god god bola in Maharashtra.
- Gajak and rewri, the crunchy sesame and jaggery sweets of north Indian winters.
- Ellu podi, roasted black sesame ground with dal, chilli and salt, mixed into hot rice with gingelly oil.
- White til in the mustard tempering for dhokla, khandvi, handvo and methi thepla.
- A spoon of toasted sesame in lemon rice or peanut chutney.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Before you plan around it
Sesame is a major food allergen and reactions can be severe; anyone allergic must check labels on chikki, gajak and bakery goods. Unhulled seeds carry oxalate and phytate, which hold back part of the calcium and iron, so roasting, grinding and eating sesame with vitamin C foods help. Most of us eat sesame as sweets, and tilgul and gajak are largely jaggery or sugar, so the sweet is the portion to watch. At 508 kcal per 100 g, the seeds themselves are energy-dense too.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about sesame seeds (til)
Is sesame a good source of calcium?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 1664 mg calcium per 100 g of black sesame, the highest of 242 foods, with 1174 mg in brown and 1283 mg in white til. Some is bound by oxalate, but even allowing for that, a spoon of til adds real calcium.
Black til or white til: which is better?
Per 100 g, black til has the most calcium, 1664 mg, against 1283 mg in white and 1174 mg in brown. White and brown til have a little more protein and iron. All three are very nutritious; black til has a stronger, more bitter taste.
Why are til laddoos eaten in winter?
Sesame and jaggery sweets mark Makar Sankranti, Lohri and other winter festivals across India. The seeds are dense in energy, at 508 kcal per 100 g, and the custom grew around a warming, filling winter food.
Is sesame good for anaemia?
Sesame is rich in iron, 13.9 mg per 100 g in black til and 15.04 mg in white. Plant iron absorbs better with vitamin C, so pair til with lemon or amla. Anaemia still needs a doctor's diagnosis and treatment.
Related foods and tables
Sesame oil (gingelly)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Flaxseeds (alsi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Niger seeds
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Peanuts (groundnut)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Jaggery
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Flaxseeds vs Sesame seeds
Side by side, per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
All nuts and oilseeds
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.