Fenugreek seeds (methi dana): nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   The fibre leader

   Fenugreek seeds carry 47.5 g of fibre per 100 g, 1st of 256 foods in IFCT 2017. Much of it is a soluble gum that swells into a gel when the seeds are soaked, which slows digestion.

2. 02

   Protein second only to one food

   With 25.4 g of protein per 100 g, methi seeds rank 2nd of 257 foods and 1st of 21 spices and herbs. 100 g would meet 47 per cent of a man's daily requirement, though a spoonful gives far less.

3. 03

   Plant omega-3

   At 1082 mg of alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g, fenugreek seeds rank 8th of 203 foods and 1st in their group.

4. 04

   Minerals and B6

   They list 8.47 mg of iron, 3.8 mg of zinc and 435 mg of phosphorus per 100 g, and 0.77 mg of vitamin B6, which would meet 32 per cent of a man's need.

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.

• Idli and dosa batter: a spoonful soaked and ground with the urad dal for softer idlis and crisper dosas.
• Vendhaya kuzhambu: Tamil tamarind gravy built on fenugreek fried in sesame oil until reddish.
• Kadhi tadka: a few seeds with cumin, hing and red chilli over Gujarati or Punjabi kadhi.
• Methi ladoo: roasted fenugreek powder with wheat flour, ghee, jaggery and dry fruit, a winter sweet for new mothers.
• Mango and lime pickles: roasted methi powder for body and a pleasant bitterness.

Fry fenugreek only until it darkens slightly; burnt seeds make a dish harshly bitter. Its soluble fibre may modestly lower blood sugar after meals, so people taking diabetes medicines should tell their doctor before eating soaked seeds daily, to avoid sugar dropping too low. Medicinal doses are best avoided in pregnancy. Fenugreek can make sweat and urine smell faintly of maple syrup, which is harmless, and people allergic to peanuts or chickpeas sometimes react to it 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.

• Fenugreek leaves (methi)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Cumin seeds

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Coriander seeds

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Mustard seeds

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Flaxseeds (alsi)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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