Spices, herbs and condiments · IFCT 2017
Nutmeg: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, nutmeg gives 464 kcal, 36.5 g fat, 212 mg magnesium and 75 micrograms of folate, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. It is the most energy-dense and fattiest of the 21 spices and herbs in the tables. A recipe uses only a grating, though, and nutmeg is harmful in large amounts, so these figures describe the seed, not a serving.
About nutmeg
Nutmeg is the hard, brown seed of Myristica fragrans, the same fruit that gives mace. It is jaiphal in Hindi, Punjabi and Nepali, jayphal in Bengali, jathikai in Tamil and Malayalam, jajikaya in Telugu and jayaphala in Marathi; IFCT 2017 records names in 15 languages. Kerala grows most of India's nutmeg in mixed plantations with coconut, areca and pepper, and also sells the tart fruit rind as pickle, jam and juice.
A few scrapes of jaiphal go into Mughlai garam masala, kormas and biryanis, and into sweets: Maharashtra's puran poli, shrikhand and Gujarati doodh pak, kheer, and Kerala's Christmas plum cake. Many grandmothers rub a whole nutmeg on a stone and mix a trace into warm milk at bedtime. A whole seed can last a household months, which is the right scale for this spice.
What nutmeg brings to a meal
- 01
The richest spice
Nutmeg carries 464 kcal and 36.5 g fat per 100 g, ranking 1st of 21 spices and herbs for both energy and fat and 26th of 257 foods for fat. Most of that fat is a solid butter that holds its aroma.
- 02
Magnesium and potassium
It lists 212 mg of magnesium per 100 g, 21st of 242 foods, and 474 mg of potassium. At a grating per dish, the amount reaching a meal is tiny.
- 03
Folate
With 75 micrograms of folate per 100 g, nutmeg ranks 5th of 21 in its group and 44th of 197 foods, though again only in theory at real serving sizes.
- 04
Fibre and calcium
Nutmeg has 12.0 g of fibre and 148 mg of calcium per 100 g, along with 1.18 mg of vitamin E.
Nutmeg 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 | 464 kcal | 22% | 28% |
| Protein | 6.3 g | 12% | 14% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 27.6 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 12 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1.1 g | ||
| Total fat | 36.5 g | ||
| Water | 15.6 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 3.36 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 1.64 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.38 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 79 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 148 mg | 15% | 15% |
| Iron | 2.33 mg | 12% | 8% |
| Zinc | 1.45 mg | 9% | 11% |
| Magnesium | 212 mg | 48% | 57% |
| Phosphorus | 207 mg | ||
| Potassium | 474 mg | ||
| Sodium | 14 mg | ||
| Copper | 1.2 mg | ||
| Selenium | 7.3 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Beta-carotene | 15 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.05 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.51 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Folate (B9) | 75 µg | 25% | 34% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.18 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 60.9 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. Nutmeg: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/spices-and-herbs/nutmeg/
Where nutmeg sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 20 spices, herbs and condiments and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In spices, herbs and condiments | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary fibre | 12 g | 13th of 21 | 31st of 182 |
| Magnesium | 212 mg | 8th of 21 | 21st of 242 |
| Energy | 464 kcal | 1st of 21 | 27th of 257 |
How nutmeg is eaten
- Puran poli: a pinch of grated nutmeg with cardamom in the sweet chana dal and jaggery filling.
- Kheer and doodh pak: a light grating stirred in at the end, so the aroma stays fresh.
- Mughlai garam masala: nutmeg ground with mace, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves for kormas and biryani.
- Kerala Christmas cake: nutmeg with cinnamon, cloves and dried ginger in the spice mix.
- Grate whole nutmeg as needed; ground powder loses its fragrance within weeks.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Before you plan around it
Nutmeg contains myristicin, which in large amounts, a few spoonfuls of the powder, can cause nausea, racing heart, confusion and hallucinations. Keep whole nutmegs away from children, and give babies the traditional nutmeg-in-milk only after asking a paediatrician. At the scrape-of-a-grater amounts used in cooking, it is safe. The per-100 g nutrients here are for comparison; no meal delivers them.
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 nutmeg
Is nutmeg safe to eat?
Yes, in cooking amounts: a light grating in a sweet or a pinch in garam masala. Large amounts are toxic because of myristicin, so nutmeg should never be eaten by the spoonful or used as a home remedy in big doses.
What is the difference between nutmeg and mace?
Both come from the same fruit. Nutmeg is the seed; mace is the red, lacy covering around it. IFCT 2017 lists nutmeg as much richer, at 464 kcal and 36.5 g fat per 100 g.
Does jaiphal help with sleep?
A trace of nutmeg in warm milk is a traditional bedtime drink, and the warm milk itself is soothing. There is no good evidence that cooking amounts of nutmeg treat sleep problems, and larger amounts are unsafe.
Related foods and tables
Mace
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cardamom
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cloves
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Black pepper
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Poppy seeds
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by magnesium per 100 g.
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calories (energy) per 100 g.
All spices, herbs and condiments
21 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.