Nutrition facts · Herbs and spices
Calories in Thai basil
Thai basil has 23 calories per 100 g, and 2 tablespoons of chopped leaves (5.3 g) come to about 1 calorie. Of its small calorie count, protein (3.2 g) and carbs (2.7 g) contribute most, with very little fat (0.6 g per 100 g).
Calories come from: Carbs 37% · Fat 19% · Protein 44%
Common servings
| Serving | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 23 kcal | 3.2 g | 2.7 g | 0.6 g |
| 2 tbsp, chopped | 5.3 g | 1 kcal | 0.2 g | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| 5 leaves | 2.5 g | 1 kcal | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| 1/4 cup whole leaves | 6 g | 1 kcal | 0.2 g | 0.2 g | 0 g |
Full nutrition (Per 100 g)
| Calories | 23 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.7 g |
| of which sugars | 0.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.6 g |
| Fat | 0.6 g |
| of which saturated | 0 g |
| Sodium | 4 mg |
What changes the calories
- The leaves themselves add almost nothing, so the calories in a Thai basil dish come mainly from the oil, sauce and other ingredients it is cooked with.
- Stir-frying basil in oil adds the calories of the oil that clings to the leaves.
- Herbs wilt and shrink when cooked, so a cooked handful can hold more leaves than it looks, though the total is still small.
- Pastes and sauces made with basil, such as those blended with oil, nuts or sugar, are far higher in calories than the fresh leaves.
Tips for logging it accurately
- For a garnish or a handful in a stir-fry, logging a rough serving like 5 leaves or 1/4 cup is accurate enough, since the difference is only a calorie or two.
- Focus your accuracy on what the basil is cooked with: weigh or measure the oil, fish sauce, sugar and meat in dishes like basil stir-fries.
- In BerryFit, log Thai basil as fresh basil, and scan or enter the full dish so the higher-calorie ingredients are counted.
Log Thai basil in seconds
Snap a photo of your meal or search for Thai basil in BerryFit to track calories and macros against your own daily target.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Thai basil?
Thai basil has 23 calories per 100 g. A typical serving like 5 leaves or 2 tablespoons chopped has about 1 calorie.
Is Thai basil the same in calories as regular basil?
The values here are based on fresh basil, which has 23 calories per 100 g, so they are logged the same way. Any differences between basil varieties are tiny at the amounts people use.
How much protein is in Thai basil?
Thai basil has 3.2 g of protein per 100 g, but a 1/4 cup of whole leaves gives only 0.2 g, so it is not a meaningful protein source in normal portions.
Do I need to count Thai basil in my calorie log?
At about 1 calorie per typical serving, it barely affects your total. Logging it is optional, but do count any oil or sauce it is cooked in.
Similar foods
Calories in common foodsValues per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (Basil, fresh, FDC ID 172232); servings use USDA portion weights. Real foods vary by variety, ripeness and preparation.
The text on this page was written with the help of AI (Anthropic's Claude) and checked against the numbers in a separate review. The numbers themselves come only from USDA.
