Celery Calories: Exact Count Per Stalk and Cup (2025 Data)

One medium celery stalk (about 1.75 oz or 50g) contains approximately 6 calories, while one cup of chopped celery (about 3.5 oz or 100g) has just 16 calories. This makes celery one of the lowest-calorie vegetables available for weight management and healthy eating.

Discover exactly how celery fits into your nutritional goals with this comprehensive guide. Whether you're tracking macros, managing weight, or simply curious about this crunchy vegetable, you'll get precise measurements, practical usage tips, and science-backed information to make informed dietary choices.

Understanding Celery's Calorie Content

Celery's remarkably low calorie count stems from its high water content (approximately 95%) and minimal natural sugars. The United States Department of Agriculture's FoodData Central, the most authoritative source for nutritional information in the United States, provides these precise measurements for raw celery:

Celery Serving Size	Calories	Carbohydrates (g)	Fiber (g)
1 medium stalk (50g)	6	1.2	0.6
1 cup chopped (100g)	16	3.0	1.6
1 cup sliced (110g)	18	3.3	1.8
1 cup diced (120g)	20	3.6	2.0

This factual comparison shows how preparation method affects both volume and calorie count. Notice that diced celery packs more densely than sliced, resulting in slightly higher calories per cup. Always consider your actual serving size when tracking intake.

How Celery Compares to Other Common Vegetables

When evaluating low-calorie vegetable options, celery stands out but isn't alone in its category. Here's how it compares to other popular vegetables per 100g serving:

Vegetable	Calories	Water Content	Key Nutrients
Celery	16	95%	Vitamin K, Potassium
Cucumber	15	96%	Vitamin K, Magnesium
Lettuce (Romaine)	17	95%	Vitamin A, Folate
Zucchini	17	94%	Vitamin C, Manganese
Spinach	23	92%	Vitamin K, Iron

Source: USDA FoodData Central

Practical Applications for Your Diet

Celery's extremely low calorie profile makes it ideal for various dietary approaches. Here's how to maximize its benefits:

Weight Management Strategies

• Volume eating - Fill half your plate with chopped celery to increase meal volume without significant calories
• Craving management - When hunger strikes between meals, snack on celery sticks with a small amount of nut butter for satisfying crunch with minimal calories
• Recipe substitution - Replace higher-calorie ingredients with finely diced celery in soups, stews, and salads to reduce overall calorie density

Context Boundaries: When Preparation Affects Calorie Count

While raw celery maintains its ultra-low calorie profile, preparation methods can significantly change its nutritional impact:

• Raw vs. cooked - Cooking concentrates flavors but slightly reduces water content, increasing calories per volume
• Add-ins matter - Celery with peanut butter (2 tbsp): approximately 200 calories
• Commercial preparations - Cream of celery soup (1 cup): 200-250 calories

Always account for preparation methods when tracking celery's contribution to your daily intake. The vegetable itself remains low-calorie, but what you add to it can transform its nutritional profile.

Addressing Common Misconceptions

Many people wonder if celery qualifies as a "negative calorie food" - meaning your body burns more calories digesting it than the food provides. While this concept is popular in diet circles, scientific evidence doesn't support it.

The thermic effect of food (calories burned during digestion) for celery is estimated at 5-10% of its total calories. So for a 16-calorie cup of celery, your body might burn 0.8-1.6 calories during digestion - not enough to create a net calorie deficit. However, celery still provides valuable nutrients and fiber with minimal caloric impact.

Maximizing Celery's Nutritional Benefits

Beyond its calorie count, celery offers several nutritional advantages:

• Fiber content - One cup provides about 6% of your daily fiber needs, supporting digestive health
• Hydration boost - High water content helps maintain hydration levels
• Essential nutrients - Good source of vitamin K (important for blood clotting) and potassium (supports heart health)
• Natural electrolytes - Contains small amounts of sodium and potassium that help maintain fluid balance

For maximum nutritional benefit, consume celery with its leaves intact - they contain higher concentrations of certain nutrients than the stalks alone.

Does celery really have negative calories?

No, celery does not have negative calories. While it's extremely low in calories (16 per cup), the thermic effect of food means your body burns only about 5-10% of those calories during digestion. However, it remains an excellent low-calorie option for weight management.

How many celery stalks equal 100 calories?

Approximately 16-17 medium celery stalks would equal 100 calories. Since one medium stalk contains about 6 calories, you'd need to eat a substantial amount to reach 100 calories, making it an excellent choice for volume eating without significant calorie impact.

Is cooked celery higher in calories than raw?

Cooked celery has slightly more calories per volume than raw because cooking reduces water content. A cup of cooked celery contains about 20-25 calories compared to 16 for raw, but the difference is minimal. The main factor affecting calorie count is what you add during cooking, like oils or sauces.

Can celery help with weight loss?

Celery can support weight loss as part of a balanced diet because it's extremely low in calories while providing volume, fiber, and hydration. It helps create satisfying meals with lower calorie density, but weight loss ultimately depends on your overall calorie balance and dietary pattern.