How Many Calories Are In Celery Raw? | Crisp Facts

Calories In Raw Celery By Portion (With Weights)

Celery is textbook low-energy-density food. The crunch comes from water and cell walls, not starch or oil. Here’s how the energy count lands across common household measures. Numbers below use standard weights found in nutrient databases and labeling references, so you can scan once and portion with confidence.

Portion	Approx. Weight	Calories (kcal)
100 g, raw	100 g	14
1 cup, chopped	~101 g	~14
1 large stalk (11–12 in)	~64 g	~9
1 medium stalk (7.5–8 in)	~40 g	~6
2 medium stalks	~110 g	~15
1 small stalk (5 in)	~17 g	~2–3

Those values line up with authoritative datasets used on food labels and menu boards, which list celery at roughly 10–15 calories per 100–110 grams, with a cup around the same range due to its near-1:1 weight. The FDA’s public table for raw vegetables shows two medium stalks (~110 g) at about 15 calories, a handy cross-check for your grocery prep. Link for reference: FDA raw vegetables.

Beyond calories, stalks offer a bit of fiber and folate plus a fair bump of vitamin K. If you’re tuning your day for gut regularity, set your target against recommended fiber intake and treat celery as a light contributor rather than the whole plan.

What Drives The Count In Celery?

Water does the heavy lifting. Raw stalks are ~95–96% water by weight. Carbs hover near 3 g per cup, with about 1 g as fiber. Protein and fat are trace. That’s why big bowls of chopped celery feel filling while barely nudging your total intake.

Natural sodium sits higher than many veggies, roughly 50–80 mg per serving, which is still modest in the context of daily limits. The number can spike once you add salty dips or broths. Balance with potassium-rich foods and light seasoning.

Micronutrients Worth Knowing

Vitamin K shows up most—double digits per large stalk—plus small amounts of vitamin C and folate. Potassium lands near ~160–260 mg depending on portion. None of this turns celery into a multivitamin, but it adds up when you’re mixing a big salad or simmering a soup base.

Portioning Tips You Can Trust

Weigh once, then eyeball. If a kitchen scale isn’t handy, use easy anchors: one large stalk is about two-thirds of a typical palm in weight; a cup of chopped pieces fills a standard cereal bowl shallow to the rim.

Smart Swaps For Flavor

• Squeeze lemon and add cracked pepper for a low-sodium pop.
• Stir in chopped herbs and cucumber for a crunchy side.
• Use plain yogurt with garlic and dill instead of salty ranch.

Raw Vs. Cooked, Juiced, And Dipped

Heat softens texture and changes volume, but energy stays low unless fat is added. Juicing removes most fiber, which trims bulk and can raise the per-cup energy if you pack lots of sticks into a small glass. Dips and nut butters dominate the math fast, so portion those on purpose.

For label-style numbers by stalk size and cup weights, this database entry derived from USDA data is handy: MyFoodData raw celery. It lists the same cup (~101 g) and large stalk (~64 g) you see in the table above, along with sodium and vitamin K.

Where Extra Calories Sneak In

Oil: a single tablespoon adds ~120 calories even in a quick sauté. Nut butter: two tablespoons sit near ~180–200. Creamy dips: portions blur when snacking straight from the tub. Pre-portion dips and lightly spray pans to keep your baseline low.

Everyday Scenarios And Calorie Math

Scenario	Typical Portion	Approx. Calories
Snack plate: sticks + yogurt dip	1 cup celery + 3 tbsp yogurt dip	~14 + ~40 = ~54
Peanut butter “ants on a log”	2 large stalks + 1 tbsp PB	~18 + ~95 = ~113
Soup base (mirepoix)	1 cup chopped in 1 tsp oil	~14 + ~40 = ~54
Green juice with celery	3 cups chopped pressed	~42 (less fiber, similar energy)

Buying, Storing, And Prepping For Best Texture

Pick Good Stalks

Look for firm ribs that snap when bent. Leaves should be fresh and bright. Skip wilted bunches or browning cut ends.

Keep It Crisp

Wrap in paper towels and tuck in a breathable bag in the fridge drawer. Trim ends just before serving. If stalks soften, revive in icy water for 10–15 minutes.

Cut Once, Eat Twice

Batch prep. Slice sticks for snacks and dice the rest for salads or sauté bases. Label containers with dates and rotate through the week.

How It Fits Common Goals

Weight Management

Low calorie count per bite makes this vegetable a go-to filler. Build snack plates with lean protein and fruit so you’re not hungry an hour later.

Blood Pressure Awareness

There’s modest natural sodium, but portions are small, and you also get potassium. Salt comes mostly from dips and broths, not the stalks themselves.

Blood Sugar Calm

With just a few grams of carbs per cup and some fiber, celery plays nicely in balanced meals. Pair with beans, fish, or eggs for staying power.

FAQ-Free Quick Checks

Is A Cup Of Chopped Celery Always The Same?

Close enough for home tracking. A level cup lands near ~101 g. Packed cups can weigh a little more, loose cups a little less. The calorie swing across those small shifts is tiny.

Do Leaves Count Differently?

Leaves weigh almost nothing and have a stronger flavor. Add them to soups and salads; the energy change is negligible at home portions.

Make It Work Day To Day

Build A Better Snack Plate

• Half plate: crunchy veg, including celery sticks.
• Quarter plate: protein (Greek yogurt dip, turkey slices, or cottage cheese).
• Quarter plate: fruit or whole-grain crackers.

Meal Prep Ideas

• Chop two heads on Sunday: sticks for snacking, dice for salad jars.
• Keep a small jar of lemon-herb vinaigrette; toss diced stalks right before eating.
• Use a nonstick skillet and a teaspoon of oil when softening for omelets or soups.

Why These Numbers Are Reliable

Values in this guide are synced with federal datasets used on packaged labels and restaurant calculators. The FDA’s raw vegetable table lists two medium stalks (~110 g) at ~15 calories, matching the per-cup numbers in nutrient databases. Cross-reference if you like: FDA nutrition info for raw vegetables.

For stalk-by-stalk detail, the database built from USDA FoodData Central shows grams and calories for large and medium ribs and the 1-cup measure used here: MyFoodData entry. You’ll see the same ~14 calories per 100 g, ~14 per cup, ~9 per large stalk, and ~6 per medium stalk.

Bottom Line

Celery keeps energy tiny and crunch high. Weigh once if you’re curious; after that, lean on the measures above and spend your attention on dips, oils, and what you pair with it. Want ideas for other lean picks? You might like our low calorie foods list.