How Many Calories Are In Spring Onions? | Crisp Facts Guide

Spring Onion Calories Per Serving Size

Spring onion, also called green onion or scallion, is one of the lightest fresh toppings you can throw on a plate. One whole stalk that’s around four inches long and weighs about 15 grams comes in at roughly 5 calories, with about 1.1 grams of carbs, 0.27 grams of protein, and almost zero fat. That tiny calorie count is why cooks lean on chopped scallion for color and bite instead of extra cheese, butter, or creamy sauce.

The calorie picture barely changes when you slice it. A tablespoon of chopped green onion is only about 2 calories. A full cup of chopped pieces (roughly 100 grams) lands near 32 calories. So even if you go heavy and scatter half a cup across noodles, dumplings, scrambled eggs, or soup, you’re still under the calorie hit of a teaspoon of oil.

Serving Size	Calories (kcal)	Notes
1 small stalk (~3")	~2	Light garnish; about 7–8 g.
1 medium stalk (~4", 15 g)	~5	~1.1 g carbs, 0.27 g protein, 0.03 g fat.
1 tbsp chopped	~2	Common “just sprinkle” amount.
1 cup chopped (~100 g)	~32	About 2.6 g fiber, 7.3 g carbs.

Notice the pattern: you get a punch of onion flavor for barely any calories. That’s handy when you’re tracking energy intake. Spring onion calories are tiny compared with daily calorie intake recommendations most adults follow across a whole day. The stalk is mostly water, so you get bulk and bite with hardly any calorie hit.

Spring Onion Calories Per 100 Grams And Per Cup

Meal prep usually uses weight or cup measures, so here’s the quick math. Around 100 grams — which is close to one packed cup of chopped scallion — gives roughly 32 calories, about 7.3 grams of carbs, around 2.6 grams of fiber, and close to 1.8 grams of protein. That same cup also carries minerals such as potassium (about 276 mg per cup) and calcium (around 72 mg per cup), plus vitamin C and vitamin K. Public nutrition databases like USDA FoodData Central and state produce guides report these values for raw spring onion that includes both the white bulb and the green tops.

Where The Calories Come From

Most of the energy in raw scallion comes from carbohydrate. About three-quarters of the calories in one medium stalk trace back to carbs, with a little protein and almost no fat. Water content pushes that calorie number down. A raw stalk sits above 90% water by weight, which is why a handful of chopped scallion looks generous on a plate while still landing under 10 calories.

How Cooking Method Changes Spring Onion Calories

Raw slices scooped straight from the cutting board bring almost no calories to a dish. Pan heat changes the math because oil and sauce add energy fast. The table below shows the baseline (plain chopped scallion), then what happens when you finish a stir-fry with a teaspoon of oil or brush the bulbs with a half-teaspoon of oil before grilling. Oil is calorie dense — about 40 calories per teaspoon — so even a light gloss matters when you’re logging.

Prep Style	Portion Described	Approx Calories
Raw, chopped	1 cup chopped (~100 g)	~32 kcal (no oil)
Stir-fry finish	1 cup chopped tossed in pan with 1 tsp oil	~72 kcal (32 from onion + ~40 from oil)
Grilled bulbs	4 medium bulbs brushed with 1/2 tsp oil	~40 kcal (20+ from oil, ~20 from bulbs)

The veg alone barely moves the calorie needle. The bump comes from fat added during cooking. That’s why scallion usually lands at the end of a stir-fry: you get aroma and color without pouring in an extra spoon of oil.

Micronutrients And Health Perks Of Green Onion

This mild onion isn’t only about low calories. Those thin green rings bring vitamin C, vitamin A precursors in the dark leaves, folate, and a standout amount of vitamin K. Vitamin K teams with calcium intake to help with normal bone maintenance, and a full cup of chopped scallion can deliver well over 200 micrograms. You also get potassium (around 276 mg per cup) for fluid balance with minimal sodium — a medium stalk only brings around 2–5 milligrams of sodium, which is tiny next to many bottled sauces.

Meal Tracking Tips For Spring Onion

Here’s the simple rule of thumb: treat one medium stalk as 5 calories. Two stalks? Call it 10. One packed cup of chopped green onion? Log 30–35 calories. That math is fast enough to do while you cook.

Sodium and carbs tend to raise flags in meal trackers. A medium stalk sits near 2–5 milligrams of sodium and around 1.1 grams of total carbs with under half a gram of fiber. That tiny hit is why scallion works for low sodium plates and lower carb bowls. It tastes like real food, not diet food, and it helps meals feel fresh.

Safe Handling And Storage Tips

Fresh scallion wilts fast. Store unwashed bunches in the fridge right away. A slightly damp paper towel around the roots, plus a loose bag, helps hold moisture. The California produce handling guide calls for cold storage in the 32–36°F range with high humidity and says green onions keep best for about five days. You’ll taste the difference if you use crisp bulbs and perky greens. When you’re ready to prep, rinse under cool running water, pat dry, trim the root fuzz and any wilted tips, and use both the white bulb and most of the green top.

Bottom Line On Spring Onion Calories

Here’s the takeaway. One medium scallion is about 5 calories, mostly water and a pinch of natural carbs. A packed cup of chopped scallion is about 30–35 calories and brings fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and minerals like potassium and calcium. You get color, crunch, and onion bite without loading the plate with oil, salt, or cheese.

Want a full walk-through for meal planning under a calorie cap? Try our low calorie diet guide next.