A relative of the onion, garlic is a common flavoring in Italian and Asian cooking, as well as in marinades, spreads and other applications. Roasted garlic has a mild flavor, while fresh garlic can have hotter, spicier undertones. When you cook with garlic, you're getting a lot of nutrition packed in those small cloves.
Calories and Fat
A cup of garlic contains about 203 calories, with less than 1 gram of fat contributing 6 of those calories. The amount typically used in the average recipe is three cloves, with about 13 calories in each three-clove serving and a negligible amount of fat.
Carbohydrates, Sugar and Fiber
Each cup of garlic contains 45 grams of carbohydrates, primarily from starch, with 1 gram from sugar and 3 grams from dietary fiber. Three cloves of garlic contain 3 grams of carbs, with negligible sugar and dietary fiber. Because garlic contributes some carbs, it is important to consider the cloves of garlic added to a recipe when counting carbs, particularly for diabetics.
Cholesterol and Sodium
Garlic is cholesterol-free, but has 23 milligrams of sodium in each cup of garlic, or 2 milligrams in every three-clove serving. The USDA recommends limiting your diet to no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily, or 1,500 milligrams if you are on a low-sodium diet due to medical concerns.
Vitamins and Minerals
Every cup of garlic contributes 71 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C, 25 percent of the daily allowance of calcium and 13 percent of your daily recommendation of iron. Vitamin C helps strengthen your immune system, while calcium is essential for bone density. Iron helps deliver oxygen throughout your body and can put you at risk for infections and other medical concerns if you do not have enough. Garlic packs a strong nutritional punch for the small amount of fat and sodium.
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