A flan is a custard dessert that is usually based on caramel, but it may have additional flavors, such as honey, coconut, chocolate or pineapple. Flans are typically based on milk and sugar and eggs and are not the richest sources of most essential nutrients. A healthy diet emphasizes more nutrient-dense foods, while limiting flans and other sweets to occasional treats.
Calories and Macronutrients
A cup of a home-prepared caramel flan contains 444 calories and 12 g of total fat. The flan provides 14 g of protein, or 28 percent of the daily value. Flan has no dietary fiber, and the 70 g of carbohydrates in each cup of flan come from sugars. The exact nutritional content of your flan varies depending on the serving size and specific recipe. A flan made with shredded coconut or chocolate flakes may be higher in fat, and flan served on pie crust is higher in calories.
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
A 1-cup serving of flan has 5.5 g of saturated fat and 275 mg of cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol from your food raise levels of cholesterol in your blood and may increase your risk for heart disease, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy adults should limit daily intake to no more than 300 mg of cholesterol and 10 percent of calorie from saturated fat, or 22 g of saturated fat on a 2,000-calorie daily diet.
Calcium
A cup of caramel flan made with milk has 254 mg of calcium, or 25 percent of the daily value for calcium. Calcium is part of your bone mineral, and adequate intake is necessary for building and maintaining strong bones. Deficiency may lead to osteoporosis and the risk for bone fractures, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Milk, cheese, yogurt, canned fish, fortified orange juice and soy milk are good sources.
Other Nutrients
A cup of caramel flan has 493 international units of vitamin A, or 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for maintaining healthy vision and allowing your immune system to function properly. Flan has 361 mg of potassium, which helps prevent your blood pressure from increasing, and 162 mg of sodium. A cup of flan has 1.4 mg of zinc, or 9 percent of the daily value. Zinc is necessary for regulating your blood sugar levels.
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