Calories in
jams and preserves
278 kcal per 100 g Jams and preserves contains 278 calories per 100 grams, or about 56 calories per tbsp. Per 100 g it provides 0.4 g protein, 68.9 g carbohydrate and 0.1 g fat.
By calories that splits 99% carbohydrate, 1% protein, 0% fat — dissected below.
SOURCE·USDA SR Legacy·FDC 169641·REVIEWED JUL 2026
The 4·4·9 shorthand adds to 278 kcal and USDA publishes 278 kcal. The arithmetic closes, so the axis above is simply that figure divided by the shares.
Source—USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy—FDC 169641—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- USDA measures every nutrient per 100 g of edible portion. That row is published here unchanged — nothing is rounded up, smoothed or "adjusted".
- The energy figure is USDA's own, derived with food-specific factors. This site never computes the calorie count it publishes.
- The Atwater shorthand 4 · 4 · 9 is applied to the protein, carbohydrate and fat grams only to split that energy into shares — and where the shorthand disagrees with the published figure, the gap is printed rather than hidden.
- A serving is a straight proportional conversion of the per-100 g row, using USDA's own household measures for the grams.
- The walking figure uses MET 4.0 at 70 kg, the same equation the sister site publishes.
per serving = per 100 g × serving grams ÷ 100 energy shares = 4·P + 4·C + 9·F (P, C, F in grams) walk minutes = kcal ÷ (4.0 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200)
Calories in a typical serving
Per-100 g figures are useful for comparison but nobody eats 100 g of anything on purpose. These are the USDA's own household measures.
| Serving | Grams | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tbsp | 20.0 g | 56 | 0.1 g | 13.8 g | 0.0 g |
| 1 packet (0.5 oz) | 14.0 g | 39 | 0.1 g | 9.6 g | 0.0 g |
SOURCE·USDA SR Legacy·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Full nutrition, per 100 g and per tbsp
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per tbsp |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 278 kcal | 56 kcal |
| Protein | 0.4 g | 0.1 g |
| Total fat | 0.1 g | 0.0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 68.9 g | 13.8 g |
| Fibre | 1.1 g | 0.2 g |
| Sugars | 48.5 g | 9.7 g |
| Sodium | 32.0 mg | 6.4 mg |
| Potassium | 77.0 mg | 15.4 mg |
| Calcium | 20.0 mg | 4.0 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin C | 8.8 mg | 1.8 mg |
| Vitamin A | 0.0 µg | 0.0 µg |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg | 0.0 mg |
| Water | 30.5 g | 6.1 g |
A dash means the nutrient was not measured for this item, which is not the same as zero.
SOURCE·USDA SR Legacy·FDC 169641·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How jams and preserves compares
Among the 89 sweets items on this site, jams and preserves ranks 65 of 89 by calorie density, against a category average of 372 kcal per 100 g — so it is about 25% less calorie-dense than typical for its group.
It carries 0.1 g of protein per 100 calories, so it is not a meaningful protein source.
To burn off one tbsp (56 kcal), a 70 kg adult would walk for roughly 11 minutes — see the walking calculation on our sister site, or pick a different activity. Treat that as a sense of scale rather than a rule: eating and moving are not a simple ledger.
SOURCE·USDA SR Legacy·REVIEWED JUL 2026
A reference table describes the average jams and preserves. Yours was grown somewhere, picked at some ripeness, and cooked by you.
Questions this entry settles
How many calories are in jams and preserves?
Jams and preserves contains 278 calories per 100 g, which works out to about 56 calories per tbsp. It also provides 0.4 g of protein, 68.9 g of carbohydrate and 0.1 g of fat per 100 g.
What is the macro breakdown of jams and preserves?
By calories, jams and preserves is roughly 99% carbohydrate, 1% protein and 0% fat. That makes it a predominantly carbohydrate-based food.
How long does it take to burn off a tbsp?
About 11 minutes of ordinary walking for a 70 kg adult (MET 4.0). That is a rough guide for scale, not a prescription — appetite and activity interact in ways a simple subtraction does not capture.
Is this figure exact for the jams and preserves I bought?
No. These are USDA reference values, averaged across samples. Real foods vary with variety, ripeness, growing conditions, cut, brand and how they were cooked — 10–20% either way is normal. Use them for planning, not precision.
Neighbouring entries
The 6 foods that sit closest to jams and preserves on the calorie-density shelf, all within sweets.
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy — public domain, reviewed JUL 2026. Full USDA description: "Jams and preserves". General information only — not medical or nutrition advice. Values are averages for a food type and vary by brand, ripeness and preparation.
