These are the building blocks of cooking — the fats, acids, and sweeteners that show up in nearly every recipe. They're calorie-dense per gram (oils especially) but used in small amounts, so understanding portion sizes matters more than reading the calorie totals at face value.
Olive oil and avocado oil dominate on heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Vinegars are essentially zero-calorie acids that brighten flavour. Among sweeteners, raw sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar are nutritionally similar; honey and agave have slightly different glycemic profiles but comparable calories. Butter and oils share the same per-gram calorie content (~9 cal/g for pure fat) but differ widely in their fatty acid profiles.
📊 Oils, Vinegars & Cooking Essentials — Nutrition Comparison
| Food | Calories |
|---|---|
| Agave Syrup 1 tablespoon (21g) | 65 |
| Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tablespoon (15g) | 3 |
| Avocado Oil 1 tablespoon (14g) | 124 |
| Balsamic Vinegar 1 tablespoon (16g) | 14 |
| Brown Sugar 1 teaspoon (4g) | 15 |
| Canola Oil 1 tablespoon (14g) | 124 |
| Peanut Oil 1 tablespoon (14g) | 124 |
| Powdered Sugar 1/4 cup unsifted (30g) | 117 |
| Sesame Oil 1 tablespoon (14g) | 124 |
| Sugar 1 teaspoon (4g) | 15 |
| Vegetable Oil 1 tablespoon (14g) | 124 |
| Vinegar 1 tablespoon (15ml) | 3 |
All values shown are per serving. Nutrition data sourced from the USDA Food Data Central database. Tap any food name to see full nutrition details including vitamins, minerals, and a per-serving daily value table.