Group · Condiments & sauces
Mustard
Mustard is made from crushed seeds (black or brown mustard for the Dijon version) mixed with verjuice, vinegar or white wine. Its heat does not come from an added spice but from a chemical reaction: the sulphur compounds in the seed are released only on contact with a cold liquid.
In terms of nutrition facts: 151 kcal per 100 g, with 11.2 g of fat, 6.92 g of protein, 4.33 g of carbohydrate and 3.3 g of fibre. It provides 207 mg of calcium and 98.8 mg of magnesium per 100 g, inherited from the seed. One to watch: 6.3 g of salt per 100 g.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 151 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 628 kJ |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 4,4 g |
| Fat | 11,2 g |
| Fibre | 3,3 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Omega-3 ALA1,15 g58 %
- Total omega-31,16 g47 %
- Selenium21 µg38 %
- Manganese0,57 mg29 %
- Magnesium98,8 mg26 %
- Calcium207 mg26 %
- Phosphorus154 mg22 %
- Iron2,64 mg19 %
See the other 12 nutrients
- Omega-6 LA1,74 g17 %
- Copper0,14 mg14 %
- Zinc1,12 mg11 %
- Potassium205 mg10 %
- Vitamin B20,11 mg8 %
- Iodine10,7 µg7 %
- Vitamin B10,08 mg7 %
- Vitamin B913 µg7 %
- Vitamin B60,07 mg5 %
- Vitamin B30,8 mg5 %
- EPA0,01 g4 %
- Vitamin B50,19 mg3 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
A teaspoon weighs 5 g: count 7.5 kcal. That is what makes mustard interesting. It adds flavour, heat and emulsifying power for almost nothing, where mayonnaise costs ten times more in calories for a similar effect.
It emulsifies, and that is its most useful job. A dab in a vinaigrette holds the dressing together with half as much oil: it stabilises the water and oil mixture. On a daily salad, the saving is real.
Never boil it. Heat destroys the compounds responsible for the heat and leaves a bitterness. In a hot sauce, add it off the heat, at the last moment.
The salt is easy to offset. 6.3 g per 100 g, or about 0.3 g per teaspoon. That is not huge, but a dish with mustard needs less salt elsewhere.
Flavoured mustards change the picture. Honey mustard and sweetened wholegrain mustard: the added sugar can push the carbohydrate up significantly. Plain strong mustard remains the best choice, with the shortest ingredients list.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (spices and condiments are eaten in small amounts; values vary by brand and preparation).
