Calories in 1 Tbsp of Margarine, Lard and Shortening

By NYUS Inc. · Published 29 October 2026

Google autocomplete (hl=en gl=in, checked on 29 October 2026) suggests queries such as "margarine calories 1 tbsp", "lard calories 1 tbsp", "tallow calories per tablespoon" and "shortening calories 1 cup"; these are suggestions, not search volumes. This guide gives fourteen USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy records for the solid cooking fats our other guides do not cover: lard, beef tallow, chicken fat, anhydrous butter oil, cocoa butter, two household shortenings, margarine (hard, 80% fat stick and tub) and four lower-fat margarine spreads, per 100 g and in the spoons, cups and sticks that USDA's Measures lists print. Ghee, butter, mustard, groundnut and coconut oil are in our teaspoon of ghee, oil, butter and sugar guide, and the fatty acid shares of Indian fats in our fatty acids in cooking oils guide. Related by the spoon: cream, half and half and milk powder guide, pancake, waffle and french toast guide and pie and pie crust guide.

The short answer

By USDA SR Legacy, lard (171401) and beef tallow (171400) print 902 kcal per 100 g, chicken fat (173564) 900, household shortening (173584) and cocoa butter (171421) 884, and butter oil (173412) 876. Margarine with 80% fat prints 713 to 719 kcal (172346, 172347, 171018), and lower-fat spreads print 606, 537, 401 and 349 kcal as their fat falls from 68.3 to 38 g per 100 g. Our reading: the solid fats differ by only 26 kcal per 100 g, so for them the printed tablespoon weight matters more than the record (112.1 to 120.2 kcal per USDA tablespoon), while a margarine or spread is mostly a question of how much of it is fat and water: margarine stick 100.4 kcal per tablespoon, 60% spread 76.8.

USDA SR Legacy: per 100 g

Figures are as the USDA record pages print them, read on 29 October 2026. Energy is USDA's kcal with the kJ it prints beside it; water, protein, total fat and carbohydrate (by difference) are in g, then fibre (g), total sugars (g) and sodium (mg), all per 100 g. "Not printed" means the record has no such row, not that the value is zero. These are US records on US samples, not Indian averages, and none is a brand.

The data-type label on each field, as the record shows it

USDA's record pages show a data-type label beside some fields and none beside others, and it differs from record to record. This table copies what each record shows for each field; "no label shown" means the record prints no label there, and "not printed" means the record has no row for that field. We do not interpret the labels beyond printing them.

The household portions USDA prints

These are the entries in each record's Measures list, as printed, lightest first; the other entry on every record is 100 g, and 173589 (40-49% fat spread) has only that one. The kcal in the last column is ours: the printed kcal per 100 g times the grams, divided by 100, shown to 0.1 with half rounding up. USDA prints no tablespoon for hard margarine (171018) or the 35-39% spread (171415), so we give none.

The portion sums: 171401 1 tbsp (12.8 g): 902 × 12.8 / 100 = 115.46, so 115.5 kcal; 171401 1 cup (205 g): 902 × 205 / 100 = 1849.10, so 1849.1 kcal; 171400 1 tbsp (12.8 g): 902 × 12.8 / 100 = 115.46, so 115.5 kcal; 171400 1 cup (205 g): 902 × 205 / 100 = 1849.10, so 1849.1 kcal; 173564 1 tbsp (12.8 g): 900 × 12.8 / 100 = 115.20, so 115.2 kcal; 173564 1 cup (205 g): 900 × 205 / 100 = 1845.00, so 1845.0 kcal; 173412 1 tbsp (12.8 g): 876 × 12.8 / 100 = 112.13, so 112.1 kcal; 173412 1 cup (205 g): 876 × 205 / 100 = 1795.80, so 1795.8 kcal; 171421 1 tsp (4.5 g): 884 × 4.5 / 100 = 39.78, so 39.8 kcal; 171421 1 tablespoon (13.6 g): 884 × 13.6 / 100 = 120.22, so 120.2 kcal; 171421 1 cup (218 g): 884 × 218 / 100 = 1927.12, so 1927.1 kcal; 173584 1 tbsp (12.8 g): 884 × 12.8 / 100 = 113.15, so 113.2 kcal; 173584 1 cup (205 g): 884 × 205 / 100 = 1812.20, so 1812.2 kcal; 171011 1 tbsp (12.8 g): 884 × 12.8 / 100 = 113.15, so 113.2 kcal; 171011 1 cup (205 g): 884 × 205 / 100 = 1812.20, so 1812.2 kcal; 171018 1 tsp (4.7 g): 719 × 4.7 / 100 = 33.79, so 33.8 kcal; 171018 1 stick (113 g): 719 × 113 / 100 = 812.47, so 812.5 kcal; 172346 1 tsp (4.7 g): 717 × 4.7 / 100 = 33.70, so 33.7 kcal; 172346 1 pat (1" sq, 1/3" high) (5 g): 717 × 5 / 100 = 35.85, so 35.9 kcal; 172346 1 tbsp (14 g): 717 × 14 / 100 = 100.38, so 100.4 kcal; 172346 1 stick (113 g): 717 × 113 / 100 = 810.21, so 810.2 kcal; 172346 1 cup (227 g): 717 × 227 / 100 = 1627.59, so 1627.6 kcal; 172347 1 tbsp (14.2 g): 713 × 14.2 / 100 = 101.246, so 101.2 kcal; 172347 1 cup (227 g): 713 × 227 / 100 = 1618.51, so 1618.5 kcal; 171431 1 tbsp (1 NLEA serving) (14 g): 606 × 14 / 100 = 84.84, so 84.8 kcal; 172348 1 tsp (4.8 g): 537 × 4.8 / 100 = 25.78, so 25.8 kcal; 172348 1 tbsp (14.3 g): 537 × 14.3 / 100 = 76.79, so 76.8 kcal; 172348 1 cup (229 g): 537 × 229 / 100 = 1229.73, so 1229.7 kcal; 171415 1 tsp (4.8 g): 349 × 4.8 / 100 = 16.75, so 16.8 kcal; 171415 1 cup (232 g): 349 × 232 / 100 = 809.68, so 809.7 kcal.

What stands out in the numbers

• Pure fats cluster: 902 kcal (lard and tallow), 900 (chicken fat), 884 (cocoa butter and both shortenings) and 876 (butter oil, which also prints 0.24 g water and 0.28 g protein).
• Spoon weights differ: USDA's tablespoon is 12.8 g for lard, tallow, chicken fat, butter oil and both shortenings, 13.6 g for cocoa butter, 14 g for stick margarine and 14.3 g for the 60% spread, so the same kcal per 100 g gives 115.5, 120.2, 100.4 and 76.8 kcal.
• Margarine is not a pure fat: the 80% fat records print 80.7 g, 80.2 g and 80.5 g fat with 16.5, 17.1 and 15.7 g water, and 657 to 943 mg sodium; the pure fats print 4 mg sodium or less.
• Two records leave rows out: the 67-70% spread (171431) prints no fibre and no total sugars row, and the 40-49% spread (173589) prints no total sugars row.

Why these are reference rows, not your tub

• Names are USDA's. We do not say a household shortening record equals a vanaspati sold in India; SR Legacy has no record called vanaspati (0 results).
• Percent fat is the label to match. A tub of spread that says 60% or 40% fat matches a different record from an 80% stick; we do not say which record a particular tub matches.
• Spoons are weights. A level, heaped or scooped tablespoon is not USDA's 12.8 to 14.3 g; weigh the fat when the number matters.
• US data. SR Legacy records are US samples, not Indian averages.
• Labels are printed, not judged. Calculated, Analytical and the longer labels are USDA's words on the record; we print them and draw no conclusion from them.
• No branded or industrial rows. Brand-named spreads, industrial margarines and shortenings and foods made with margarine are not covered.

How to log it so the numbers hold

• Weigh the fat if you can. 10 g of lard (our example weight) on SR Legacy 171401 is 902 × 10 / 100 = 90.2, so 90.2 kcal; USDA's 12.8 g tablespoon is 115.5 kcal by our arithmetic.
• Match the percent fat. Margarine at 80% fat is about 717 kcal per 100 g in USDA's data, a 60% spread 537 and a 40-49% spread 401.
• Log what stays in the pan separately. This page gives the fat as measured out; it does not say how much stays in food or the pan.

Where NYUS fits (our app)

We make NYUS, so read this as ours. NYUS is an AI fitness and nutrition coach in early access on Android, with no ads and no data selling. You log foods yourself by searching 8,900+ Indian and global foods or by barcode, and a weekly check-in adjusts your calories, macros and step goal once enough is logged. Barcode coverage of Indian packaged foods is not complete, so search by name when a scan finds nothing.

What this page leaves out

• A calorie target, and any claim about what a fat does to your body, including trans fat, cholesterol, heart or weight questions: we have not looked up any for any person, so we give none. If you have a medical condition or are pregnant, ask your doctor or dietitian.
• Vanaspati: SR Legacy has no such record, so we give no figure; our fatty acids guide has IFCT's fatty acid shares for vanaspati, which are not energy.
• Ghee, butter and the liquid cooking oils: ghee and butter are on our teaspoon guide, and the liquid oils are on our other oil guides.
• Brand-named spreads, industrial and bakery margarines, vitamin D versions, margarine blends and foods made with margarine (54 of the 61 margarine records): not used here, and counted rather than listed.
• Frying, confectionery and cake shortenings, lard and vegetable oil blends, frybread, nutmeg and ucuhuba butter and other industrial or Alaska Native records: not used here.
• Foundation foods records, which we did not search.
• Nutrients beyond energy, water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre, total sugars and sodium: not covered here.

Sources

• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171401 (Lard): Energy 902 kcal (3770 kJ), protein 0 g, total fat 100 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 0 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (12.8 g); 1 cup (205 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171400 (Fat, beef tallow): Energy 902 kcal (3770 kJ), protein 0 g, total fat 100 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 0 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (12.8 g); 1 cup (205 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173564 (Fat, chicken): Energy 900 kcal (3770 kJ), protein 0 g, total fat 99.8 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 0 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (12.8 g); 1 cup (205 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173412 (Butter oil, anhydrous): Energy 876 kcal (3660 kJ), protein 0.28 g, total fat 99.5 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 2 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (12.8 g); 1 cup (205 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171421 (Oil, cocoa butter): Energy 884 kcal (3700 kJ), protein 0 g, total fat 100 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 0 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tsp (4.5 g); 1 tablespoon (13.6 g); 1 cup (218 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173584 (Shortening, vegetable, household, composite): Energy 884 kcal (3700 kJ), protein 0 g, total fat 100 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 4 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (12.8 g); 1 cup (205 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171011 (Shortening, household, soybean (partially hydrogenated)-cottonseed (partially hydrogenated)): Energy 884 kcal (3700 kJ), protein 0 g, total fat 100 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 0 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (12.8 g); 1 cup (205 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171018 (Margarine, regular, hard, soybean (hydrogenated)): Energy 719 kcal (3010 kJ), protein 0.9 g, total fat 80.5 g, carbohydrate by difference 0.9 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 943 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tsp (4.7 g); 1 stick (113 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 172346 (Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt): Energy 717 kcal (3000 kJ), protein 0.16 g, total fat 80.7 g, carbohydrate by difference 0.7 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 751 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tsp (4.7 g); 1 pat (1" sq, 1/3" high) (5 g); 1 tbsp (14 g); 1 stick (113 g); 1 cup (227 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 172347 (Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, tub, with salt): Energy 713 kcal (2980 kJ), protein 0.22 g, total fat 80.2 g, carbohydrate by difference 0.75 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 657 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (14.2 g); 1 cup (227 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171431 (Margarine, margarine-like vegetable oil spread, 67-70% fat, tub): Energy 606 kcal (2540 kJ), protein 0.07 g, total fat 68.3 g, carbohydrate by difference 0.59 g, fibre not printed, total sugars not printed, sodium 536 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tbsp (1 NLEA serving) (14 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 172348 (Margarine-like, vegetable oil spread, 60% fat, stick, with salt): Energy 537 kcal (2250 kJ), protein 0.12 g, total fat 60.4 g, carbohydrate by difference 0.69 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 785 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tsp (4.8 g); 1 tbsp (14.3 g); 1 cup (229 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173589 (Margarine Spread, 40-49% fat, tub): Energy 401 kcal (1680 kJ), protein 0.27 g, total fat 44.5 g, carbohydrate by difference 0 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars not printed, sodium 716 mg per 100 g; portions used: 100 g only; data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171415 (Margarine,spread, 35-39% fat, tub): Energy 349 kcal (1460 kJ), protein 0.23 g, total fat 38 g, carbohydrate by difference 1.52 g, fibre 0 g, total sugars 0 g, sodium 584 mg per 100 g; portions used: 1 tsp (4.8 g); 1 cup (232 g); data-type labels per field are in the label table above (read 29 Oct 2026).
• ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017): not used on this page; it has no margarine, lard, shortening or tallow food row, and its fatty acid rows for Indian fats are on our fatty acids in cooking oils guide.
• nyus.in, the NYUS landing page, read on 29 Oct 2026 for the app statements in the NYUS section and the CTA.

The portion kcal, the sums, the rounding, the comparisons and every sentence starting "Our reading" are NYUS's own arithmetic or opinion, not from USDA. The energy, water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars and sodium values, the data-type labels and the Measures-list portions are exactly as shown on the USDA record pages. The names in the first column are USDA's own record names.

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