Garlic Powder vs Fresh Garlic

Which is better for your low carb cooking? 🤔

Both having their own benefits and limitation. However if we look into details in terms of nutritional value, like all dried and processed foods, organic garlic powder is less nutritious than fresh cloves.

When comparing garlic powder vs. fresh cloves, the loss of both calories and nutrients is significant.

An ounce of fresh garlic (about 6 cloves)

✏️27 calories

✏️1g protein

✏️calcium (3.3% RDA)

✏️iron (1.7% RDA)

✏️selenium (3.7% RDA)

✏️vitamin C (15% RDA)

The standard amount of powder used in recipes is ¾ teaspoon. From this dose, you get...

✏️8 calories

✏️0.4g protein

✏️calcium (0.2% RDA)

✏️iron (0.7% RDA)

✏️selenium (0.9% RDA)

✏️vitamin C (1% RDA)

In fact, garlic is used as a kind of spice in cooking, so we won’t add a large amount of spice in every meal we eat.

This means that when comparing garlic powder vs. fresh, you aren’t considering an amount that makes any significance for your nutrient intake. You don’t actually count the few calories, net carbs or extra minerals/vitamins into your daily plan.

Moreover, you must understand that cooking will reduce the value of the fresh product. So, unless you eat those 6 cloves raw, you won’t get the nutrients they contain.

✔️The main benefit of using powder is that it’s much more simple. Raw garlic must be minced or crushed and browned for cooking. This takes time and keeping it a minute too long on the hot pan can ruin the taste. Powder, on the other hand, always tastes the same.

💡Extra tips:

Note that there is some difference in garlic powder vs. fresh flavor when mixing it with acidic ingredients (like tomatoes). To fix that you just need to let the powder reconstitute in a bit of water for 2-5 mins before adding it. With this little trick, using organic garlic powder will be just as good (if not better) as fresh cloves.