Food · Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Pesto sauce nutrition facts
A typical portion of pesto sauce (1 tablespoon; 16 g, pesto sauce) has 90 calories and 1g of protein (USDA FoodData Central). USDA lists 6 descriptions of it: per 100 g they range from 372 calories (cLASSICO, basil pesto, ready-to-serve) to 580 (pesto sauce).
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Protein % DV here is not corrected for protein quality.
USDA values per 100 g for Pesto sauce, scaled to the portion. Check the USDA record.
- Protein per 100 g
- 8.6g
- more than 49% of 8,218 USDA reference foods
- Calories per 100 g
- 580
- more than 97% of reference foods
- Sodium per 100 g
- 988mg
- more than 95% of reference foods
1 tablespoon weighs 16 g in USDA's record for Pesto sauce (FDC 2710175).
Where the calories come from: 4% carbohydrate, 90% fat and 6% protein (4 calories a gram of protein or carbohydrate, 9 of fat).
Also rich in
Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC 2710175), every nutrient the record reports; FDA Daily Values, 21 CFR 101.9.
Every form of pesto sauce USDA describes
Pesto sauce has the most calories per 100 g (580); the fewest: CLASSICO (372)
| USDA description | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pesto sauce | 580 | 8.6 g | 59.2 g | 988 mg |
| Sauce, pesto, ready-to-serve, refrigeratedSame values: Sauce, pesto, BUITONI, pesto with basil, ready-to-serve, refrigerated | 418 | 9.8 g | 37.6 g | 603 mg |
| Sauce, pesto, MEZZETTA, NAPA VALLEY BISTRO, basil pesto, ready-to-serve | 496 | 6.7 g | 49.9 g | 897 mg |
| Sauce, pesto, ready-to-serve, shelf stable | 426 | 5 g | 42.4 g | 998 mg |
| Sauce, pesto, CLASSICO, basil pesto, ready-to-serve | 372 | 4.2 g | 36.4 g | 1,028 mg |
Every nutrient in this record (65)
The portion is 1 tablespoon (16 g); % DV is for that portion.
Energy, macronutrients and sugars (12)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 1.38 g | 8.61 g | 3% |
| Total lipid (fat) | 9.47 g | 59.2 g | 12% |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 0.91 g | 5.67 g | 0% |
| Energy | 92.8 kcal | 580 kcal | |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | |
| Water | 3.64 g | 22.8 g | |
| Total Sugars | 0.11 g | 0.70 g | |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.16 g | 1.00 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 2.56 mg | 16.0 mg | 1% |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.65 g | 10.3 g | 8% |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 5.32 g | 33.3 g | |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.61 g | 10.1 g |
Minerals (9)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium, Ca | 33.1 mg | 207 mg | 3% |
| Iron, Fe | 0.30 mg | 1.87 mg | 2% |
| Magnesium, Mg | 9.76 mg | 61.0 mg | 2% |
| Phosphorus, P | 36.8 mg | 230 mg | 3% |
| Potassium, K | 31.8 mg | 199 mg | 1% |
| Sodium, Na | 158 mg | 988 mg | 7% |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.33 mg | 2.08 mg | 3% |
| Copper, Cu | 0.049 mg | 0.31 mg | 5% |
| Selenium, Se | 1.12 µg | 7.00 µg | 2% |
Vitamins (23)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retinol | 6.88 µg | 43.0 µg | |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 14.6 µg | 91.0 µg | 2% |
| Carotene, beta | 91.4 µg | 571 µg | |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.70 mg | 10.6 mg | 11% |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.016 µg | 0.10 µg | 0% |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 1.28 µg | 8.00 µg | |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 164 µg | 1,023 µg | |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.58 mg | 3.60 mg | 1% |
| Thiamin | 0.012 mg | 0.077 mg | 1% |
| Riboflavin | 0.019 mg | 0.12 mg | 1% |
| Niacin | 0.15 mg | 0.94 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.014 mg | 0.087 mg | 1% |
| Folate, total | 3.04 µg | 19.0 µg | |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.040 µg | 0.25 µg | 2% |
| Choline, total | 2.37 mg | 14.8 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 15.3 µg | 95.5 µg | 13% |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | |
| Folate, food | 3.04 µg | 19.0 µg | |
| Folate, DFE | 3.04 µg | 19.0 µg | 1% |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg |
Fatty acids (19)
| Nutrient | Per portion | Per 100 g | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFA 4:0 | 0.015 g | 0.096 g | |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.013 g | 0.082 g | |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.0083 g | 0.052 g | |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.020 g | 0.12 g | |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.023 g | 0.14 g | |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.073 g | 0.46 g | |
| SFA 16:0 | 1.13 g | 7.09 g | |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.29 g | 1.84 g | |
| MUFA 18:1 | 5.20 g | 32.5 g | |
| PUFA 18:2 | 1.53 g | 9.58 g | |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.060 g | 0.37 g | |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.0021 g | 0.013 g | |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.084 g | 0.52 g | |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.042 g | 0.27 g | |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00032 g | 0.0020 g | |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00016 g | 0.0010 g | |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00048 g | 0.0030 g |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC 2710175: every value the record reports, per 100 g as USDA gives it and scaled to the portion; Daily Values: 21 CFR 101.9.
Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, Foundation Foods and Survey foods), April 30, 2026 release.
Questions
How many calories are in pesto sauce?
90 in 1 tablespoon (16 g) of pesto sauce; 372 to 580 per 100 g across USDA's descriptions.
How much protein is in pesto sauce?
1g in 1 tablespoon; 8.6 g per 100 g.
How much sodium is in pesto sauce?
160mg in 1 tablespoon; 988 mg per 100 g. Salt added in cooking changes it: USDA lists salted and unsalted forms separately where it measured both.
Sources for this page
- USDA FoodData Central
- the food and product records, April 30, 2026 release. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- FoodData Central documentation
- what each data type is and how branded records are submitted. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies
- the survey foods and their portions. ars.usda.gov
- 21 CFR 101.9, Nutrition labeling of food
- the label format, rounding and Daily Values. ecfr.gov
- FDA, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- the 5% and 20% Daily Value rule. fda.gov