1 cup
775 kcal
224 g
Sauces, fats & condimentsmoderate variability
Margarine, light: calories and nutrition
Margarine, light has about 48 calories per 1 tablespoon in the cited USDA reference record. Use the portion controls and preparation factors below to interpret the estimate.
What this number means
A portion-aware estimate, not a promise
A 1 tablespoon weighing 14 grams has about 48 calories in the cited source record.
The source calls its underlying survey portion “Quantity not specified,” but it separately lists 1 tablespoon at the identical weight. We use the familiar household label here without changing the source calculation.
The listed household measures span roughly 17–775 calories across the listed portions. That range describes the source portions below; it is not a confidence interval and does not capture every recipe.
Calculated from the smallest and largest usable household measures listed by USDA for this exact FNDDS record; not a confidence interval.
Portion explorer
See how portion size changes the estimate
Move the slider to scale the source values. This is a mathematical comparison, not an analysis of your exact plate.
- Calories
- 48 kcal
- Protein
- 0.05 g
- Carbohydrate
- 0.2 g
- Total fat
- 5.3 g
Household measures
Compare listed portions
These values scale the source nutrition by gram weight. Rounding keeps the comparison readable.
1 tablespoon
48 kcal
14 g
1 pat
24 kcal
7 g
1 individual container
17 kcal
5 g
At a glance
Nutrient highlights per source serving
The strongest supplied Daily Value signals, shown without extrapolating missing values.
Vitamin A
186.2 µg≈ 21% Daily ValueTotal fat
5.3 g≈ 7% Daily ValueSaturated fat
1.2 g≈ 6% Daily ValueNutrition facts
Compare the source serving with 100 grams
Values are rounded for readability. The source serving is 14 g.
| Nutrient | Amount | Approx. % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 48 kcal 346 kcal | — |
| Protein | 0 g 0.3 g | — |
| Carbohydrate | 0.2 g 1.2 g | — |
| Total fat | 5.3 g 37.9 g | 7% |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g 0 g | — |
| Sugars | 0 g 0 g | — |
| Sodium | 82 mg 586 mg | — |
| Saturated fat | 1.2 g 8.7 g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1.7 g 12.2 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2.1 g 14.9 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg 0 mg | — |
| Potassium | 6.3 mg 45 mg | — |
| Calcium | 0.8 mg 6 mg | — |
| Iron | 0 mg 0 mg | — |
| Magnesium | 0.1 mg 1 mg | — |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg 0 mg | — |
| Vitamin D | 0.5 µg 3.7 µg | — |
| Vitamin A | 186.2 µg 1,330 µg | 21% |
| Caffeine | 0 mg 0 mg | — |
| Alcohol | 0 g 0 g | — |
| Water | 8.3 g 59 g | — |
Daily Values appear only when they are supplied by the reviewed data record. Individual needs differ.
Inside the source record
Source formulation behind this USDA record
USDA links this survey-food entry to 2 source inputs used to calculate the reference nutrition. Publishing those inputs makes the record easier to inspect and helps explain why two similarly named foods can have different values.
How to read this
2 listed components
The largest listed inputs by source weight are Margarine,spread, 35-39% fat, tub, Margarine-like, vegetable oil spread, approximately 37% fat, unspecified oils, with salt, with added vitamin D. The order and weights below come from the standardized USDA formulation, so they offer context for this exact database entry.
100 g total listed input weight across the formulation.
| # | USDA input | Listed amount | Input weight | Share of listed input weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margarine,spread, 35-39% fat, tubUSDA ingredient 4128 | 65 GM | 65 g | 65% |
| 2 | Margarine-like, vegetable oil spread, approximately 37% fat, unspecified oils, with salt, with added vitamin DUSDA ingredient 4690 | 35 GM | 35 g | 35% |
Exact-record context
What makes this USDA record distinct?
FoodData Central can publish several records with similar names but different source identities, formulations, portions, or nutrient values. This check uses exact records from the same USDA survey-food category and compares nutrients per 100 grams so serving size does not create the difference.
This record
Margarine, light
- USDA category
- Margarine
- FDC ID
- 2710162
- FNDDS code
- 81104010
Closest inspectable record
Margarine, stick
- USDA category
- Margarine
- FDC ID
- 2710159
- FNDDS code
- 81102010
| Nutrient | This record | Comparison record | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 346 kcal | 717 kcal | −371 kcal |
| Protein | 0.3 g | 0.2 g | +0.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.2 g | 0.7 g | +0.5 g |
| Total fat | 37.9 g | 80.7 g | −42.8 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g | 0 g | Same listed value |
| Sodium | 586 mg | 751 mg | −165 mg |
3 of the six displayed differences clear a conservative materiality screen. The screen is only a reading aid; it is not a health rating.
Formulation evidence
The listed formulations differ
The formulation rows differ, but the source data do not isolate which component caused any nutrient difference. Input weights describe the standardized formulation—not final plated proportions.
Listed only in this record: Margarine,spread, 35-39% fat, tub; Margarine-like, vegetable oil spread, approximately 37% fat, unspecified oils, with salt, with added vitamin D.
Listed only in the comparison: Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt; Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt, with added vitamin D.
Portion evidence
The listed portion sets differ
This record’s reference amount is 14 g; a familiar listed measure is 1 tablespoon (14 g).
The comparison record’s reference amount is 14 g; a familiar listed measure is 1 tablespoon (14 g).
Use the 100-gram table for composition. Use the household measures to judge which source portion better resembles the amount you mean.
Evidence boundary: this is a comparison between two standardized USDA records. It does not measure your meal, prove that either recipe matches it, rank overall food quality, or show that a particular ingredient caused a nutrient difference.
From record to familiar meal
Guides that use this exact USDA record
These pages place this profile beside closely named source records so you can compare portions and preparation details without treating one database entry as a universal recipe.
What changes the estimate most?
This is a standardized USDA survey-food profile, not a measurement of every preparation. Actual nutrition can change with amount used, recipe or brand, concentration, oil, sugar, and salt formulation.
Food estimates can be sensitive to portion weight, preparation, ingredient ratios, and additions that are difficult to judge from appearance alone.
- 01
amount used
- 02
recipe or brand
- 03
concentration
- 04
oil, sugar, and salt formulation
How we estimated this
Traceable back to the source record
This profile uses FoodData Central Survey Foods (FNDDS). It reports the source serving, calculates the 100-gram comparison from the same record, and scales household portions by their listed gram weights.
About the serving label: USDA describes the underlying survey portion as “Quantity not specified.” A separately listed 1 tablespoon has the same gram weight, so the familiar label can be shown without changing the calculation.
Data cycle: 2021–2023, published 2024-10-31
FoodData Central ID: 2710162
FNDDS food code: 81104010
It does not reconstruct every possible recipe or infer your plate’s weight. Preparation and recipe differences belong in the uncertainty explanation, not hidden decimal places.
Source release 2024-10-31. Read the full nutrition methodology.